Absolutely adored Scareground and it's spook-tacular fun. Hoping for more adventures with Nancy. This is perfect for fans of dark but fun adventures, and authors such as Jenni Spangler and Sophie Cleverly. Ideal for the cosy, dark nights of Autumn and Winter!

A young chiller I just didn't really engage with. A girl who has one friend and therefore talks to the sky a lot (which didn't help my enjoyment of this – some kind of pathetic fallacy in reverse) – is intent on having a trip much against her guardians' wishes to the travelling fair when it arrives. But this is a fair with a difference, gearing towards the spooky and the frightening as opposed to the gaudy and lively. And this is a girl with a difference, as she runs about on the rooftops of her Greenwich home, and she might just have been a foundling left by the fair in the first place…

I'm sure there is enough here to give some OK entertainment to the right readers, but I didn't take to the whole "hello sky, what you doing you clouds" stuff, I found the way the history of the fair and its visit, and therefore why people disliked it, got conveyed was clunky, and I didn't really find enough logic in it all, from the messages-by-paper plane to, well, much else. The first visit to the fairground had our writer seemingly struggling to tell us that it was spooky, instead of just letting us see what it was like and realising for ourselves it was spooky. And from the very early chapters you could tell a lot of this was setting up a larger series.

Not heinously bad, I just found this lacking for my tastes, and my star rating is nowhere near what target audiences may get out of this.

Love that the main character was called Nancy Crumpet and lived above a bakery. Both her birth disappeared and this means she has lots of questions. She also has talents and a mysterious birth mark. Scareground returns to her hometown and a dark mystery unfolds. Can the mysterious owner, Skelter, help her answer her questions? Can she face her fears? Exciting mysterious story to foster the love of reading. Great for a daily read and would make a brilliant English reading unit.

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Notes
Review *Scareground*
72


by Angela Kecojevic 🎠
Cover Design by Anna Morrison💀
Published by Neem Tree Press 🎡



Roll up, roll up, the Scareground is in town!

Do you have your Scareground ticket? 🎟️🎠

I've been looking forward to this book SO much!!

Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet lives above a bakery & life is sweet.

*Yet her mind is brimming with questions no one can answer:

Why did her birth parents disappear?

Why can she speak with the sky? And why must she keep her mysterious birthmark hidden?

Everything is about to change when the Scareground returns to Greenwich. Nancy is convinced it holds the answers to her parents' disappearance*

With her best friend Arthur Green, Nancy meets the fair's spooky owner, Skelter and they discover a world full of dark magic and mystery.

There's a double mystery here - Nancy's curiosity about her parents & the strange resistance to anyone ever mentioning the *Fairground* even in a whisper.

Help yourself to some popcorn🍿🍿🍿but remember, this is not your average fair!

The Oxford launch event really captured the fairground Scareground vibe! *Candy Floss* *Popcorn* *Magician* *Music* *Balloons*

The ideas of sharing messages on the rooftops, planning mini investigations & trying to solve such secretive puzzles all blend so well to create this superb story. There's so much more too! The attention to detail is clever without being too busy.

Friendships might be questioned & tested here but the unique characters will keep you wondering & guessing. Enjoy every moment!

*Watch out for Monsieur Boleresco!*

*Watch out for flour bombs!*

💀🍿

🕷️💀🎠🎟️🎡

This is the perfect scary season reading! Set in Victorian London, this book has just the right mix of magic and menace. This spine tingling middle grade novel is also a spooky delight for older readers.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel from protagonist Nancy and her unusual powers to the unique Skelter Tomobola who runs the scareground fair which is visiting Greenwich. Nancy visits the fair along with her friend Arthur despite her parents forbidding it, she has a lot of questions which need answers. It upon arrival at the fair that they realise everything is designed to scare and that’s where the spooky fun really starts!

This is recommended reading so roll up, roll up… if you dare!

