So this was a fun and quick read!

I loved that the ghosts were nothing like I expected them to be. While slightly disturbing they were still really different and great. I also loved that this book gave Something Wicked This Way Comes kind of vibes but with a little bit of sarcastic humor from the kids. This is a book I loved being able to read!

After losing her sister, Zel and her friends form the Creepy Club, and they make it their mission to find their first ghost. Of course when the Ghost Show comes to town, the Creepy Club are all over it, but when they get their chance to see a real ghost, will it be a dream come true or a nightmare?

This book is not only an excellent example of middle grade horror, with a perfect balance of suspense and fear, but it also deftly explores grief and anxiety. Definitely recommend for fans of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark.

This book was definitely a cutesy little Goosebumps similar middle grade/young adult spooky read! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and loved the reminiscent feeling of reading something like R.L. Stine!

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome to the Ghost Show is a story about a ghost show that comes to town. People are intrigued by the mysterious nature of the show.n The story was ok. I would have liked a creepier story and a few more jump scares. I would have liked more on the gloWyrm disaster.

👻🎪💀The Ghost Show💀🎪👻

Welcome to the ghost show! Where grief plays the main character and it takes you in a wild ride featuring the members of "The Creepy Club".

When our MC Zel and her friends and follow members investigate yet another possible "haunted" house they run into flyers of "The Ghost Show" that piqued their curiosity and of course, they have to investigate, not only did they get a show but a misadventure of a life time! With views in grief, friendship, anxiety and depression in a way that can be understood by the younger reader, as well as a very entertaining time!
This is middlegrade/YA and could very much be read by any horror lover and be enjoyed!

I recommend you this if you enjoy:

🩸Goosebumps
🩸Are You Afraid Of The Dark
🩸Junji Ito vibes

I really enjoyed this book and will look forward to owning my very own and having my kiddo read it during spooky season!

I would love to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this awesome title!

This book was a fun read for sure, but I had a little bit of trouble getting fully into the story line. This is a goos place for young readers to get their foot in the door when it comes to spooky stories, like we did with goosebumps and are you afraid of the dark vibes. It truly was fun, but that was all it was for me. I am still glad that I read the book though.

Eerie, imaginative, and bursting with carnival creepiness, Welcome to the Ghost Show is a spine-tingling ride through the supernatural. J.W. Ocker crafts a haunting atmosphere full of strange performers, chilling secrets, and ghostly surprises—all anchored by a brave, relatable protagonist. Perfect for middle grade readers who like their scares with a side of wonder.

Since losing her sister Tori in an explosion, Hazel has been into studying ghosts. With her friends, Theo, and Lucien, she founded “The Creepy Club.” Their mission is to find their first ghost. Their investigations haven’t yielded any results. When the trio find a poster for “The Ghost Show” at one of their investigations they decide to go. When the show arrives, they find out it’s under the aegis of Everest Nocturama Mance. At the show, they see a collection of creepy individuals, the date they died, and the manner of their death. They also meet Mance who offers to help Hazel connect with Tori’s ghost. The manifestation doesn’t go as planned. Will Hazel find a way to make peace about her sister’s death? Who is Mance?

The plot is engaging, well written, and intense. The chapters are a good length and well structured. The characters are well developed, memorable, and authentic. Readers who like horror, supernatural, and friendship fiction will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 4 stars, Gr 3 to 7.

It’s not often a horror book written for a younger adolescent audience makes you question your own ideas of life and death. Would you at all costs, even that of your life, your soul, want to speak to a loved one, to bring them back even if doing so would cause them suffering beyond words? Zel is obsessed with ghosts. She lost her older sister, Tori, in a horrible accident when the factory Tori worked at exploded. A lot of people lost their loved ones. Which is exactly why a creepy carnival called the Ghost Show showing up is too much of a coincidence and when the towns people are promised to be reunited with their loved ones by Mancer, a disturbing follow with lots of brains and slick talk, not just to mention a god complex, they by great majority fall for it. Zeus too cryptic and extraterrestrial loving friends are not so eager to tempt fate and while they support her and follow her into peril they also warn her not to trust what she wants more than what she knows is right. This is a complex ghost story with a lot of graphic nastiness that should hold any horror fans attention regardless of age.

