MG Book Review:
Wretched Waterpark
WRETCHED WATERPARK BY KIERSTEN WHITE
The Sinister Summer Series #1
Middle Grade Fiction | Mystery
Published by Delacorte Press
Jun 07, 2022
256 Pages
Synopsis
A middle-grade mystery series that’s spooky, creepy, and filled with gothic twists! Meet the Sinister-Winterbottom twins, who solve mysteries at increasingly bizarre summer vacation destinations in the hopes of being reunited with their parents–or at the very least finally finding a good churro.
“An absolute delight. If I have to die in a waterpark, I want to die in this one.”—Holly Black, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cruel Prince
Wickedly weird. . . . Will appeal to anyone who loved A Series of Unfortunate Events. —The New York Times
Meet the Sinister-Winterbottoms: brave Theo, her timid twin, Alexander, and their older sister, Wil. They’re stuck for the summer with their Aunt Saffronia, who doesn’t know how often children need to eat and can’t use a smartphone, and whose feet never quite seem to touch the floor when she glides–er–walks.
When Aunt Saffronia suggests a week pass to the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark, they hastily agree. But the park is even stranger than Aunt Saffronia. The waterslides look like gray gargoyle tongues. The employees wear creepy black dresses and deliver ominous messages. An impossible figure is at the top of the slide tower, people are disappearing, and suspicious goo is seeping into the wave pool.
Something mysterious is happening at Fathoms of Fun, and it’s up to the twins to get to the bottom of it. The mystery, that is. NOT the wave pool. Definitely NOT the wave pool. But are Theo and Alexander out of their depth?
Fog drifted around their feet, clinging greedily, like it wanted to pull them into a watery grave. And maybe, this being the worst summer ever, it would actually end that way.
Review
An entertaining mystery with an intriguing cast of characters — what a great story from the fabulous Kiersten White!
Kiersten’s writing has always captivated me, as have her world-building and characters. In Wretched Waterpark, she introduces us to the quirky Sinister-Winterbottom family (featured throughout the Sinister Summer series) against the backdrop of a creepy waterpark during their unexpected summer vacation. The mystery of the park’s missing owner sucks the Sinister-Winterbottom children in, creating a twisting storyline that manages to be both spooky and fun.
By far, my favorite thing about this book was the characters! In my opinion, it is so important to kick off a series with characters that make you want to come back for me, and I feel like we get that with the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. The story is certainly enjoyable, but the characters are what is going to entice me to continue reading this series.
Overall, I really liked Wretched Waterpark and happily recommend it! This is a book that I felt comfortable suggesting to my 12-year old son but encourage parents/guardians to pre-screen materials that your children may consume if you have concerns about the content.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
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