I loved this book. Even as someone above the target audience this macabre tale gave me and made me pause with trepidation at what would happen next.
Nancy Crumpet is a brave protagonist, with a strong sense of justice and most at home skipping across the village’s roofline to meet her best friend, Arthur or talking to the sky. I was invested in her story as Nancy realised there were hidden secrets and a mystery connected to the unusual fair that was coming into town.

Highly imaginative and well-paced, the descriptions made it read like a movie and combined with a vibrant cast of characters, it became impossible to put down. I read into the night to finish it. This sleepless night wasn’t helped by the creepy nature of Skelter and the darkness shrouding the scareground. It tapped into several of my fears, including slugs.

Scareground provided a treat for the senses with food references linked to the bakery and fair, chills for the imagination and plenty of characters that won’t be forgotten. This means it is a must Halloween read for middle graders and older who love a scare.

Scareground is a fun middle grade that follows 12-year-old Nancy Crumpet, who likes to hop and climb the rooftops of Greenwich, and o likes to talk to the sky. A fair is coming to town, but her parents, Mr and Mrs Crumpet, aren’t too pleased or excited like the rest of the town. They are refusing to go and have told Nancy she is not allowed to go either, but they won’t tell Nancy why, and she knows they are hiding the real reason. Nancy’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she finds a way to go with her only friend Arthur.

The story is well-written and is easy to follow. I adored the spooky Victorian setting and loved the eerie descriptions of the fair and its surroundings.

I found the characters interesting and fun. They are well crafted and found learning about Nancy’s background very interesting. I also enjoyed watching Nancy’s and Arthur’s friendship being tested and seeing it grow.

This is a great debut novel, and I hope we get to see more fun adventures with Nancy and Arthur.

Scareground is the perfect book for the spooky season that will appeal to both middle graders and adults!

Scareground is a spine-tingling, dark and atmospheric adventure set in Victorian Greenwich which utterly captivated me as I joined Nancy on her thrilling journey to uncover secrets of the past.

Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet is leaping from rooftop to rooftop above the streets of Greenwich with a mission: to exact revenge on a neighbour who has been horrible to her adoptive mother, Ma Crumpet. Whilst up on the rooftops, she sees an unusual sight – a black balloon surrounded by black feathers and a whisper of: Scareground, Scareground, Scareground.

Nancy senses an adventure and wants to share it with her best friend, Arthur Green. In fact, Arthur is her only friend besides the sky. Yes – the sky! Nancy has a rare gift: she is a Skyreader, someone who can communicate with the sky and tell what it is thinking – a secret she keeps to herself. This is not the only mystery surrounding Nancy. She was found and adopted by the Crumpets in unusual circumstances and has grown up in their bakery surrounded by love, flour and a dusting of intrigue.

When she meets Arthur, he shares that a fair is returning, something that hasn’t been seen in twelve years following a terrible tragedy. Despite their parents not wanting them to visit, both children are keen for adventure … Sneaking out at night, they enter the Scareground, where they meet its rather sinister, yet charming, owner, Skelter Tombola.

And so begins an intriguing, spooky and exhilarating adventure that kept me completely fascinated and gripped, not just by the Scareground itself, but also by the mystery surrounding Nancy’s birth. Can she uncover the truth about what happened to her birth parents? Where did her gift of skyreading come from? And, what is the significance of her silver birthmark? I loved the building of anticipation, danger and fear as Nancy and Arthur discover more about the fair and its darker, macabre intentions as they race to uncover the truth of Nancy’s past.

I thought that the setting of a Victorian fair in the woods outside Greenwich was perfect: spooky, eerie and ripe for unexpected frights and shocks. I’m a huge fan of maps in books, and this one has a wonderfully detailed map which shows not only the locations mentioned in the story, but the different rides visited in the Scareground. I felt that the description of the fair with its illusions, magic and rides - bringing both scares and delight - was brilliantly immersive.

I really liked both Nancy and Arthur who have a wonderfully strong friendship, able to withstand some difficult times. They have a shared sense of adventure, show courage when overcoming fears and are there for each other when it really matters. Whilst Nancy is determined to discover the truth of her birth and puts herself at great risk to do so, there is no doubt that she has been surrounded by a loving family in Ma and Pa Crumpet who clearly adore her, despite keeping secrets from her.

