Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo - OPTIONAL

Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo, 295 pages. Peachtree Teen, 2023. $13 

Language: R (94 swears 8 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Passionate kissing); Violence: PG (a spell gone wrong causes animals to die and a boy's hands to bleed uncontrollably, a boy is struck by lightning and almost dies, a ghost cuts a boys hands with glass) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

It is the summer before senior year for Theo and Jaime. Theo is feeling stuck in his small town and is wondering how he will measure up to his parents' expectations. Jaime returns to town hoping to find a fresh start after spending a few years in the foster care system. One day Jaime wanders into a haunted house in the woods and soon finds himself stuck in the house with no way to get out. Taylor just graduated from high school and is trying to figure out her next step while at the same time mourning the recent death of her mother. Even though her father forbids it, Taylor is trying to learn the magic and which craft her mother started teaching her before her death. Theo finds Jaime stuck in the house and enlists Taylor's help to get him out before the house is demolished. As the teens try to work out the mystery of the house, the ghost that haunts it, and how to release Jaime from the house Jamie and Theo begin to fall for each other. 

The book is about three teenagers each feeling lonely and that they don't fit in and each dealing with family issues and trauma of their own. Through the experience of saving Jaime, they develop friendships and acceptance and learn how to rely on each other so that they can take on the things they need to do. I liked the layers of mystery that are revealed as the story progresses. I liked how each chapter was told from the different points of view of one of the three main characters. I liked the character development. The spooky, paranormal, horror aspects are present but minimal. I did feel like the story dragged at times and the timeline was a little choppy and disjointed. Overall a good horror book that is not too scary. Taylor has Puerto Rican heritage. Jamie has Mexican heritage. Theo is white. 

A. Snow