Category: booklist reviews

THE LABYRINTH OF SOULS by Leslie Vedder

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This review first appeared in Booklist on January 1, 2025.

Ix Tatterfall can see Nightmares—something that makes her an outcast in her small hometown but a considerable asset for the Candle Corps, who guard the kingdom of Spinar against the fearsome Nightmares that sometimes crawl out of the legendary Labyrinth of Souls. The mysterious maze has grown increasingly unstable due to the schemes of a terrifying scarecrow figure calling himself Jack, and it’s up to Ix and her newfound friends to embrace their budding powers and save not only the Labyrinth but their own Waking World as well. Vedder offers a fantasy full of intrigue, countless imaginative creatures, and instantly endearing characters. While the world building can be a little overwhelming, it’s sure to ignite the imagination of readers and leave them wanting more. Hand The Labyrinth of Souls to fans of magic-school series such as Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities (2012) and Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor (2017) and watch them devour this book.

IT’S WATCHING by Lindsay Currie

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This review first appeared in Booklist on January 1, 2025.

Best friends and budding reporters Josie, Alison, and Jackson want to write a groundbreaking article for their school newspaper. So, on Halloween night, they head to their town’s old cemetery, hoping to prove the existence of ghosts. Their efforts seem fruitless at first, and the friends walk out with nothing but damp, dirty clothes and shattered nerves following a close call with a security guard. Then they start receiving sinister messages on their phones, and weird things keep happening wherever they go. An angry ghost has followed them out of the cemetery, they soon realize, and the intrepid trio must figure out why it’s haunting them before the ominous countdown that’s appeared on their phones runs out—or else. Brimming with creepy imagery and unsettling scenarios, Currie’s latest supernatural mystery is bound to thrill. Historical details are woven naturally into the plot, adding a fascinating layer of fact on top of the haunted happenings, making this story appealing to fans of the curious and unusual. Pair with Holly Black’s Doll Bones (2013) and India Hill Brown’s The Forgotten Girl (2019).

THE PUMPKIN PRINCESS AND THE FOREVER NIGHT by Steven Banbury

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This review first appeared in Booklist on November 20, 2024.

Eve has spent much of her young life running away, be it from a cruel orphanage, an identity that never felt like her own, or loneliness and fear. Her repeated efforts to escape this dreary existence finally find success when she meets the Pumpkin King, an imposing figure with a jack-o’-lantern head, who helps Eve not only by giving her a proper name and a royal title but also by spiriting her away to the lands of the undead. In the bewitching Hallowell Valley, Eve hopes to find friendship, family, and a place to finally call home—though not without first facing the many challenges that come with bearing the noble rank of Pumpkin Princess. Full of wonderful world building, clever conceits, and autumnal abundance, debut author Banbury has written a cozy, heartwarming story that has all the makings of a seasonal staple. Reminiscent of books like Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree and Joseph Fink’s The Halloween Moon (2021), readers will find similar festive delights here.

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