An exciting, spooky and intriguing adventure with just the right amount of frights and chills, so enjoy curled up with a hot chocolate as the evenings darken.

Scareground by Angela Kecojevic

You need to add this middle grade fantasy for spooky season.

Twelve-year-old Nancy has lived in Greenwich in a bakery with Ma and Pa Crumpet who took her as a child. She is living a delightful life but longs for the answers to questions like why her birth parents left her, why can she speak with the sky? And why does she have a birthmark?

To get answers to all these questions, she gets on a spontaneous adventure with her best friend (other than Sky ofcourse) Arthur when a fair - Scareground comes to Greenwich. Will she get to know things? Past? How it is all linked to her? Let's find out.

What an amazing bunch of characters and I loved our main leads Nancy and Arthur with their strong friendship. They were so mature for twelve-year-olds. Their connection was sweet and one to cherish.

Coming to our villain, Skelter Tombola, he was good at his role in this one, with his creepy ways to charming appreance to all the dark things. He was great!

The author has given so much of depth, diversity in the writing that this book brought about excitement and fear hand in hand. I was engrossed with what was happening and can see this one being played out as a movie. The atmosphere was perfectly mysterious.

It was slow to fast and I liked the pacing. The suspense, mystery and touch of fear made it an edge worthy read. There are still questions I need answer to and I think there might be a book 2, please do let us know. I can't wait for it.

Loved the setting of a 'scare ground', perfect for a middle grade horror!
Nancy's ability to talk to the sky, and her lovely silver horse mark on her wrist are intriguing, and I liked her friendship with Arthur. The scareground itself is atmospheric with its creepy rides and spooky illusions. I loved the street urchins Nancy meets there - Waltzer and his friends (Shy, Racer and Dodge). Skelter Tombola is suitably creepy, the fortune teller and the other carnival folk add to the atmosphere. The black balloons and the feathers, the creeping darkness and the slugs...all these elements would have thrilled (and possibly terrified!) me as a child. I really enjoyed my time in the scareground. Outside of the scareground, I struggled a little to understand Nancy, and I had no real feel for her life in Greenwich before the story starts.
Overall, Scareground is an imaginative and spooky tale that is bound to delight young (and not so young) horror readers.

This was an engaging and entertaining read. I only read sections of it myself and was impressed with the writing style. My 9 year old really enjoyed it, loved the mystery and creepy vibes and really liked the characters. Nancy and Arthurs friendship was a great one and she loved that element of the book the most.
She would recommend to other readers in her age group.

★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S SCAREGROUND ABOUT?
Nancy's an adventuresome girl who helps in her (adoptive) parents' bakery. There's something about her that puts most children off—but on the whole, she enjoys her life—and gets up to a lot of mischief by running all over the rooftops of the small town she lives in. (she seems a little young, and historically early to practice Parkour, but really that's what she does).

Through her antics, she has managed to make one friend, Arthur. Arthur's father is overprotective due to his mother's death and keeps a short leash on his son. But these two find ways to stretch the leash and have fun together.

Some strange things start happening in their town, pointing to the arrival of a fair. There's no way that either of them will be permitted to attend, but they're determined to have a look. It seems fun enough, it's something that doesn't happen often (not in their lifetimes, anyway), and they've been forbidden by their parents. For pre-teen Middle-Grade characters, you know that means they'll sneak into it and get into adventures. Nancy has another reason to go—but she can't bring herself to tell Arthur—she's pretty sure that she'll learn something about the circumstances around her parents leaving her to be found and taken in by the Crumpets.

And they do sneak in, they do get into adventures—most of which are far beyond what they could've imagined. The fair—the Scareground—is much more than a typical traveling fair.

