Secret of McKinley Mansion (A Nineties Themed YA Ghost Story)

**NO SPOILERS**
I haven’t read a ‘scary story’ in years as they normally play on my mind much more so than films do!! I decided to try this one as I have thoroughly enjoyed every PnR book this author has released also it’s a NA so I hoped it wouldn’t be too spooky!!

Ella is classed as a nerd & a freak in High School. She says she ‘sees’ ghosts & suffers from poltergeist activity in her home as well as other buildings in the Town. The Town has a long history of children going missing which she says is connected, the only person who believes her is Scarlet, her best friend!!

Braiden moves in across the street from Ella during a storm. He is introduced to the ‘activity’ that Ella sees that night. They start to strike up
a friendship much to the disgust of almost everyone in School. Braiden is a gorgeous, well built, rich, bad boy & even though Ella is gorgeous herself she’s a total outcast!! The new & most popular senior in school is making friends with a socially awkward nerd

Scarlet, is shy, clumsy & extremely clever. She gets very meek if put on the spot but with Ella she’s completely different. When things gets really tough in this book she is needed for her logic & her ‘Hanger’ which turns her into a character with the driest & most sarcastic humour ever, I LOVED her

Some of the other characters are extremely likable, some not so much & others it’s a
struggle to find any redeeming qualities in them, they’re teenagers after all When
the scares really start to hit consistently, at around 55%, I was reading so fast to find out what would happen next, I’m nearly 48 years old for heavens sake My eyes were getting blurry!! Then when I realized I was getting reluctant to go to the toilet because I was getting so freaked out, I wanted to punch myself in the face I’d just like to thank the Author for the comic relief of Scarlet, who gets more sarcastic the more scared she gets, and for the banter between her & Ella, it was hilarious too The put downs to the Jocks & Cheerleaders were wickedly funny. Yes, they are all pretty much stereotyped in this book & thinking about it now it’s kind of like “The Breakfast Club” meets “Pretty in Pink” meets
“A Nightmare On Elm Street” I’ll tell you this though, It WORKS!!! Plus they’re some of my favourite films It makes it SO funny too

‘Secret Of McKinley Mansion’ is set in 1991 which is kind of hilarious. The book is absolutely captivating. It fully absorbed me & I was 100% rooting for every single Teen once we were past 55%
It’s as creepy as hell but fabulous. Do yourself a favour & download it right now no matter how old you are

Debbie, 1970, UK

I typically stay away from ghost haunting stories…but I was in a Hocus Pocus mood with Halloween around the corner. Y’all, this book is a heart pumping thriller!! I loved that it was YA, and I absolutely loved the main character Ella. Her character is so likable. For a teenager she seems to be able to handle anything tossed her away, especially since she is treated like a pariah in their small town. There is so much more to this book. The plot twist was great! I was on the edge of my seat reading this book. It was so hard to put down. Don’t let the YA turn you away. If you’re in a mood for a spooky Halloween read, look no further.

audiobook review
I listened to the audiobook and it is fabulous. It’s narrated by Nicole Poole and she does a fabulous job bringing all the things that go bump in the night alive. Highly recommend!!

I don’t ordinarily read many YA stories because I usually prefer mature scenes but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A spooky ghost story mixed with a little violence and sweet romance. The characters are likable, believable, & realistic. An enjoyable Kindle Unlimited read!