Saturday, October 29, 2022

The Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White - ADVISABLE

The Wretched Waterpark (Sinister Summer #1) by Kiersten White
, 232 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2022. $20 

Content: G (mild danger) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Twins Alex and Theo have been left with their older sister Wil at their Aunt Saffronia’s when their parents leave on an extended trip. Distracted and/or down-right strange, their aunt buys them a week’s pass for the local waterpark – Fathoms of Fear. Things at the park are even weirder than at Aunt Saffronia’s. While the gothic motif is pretty awesome, the creepy proprietess, Mrs. Widow, whose husband seems to be missing, is not. And what waterpark doesn’t have churros! While Wil seems to be glued to her phone, Alex and Theo decide that they are going to solve the mystery on their own. 

White has begun what is sure to be an epic summer of mystery for the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. While the comparisons to Lemony Snickett are inevitable, I see this more as getting younger students ready for White’s books for older readers. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS  

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