KECOJEVIC'S LANGUAGE
There's something about the language—particularly a couple of word choices—that bothered me. A few words (like "macabre," and "maritime") are used perhaps too often. It feels like someone learned a new word and was trying to squeeze it in as often as possible. I obviously don't think that's what happened—it just feels that way.

Aside from that, the vocabulary and phrasing do strike me as someone trying to capture or create a mood—a feel to the book. One that's reminiscent of a fairy tale or a story from another time. I don't know that Kecojevic was entirely successful at it, however. But you can't help but see that's what she was going for, and it adds just the right amount of whimsy to enliven this story and the characters (Nancy in particular).

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT SCAREGROUND?
As many good things that were in the book, several little choices that Kecojevic made added up—like the final words of the prologue which were an over-the-top threat delivered to no one at all just so the villain could monologue for a bit—and almost makes this book die a death of a thousand cuts. Please note the "almost" there. Thinking back to the prologue—you snip that monologue and you've got a nice, disturbing introduction to the book.

The book works well if you take it on the surface, enjoy Nancy and Arthur—and the friends they make along the way—and get caught up in the story and the strange world it takes place in. If you think about many aspects too much, it doesn't hold up too well. It's not a house of cards by any means, but maybe balsa wood.

Or, come to think of it—think of this as a carnival ride or fair attraction. That's appropriate, right? It might be a spooky ride through a house of horrors, it might be an exciting-looking roller coaster, or it might be a pretty carousel—but if you look behind the curtain, or too closely at the structure, or spend too much time looking at the paint job on the horses or the lighting fixtures, and it's less impressive.

Thankfully, you're not going to find a lot of the target audience dwelling on aspects—they're going to be in it for the ride. Which, getting back to my main point—works well when you take Scareground that way.

Nancy and Arthur are a whole lot of fun. The Crumpets are a delightful couple and the kind of parents (biological or not) that you want to see in fiction. And so many other characters could be talked about in this way. Nancy's extra abilities are a wonderful, imaginative touch—but so is her heart and drive. Arthur matches that heart and drive without her abilities, and it's their friendship that makes a lot of this work.

It's a fast and strange ride that will entertain, for sure. I recommend it to readers of the right age.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Neem Tree Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

Roll up, roll up! The fair has come to town. But this isn’t just any fair…

When the black balloons start dropping from the sky, Nancy and her friend Arthur, along with all of the population of Greenwich jump at the change to attend a very special fair. A fair that claims to be as unique and individual as its eccentric owner, Skelter Tombola.

Nancy lives a safe life with her adopted parents, the Crumpets. Their baked goods are famed throughout Greenwich, and although pennies might be tight, there is always good food, and much love to go around the table. However, Nancy can’t help but wonder about all the things she doesn’t know: about her birth parents, about the mysterious birth mark on her wrist, and about just why the Crumpets really, really don’t want to talk about the fair…

Scareground manages to capture the energy of being young and curious, never fully content with what they have in that purely innocent way that gets us all into trouble at some point. For Nancy, searching for answers – and hiding her quest from Arthur – causes more trouble than she could have possibly imagined, and it may well take her a long time to decide if the destination was worth the ride.

The descriptions in the book are largely food focused, causing you to need snacks within reach as you turn the pages, as well as capturing the beautiful atmosphere of the adventures on the rooftops for Nancy especially. When it comes to looking at the rides themselves, the energy of the fair, and the rides that Nancy and Arthur dare to try, the author manages to grab the energy as clearly as Nancy reads the clouds, transporting you to the fair… if you dare.

My thoughts






Narrative and Plot









Like most middle-grade novels, we follow our young protagonist Nancy who likes adventures and the sky but is raised in a baker's family. She wants more from her life but isn't sure about herself. Even though Nancy is a kid, even adults can relate to these emotions. Which is why, it is easy to root for her.



The whole plot is about Nancy finding out about herself with her friend Adam. However, one cannot miss the obvious symbolism which is all about conquering your fears. One cannot let themselves consumed by scareground. Instead, you need hope and a support system to conquer your worst fears.







