“The Phantom of the East Tower” was a fun middle-grade novel filled with action and adventure.

Firstly, I wasn’t aware that this was part of a series, and previous novels were leading to the storyline. The author references the earlier adventures, which I had trouble connecting with, but also intrigued me. Nevertheless, I had no problem relating to the characters and enjoyed reading this book!

Secondly, the author beautifully writes the adventure. The story made me reminisce about the old “Famous Five” adventure novels I loved reading. The first half of the story is eerie and suspenseful as Emma notices the strange apparition in the Tower and the library. One of my favorite moments is when she hears strange footsteps in the corn maze. In contrast, the author fills the second half with action and adventure as the group tries to escape from the convicts.

The author also wonderfully wrote the characters. Emma, Martha, and Sebastian form a wonderful group and share a friendly camaraderie. Similarly, Emma and Andy stand out in the story and share a wonderful friendship. I loved the way they meet each other and Andy’s backstory. As the author mentions, Emma and Andy act as angels and always support one another.

Moreover, I enjoyed the love angle between Doug, Juniper, and Emma. Juniper is one of those characters you love to hate, and I wanted how she spiced the story. But I feel she disappeared mid-way into the plot. Reading this book inspired me to pick up the previous books to discover how it all began and read their last adventures. Overall, “The Phantom of the East Tower” is a lovely book to pick up if you are in the mood for an exciting middle-grade adventure novel.

The phantom of the east tower by Ellen Alexander

This is a fast paced middle grade fiction book. I didn’t know that this was the third book of the series but it was still easy understand when it mentioned storylines from the other books.I really enjoying reading this book it was easy to get into and the characters were fun and likeable.I especially love the strong friendships throughout the book especially Andy and Emma.My favourite parts were when they were exploring the underground caverns and passage ways under the school.
I received this Ebook ARC from @Netgalley

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley
this was a spooky cool adventure I really enjoyed the characters and the humor

The book starts with an introduction to a new character to the series named Andy. Andy is currently running away from his abusive home and is trying to find a place to rest. While this is happening, we are reintroduced to the current series characters Martha, Emma, Sebastian, and Doug who all attend a boarding school called Dinswood Academy. Doug is currently going out with the resident mean girl. As a result of this, the group dynamic has changed. As the teens deal with typical teen angst, a mystery appears which may ultimately bring them all back together.
Full disclaimer, I did not realize that this book was a part of a series until I was several chapters into it. I was grateful that the author reintroduced the reader to the characters. Despite being lost at the beginning for obvious reasons, I truly enjoyed this read. This book has it all: action, romance, mystery, and suspense.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I wanted it to be a little bit more punchy to start but I thought the mystery was well done! A fun read overall.

this is such a great young adult horror novel, the characters were great and I enjoyed the story itself. I liked how Ms. Alexander writes and look forward to more from her.