Escape from Grimstone Manor
(Monsterious #1)

A sepulchral theme park tests a trio of 12-year-olds in musician McMann's debut, a pared-down adventure with Goosebumps vibes. Visiting amusement park ThrillVille, friends Mateo, Taylor, and Zari approach haunted house Grimstone Manor near closing time. It's built on the grounds of a mansion that once belonged to suspected necromancer Hezekiah Crawly, whose mysterious disappearance 100 years back is the stuff of local lore. The three gain a grim opportunity to explore the legend firsthand when their ride through the animatronic manor grinds to a halt, stranding them. Tensions, already high between wary Mateo and impulsive Taylor, boil over--despite reserved Zari's exasperated attempts at peacemaking--resulting in a fight that reveals just how real the local yarn is. The action proves unrelenting as the friends fight and flee from all manner of possessed skeletons, mummies, and more in scenes that pause just long enough for the group to attempt reconciliation. An abrupt ending seems designed to propel readers into the next book, while a combination of interpersonal vulnerability and monster mayhem drives a horror-tinged thriller that's more rollicking than revolting. Mateo and Zari are described as having brown skin; Taylor presents as white. Publishing simultaneously: The Snatcher of Raven Hollow. Ages 8-12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)