Characters and Conflicts




Nancy and Adam are the core characters of the story. Their friendship forms the much-needed heart in the book.
As the story progresses, you can see their character arc. While the Crumpets are warm, loving, and soothing like freshly baked bread, the fair is mysterious and sinister. The juxtaposition of these two worlds and its impact on Nancy is the key that makes you want to read more.


The ensemble cast was good although, some of the characters were introduced too late into the story. It was hard to get into those relationships as they didn't have enough page time.


Also, the final act was a bit underwhelming. While some might enjoy the subversion of expectations, I am always a fan of a mighty antagonist. All that hype was quickly done away with as they brought in the final twist. While the epilogue has all my interest, the finale took me by surprise.






Conclusion




Overall, I enjoyed reading Scareground. With its sinister and haunted theme, it had my interest from page one. I would love to continue reading more about Nancy and her adventures.

In a Nutshell: A spooky middle-grade fantasy set in a fair. Has myriad kinds of magical elements, some of which are captivating. Good for the target age group.

Story Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet has lived in Greenwich all her life, with Pa and Ma Crumpet. (What adorable names for bakers!) Though a foster child, Nancy is treated with kindness and love. She knows that she is expected to help the Crumpets out in their bakery, though her heart isn’t in this work. She longs to know more about her birth parents, about why the sky and the wind seem to respond to her, about why she has a strange birthmark on her arm…
When Nancy and her best friend Arthur hear about the ‘Scareground’ returning to Greenwich after more than a decade, the duo know that they will visit the fair no matter what. Unknown to Arthur, Nancy has a secret agenda: she wishes to meet the fair’s eerie owner, Skelter Tombola. Why? Read and find out.
The story is written in Nancy’s third person limited perspective.

Bookish Yays:
💐 Nancy as the lead character. I’m all for girls who break the gender barrier in fiction, and Nancy is a great addition to this list. Within the restrictions of her skirts and petticoats, she loves to jump over rooftops and clamber down drainpipes. I loved her gutsiness (and her “sneeze bombs”!)
💐 Arthur and Nancy are opposites in many ways, and yet the best of friends. Their connection doesn’t feel forced at any point, regardless of the disparity of financial and familial circumstances. I appreciated how their fondness for adventure circumvented all other potential hurdles in their friendship.
💐 The main antagonist, Skelter Tombola (That name is so creepy!), is really good at being bad. Right from his appearance to this spooky smile to his bizarre affinity towards spreading fear, he is an apt villain for a middle-grade novel. (He would also make a great character in a Tim Burton movie.)
💐 Some of the secondary characters are suitably quirky.
💐 The story highlights the thin line that exists between fear and excitement. I enjoyed how it depicted the way one person’s adventure could be another one’s nightmare. Positive and negative emotions are often two sides of the same coin, and this comes out well through various scenes.
💐 Quite a few aspects connected to the Scareground elevate the spook factor of the story. The mysterious black balloons, the raven feathers, the ghostly rides, the sinister music, the strange shadows – all create the perfect atmosphere for a dark fantasy.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 Nancy has a special ability of talking to the sky and the wind, and they actually respond to her. This is quite unique a propensity, and I love how it is utilised in the story. However, the whats and whys of this skill aren’t explored in detail. The ending gives vibes of a sequel explaining this talent of Nancy’s, but I wish some light had been shed on it within this story itself.
🌹 The start of the book is somewhat slow, though we get enough of tantalising clues to keep us invested in the upcoming scareground fair. But the real action pops up only towards the final quarter. The wait is long, but worthwhile.
🌹 The horror and mystery elements are supposed to be the highlight of the story. While the horror angle had some bite to it courtesy Tombola and his ‘macabre’ friends, the mystery didn’t offer much to dig into and was quite guessable. (Though younger MG readers hopefully wont figure things out so easily.)

Bookish Nays:
🌵 The book explores quite varied elements of fantasy, ranging from the occult, illusions, natural magical talent, cheap tricks, and so on. However, this gives the fantastical world a somewhat disjointed feel, as the focus is more on diversity than depth. I enjoyed the magical parts in bits and pieces, but found them a tad cluttered on the whole.

