I was surprised by how incredible this book was. American readers need to be aware that some words are spelled in a more European way. Depending on the age of the reader, you may want to explain to them that some words can be spelled two ways (color, colour) but it may not be the best idea to include the alternate spelling on a test. I hadn't read any of the previous works by this author and I feel a little cheated. There weren't any real "spoilers" for the kids but we were taunted with things like pirate ghosts. I want to read about pirate ghosts.

There is definitely a larger arc to the story line that progresses with each book. We're shown that pretty clearly, but it doesn't seem that the books have to be read in any particular order. I would recommend it though. I'm going to go back and read them anyway so why not jump in at the beginning? There was fantastic information about the Underground Railroad as well as differences between the United States of America and Canada. Even as an adult, I found the information interesting.

My daughter absolutely loved the book. Especially since the main character "October" was an outsider and considered to be a bit creepy. My kiddo hasn't gone goth yet, but she definitely loves things that fall on the morbid side. She just prefers them with a side of pink and lace. Lolligoth is her preference but sadly not featured in the book series.

Overall, I think this book should definitely find its way into a classroom library as well as school libraries.

Thank you to Evan Munday, ECW Press, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

Note: I received a copy of Connect the Scotts: The Dead Kid Detective Agency #4 by Evan Munday via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, I made a small mistake.. I requested an ARC not realizing that it was a part of a series that I have never read. The good news? Connect the Scotts can easily be read as a stand-alone. Sure, there are references to an on-going plot, but Evan Munday does well at explaining; helping the new-to-the-series reader not feel so lost. I just got too excited when I spotted a book that featured dead kids solving mysteries. I have a brand, okay.

October Schwartz & her gang of dead friends have a goal in mind: solve the mystery as to what happened to aforementioned dead friends. In this particular addition to the series, the Dead Kid Detective Agency is investigating the cause of Tabetha Scott; whom died back in the 1860s. October Schwartz learns that Sticksville, Ontario served as an endpoint for the Underground Railroad, which is where Tabetha more than likely died. On top of this mystery, is the mystery of who stole the cash box at October’s school battle of the bands. There’s never a dull moment in the life of October Schwartz.

To be honest, I didn’t think that Connect the Scotts was ever going to end; I didn’t have the umph to continue for hours at a time & maybe that was my fault. Maybe, if I didn’t choose to read this book among a handful of others, I would have been able to enjoy this much quicker. By no means is this a terrible book. I loved the aesthetic of it. I adored the little goth girl, October Schwartz & the fact that she has a gang of dead friends. It was definitely cute, but I’ll just come out & say it: I’ve read better.

I do think it’s worth noting all of the things I did enjoy about this book though. Starting with the format. Alternating chapters go between October Schwartz first-person point-of-view & the narrator’s point-of-view. I absolutely loved that concept & the fact that the narrator is talking straight to the readers. This is where a lot of the references of other books come in, as the narrator will say things along the lines of, “long-time readers of this series would know..”

There are a lot of pop culture references in Connect the Scotts. I appreciated the mentions of my all-time favorites: Beetlejuice, The Exorcist, M. Night Shyamalan, The Misfits, and Stevie Nicks — but I’m a twenty-seven year old woman & maybe I’m not giving younger readers enough credit, but I find that some of these references could go over a young person’s head. Also, a big thanks to Evan Munday — I will now be going around exclaiming, “what in the name of Marilyn Manson?!”

I also enjoyed that no matter what, trouble always occurs when October Schwartz is around. From funeral home ambushes to random old ladies dropping dead. Connect the Scotts is definitely a wild ride.

As mentioned previously, I have never read a book in The Dead Kid Detective Agency, but from my understanding, it seems as if each book could also serve as a history lesson, i.e. this particular one being around a girl escaping on the Underground Railroad. October Schwartz also discovers how much prejudice and racism actually exists (and always existed) in Sticksville, Ontario. For young readers, I find this extremely important, and I really enjoyed that Evan Munday includes these topics in his work.

& finally, another bonus in Connect the Scotts is the inclusion of illustrations. Art makes everything better, amiright?

I guess I can’t really explain as to why this book and I didn’t click. I suppose I expect mysteries to have me on the edge of my seat, but this one I didn’t care whodunit. There were parts that had me smiling over how goofy and cute it was, but in general, this book wasn’t for me. Others might absolutely eat this entire thing up in one sitting & beg for more, and if that’s you — amazing & I’m happy for you.

I was so excited when I was chosen to receive an ARC of this book. I absolutely love this series. I've gotten to know the characters so well. Each story is complete while still adding on to the main story. I do recommend that if you have not read the previous books to do so before you read this one as you won't be able to appreciate the characters and will be lost in some of the storylines.

Now I just have to wait longer for book 5 :(

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book but I found the writing style did not flow well and seemed amateurish.
You definitely need to read the previous books to even contemplate picking this one up.