I don't know what it is with this author. I keep reading their books so I do enjoy their writing style. I enjoy the concepts for their books. I think where it falls apart for me is the execution. This is the third novel I've read by this author and while I loved the idea of it, ultimately it just failed to connect. The beginning had so much promise but took a weird turn shortly after. I'm not normally someone to critique character names because of course having something different and fresh is usually a great idea when trying to escape all the usual names we see endlessly throughout thousands of other novels, but one name in particular in this book was just so outlandish it straight detracted from the story. If you've read this book you know exactly what I mean, and if you haven't you'll know the second you see it. Despite all these things, I'll read this author's next book because they always have great premises and I'm hopeful the next will be what I'm hoping for.

What a delightfully frightful book!! It had all the quirky humor and strange horror of a Goosebumps book; but a lil darker for more adventurous kids.
The characters are fun and I could see a kid relating to them; especially Zel. I think this book really shines with the plot and scare-factor. Even as an adult, there were moments where my jaw dropped at the twists and turns of this book. I won't forget the final third anytime soon!
The only critique I have is that a few of the sentences felt a bit clunky while reading. There would be chapters that are typical, middle-grade reading level, but then there'd be a paragraph with much more rich and complex writing. It would interrupt my reading flow at times and it could be distracting.
But overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book and I very much look forward to reading more of Ocker's work!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me an advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Where are my Goosebumps lovers at? If you enjoyed reading goosebumps you’ll enjoy this one! Thank you Netgalley for the ebook copy. I definitely recommend!

I reviewed a fun Ocker book a year or two ago. So, I jumped at the chance to read this one. It didn't disappoint.

This is a fairly quick read for anyone middle grade and up. I found it to be curious and fun while also being gross and a little sad.

I think the book achieves a great balance between plot and character development and believes precocious kids will fall in love.

There is a definite gore element and the book deals with loss.

Friends Zel, Lucien, and Theo form a ghost hunting club called The Creepy Club, and one day notice posters for "The Ghost Show." When this ghost show arrives in town in the remains of a tragic local incident, the club must investigate to figure out exactly what kind of ghosts they are dealing with. This book is silly, sad, and hopeful with a lot of heart to boot. At first glance, readers may just think this book seems like a typical middle grade ghost book but it is far from that. Welcome to the Ghost Show tackles some tough subjects in only 150 pages- grief, morality, and the environment. The premise of a mad scientist experimenting with creating ghosts is very unique and will keep reluctant readers engaged. Seeing how Zel handles her grief and how that grief informs her interest in the paranormal could also be quite impactful for middle grade readers.
Overall this was an engaging read with a lot of heart and just the right amount of scares. I will definitely be recommending to middle grade readers at my library.

This was great. I really enjoy Jw Ocker's writing. Always manages to keep me engaged and wanting to turn the page

First let me start by saying this book was a great read and the audience is directed towards middle schoolers. If you are a fan of Goosebumps this is a definite read for you.

This book talks about three best friends, Hazel know as “Zel”, Theo, and Lucien that are founding members of “The Creepy Club may I add they’re the only members of this club. It’s their mission to find a ghost although their efforts haven’t yielded any results. Until overnight posters of “The Ghost Show” is posted everywhere. The trio decided to visit the ghost show and they got more than what they bargained.

I did enjoy the small town story! That was amazing plus there was an even better back story of the town , mysteries and other unfortunate events that have happened. I did like how the author wrote about Zel “down days” which creates a lane for mental health. This book was a quick read but I was very entertained throughout. I’ll definitely be reading more books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, J.W. Ocker, HarperCollins publishers for providing me with an ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such a fun read! Definitely reminded me of the middle school scary stories I loved reading as a kid. The main friend group in this had great chemistry and kept me interested the whole time. The story had the right mix of mystery and suspense that I know kids will love. It was also original enough that I felt like there is definitely a potential for more stories with these characters.

This is a cute and creepy middle grade read. If you like ghosts and stories like goosebumps, you will like this and I recommend you reading it.

Thank you for the arc, Netgalley and Harper Collins children's books!

This is middle grade but it didn't read too young. I can appreciate when a middle grade/ YA book is not written in a juvenile way from the kids point of view. This wasn't scary but it was an adventure with creepy elements. I did like this one! It was a quick, easy read and I enjoyed the backstory of the town and the quirky characters. The premise of the ghost show and what happens inside is horrifying lol.

This book was definitely made for a younger audience so I am probably not the best person to write a review for it but I would definitely recommend it to someone who was younger and trying to get into the genre of horror fiction.