All in all, the book does have much to offer to its little readers. While I found the magical world a little unstructured, I still liked brave Nancy and Arthur, and their strong friendship. If this is indeed meant to be a series, I hope the upcoming sequels explore Nancy’s magical talents more, as those were the USP of the story.

Recommended to middle-grade readers of dark fantasy.

3 stars.

My thanks to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of “Scareground”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Overall, this was a really good read. There were some darker elements to the book, but that just made it all the more enjoyable. This is one that I think my oldest son would enjoy. The background and the story for Nancy is really neat, and some of her abilities that are presented through the book just make it that much more interesting. I think this will be a winner for many young adult readers - and of course, the adults who enjoy reading fun books too!

Get ready for a scare and some fun - and discover your younger side again!

Even if it's marketed for children it has the right level of darkness and creepiness to keep adult entertaining and reading.
Well plotted, gripping and entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Deliciously creepy from the start, this book is full of mysteries. What is the significance of the horse-shaped mark on Nancy's wrist, why can she understand the sky, and why is everyone so unhappy about the fair that's arriving in town?
I always think rooftop worlds sound so wondrous and Nancy's life in the bakery by day and flitting about the houses by night does sound incredible. I loved the magical descriptions of colours and the illusions sounded fascinating, particularly Pepper's Ghost which I just had to look up and read more about.
Without giving away any spoilers I have to say I found it a bit hard to understand why Nancy would do some of the things she did. After vowing that no one would take her away from her parents, her actions seemed quite counter-intuitive. Then again maybe I shouldn't expect anyone to be logical in this situation!
Nancy and Arthur were really brave, confronting their fears of the fair and investigating, meeting lots of intriguing characters along the way. It was so sweet how they supported each other. The suspense kept me on edge the whole time and I was never sure if they would get away with it. There was a very mysterious ending, possibly paving the way to a second book???

Scareground is dark and spooky and utterly enthralling!

It's a story about a young girl trying to find her place in the world. Nancy Crumpet feels like there should be more to her life than being a baker, but just what that is, she doesn't know.

It's a story about unusual families and friendships. Nancy has a loving home and family, but still feels like she needs to know more about her birth family. And although she has a good friend, it's clear that friendships are something she has always struggled with. Her anxieties around her friendship with Arthur is fascinating to watch unfold, as she learns to trust in that friendship more. That longing for companionship intertwined with the fear of being rejected is so moving and well depicted. Even more fascinating is her friendship with the sky. It's clever, imaginative and magical in all of its mystery.

It's a story about fairgrounds, and our desire to experience the kind of thrills that scare us, and the powerful attraction fear has on our souls.

But more than any of this, it is a story about darkness. It is a story about what happens when we walk into the darkness, and how some people embrace it and some people fight it. It is a story about the powerful allure of the forbidden, the scary and the dangerous and how dark deals can twist and distort good intentions into something not very good at all.

It is a powerful and creepy story that cast a spell over me and held me in its grip until I'd finished reading, leaving me wanting more.

This is a strong debut by Angela Kecojevic, bringing us a story steeped in family secrets, traditions, friendship, differences and a few scares thrown in for good measure.

The author has built a world around the Victorian era we know, bringing a sense of fear and dread to it by adding in illusions (or are they just tricks) that mess with your eyes and your mind, whilst Nancy and Arthur dig deep to brave the dangers and face their fears to get to the bottom of Nancy’s links to Skelter Tombola and the Scareground.

Nancy’s relationship with/to the sky is an added element that we are never quite sure is an advantage or will bring her more peril.

Whilst the ending brought some answers for Nancy, there is definitely more to her past and her special abilities than revealed here, leaving the door wide open to further speculation and hope that there will be a second novel on the way.

Special mention must also go to the map at the start…I do love a book map.

Thank you to @NetGalley @NeemTreePress and @The_WriteReads for an advance copy in exchange for this review.