Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake

by Michael Witwer

A girl grappling with grief begins investigating the strange—potentially supernatural—hidden history of her new town in this debut epic middle grade fantasy from the New York Times bestselling Dungeons & Dragons expert Michael Witwer!

Twelve-year-old Vivian Van Tassel is angry about her mom’s mysterious and sudden death; at her dad for uprooting their lives in Chicago to move to the sleepy, creepy town of Midnight Lake; at the bullies who seem to be drawn to her no matter how much she tries to keep her head down…but mostly angry at herself for causing bad things to happen wherever she goes.

When a class assignment at her new school prompts Vivian to research the history of Midnight Lake, she quickly discovers her new home is even more peculiar than it seems. Not only was the infamous Beasts & Battlements (B&B) roleplaying game invented in Midnight Lake, but there are also some hard to explain coincidences about the town and its history that seem to tie back to the game in a way that’s as puzzling as it is disturbing.

When the biggest oddballs at school attempt to befriend Vivian and introduce her to their game of B&B, she’s torn between wanting to follow the path that has always worked for her—keeping everyone at arm's length—and giving these strange kids and their even stranger fantasy game a chance.

Maybe that’s what it will take to get to the bottom of the mystery of Midnight Lake…and why Vivian was really brought there in the first place.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Audiobook, Action

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2023

About the author

MICHAEL WITWER is a New York Times–bestselling author known for his work on the Hugo-nominated Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, the critically acclaimed Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons, and the bestselling D&D Heroes’ Feast cookbook series. His most recent works include Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Dragons, The Legend of Drizzt Visual Dictionary, and his award-winning debut fantasy novel, Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake. He also starred on the eOne/Lionsgate cooking show Heroes' Feast, based on his book series of the same name. In 2024, Michael had the privilege of writing the opening feature in TIME’s D&D 50th Anniversary special issue. Michael holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago and resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, two daughters, and two sons.

Reviews

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun middle grade fantasy book! I loved following Vivian as she and her dad move to a small town and as she discovers some of the town’s secrets. I appreciated the various Harry Potter references throughout the book. There was so many elements packed into this book, keeping it an intriguing read. I think middle graders will enjoy reading this one.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her mother's unexpected death, twelve-year-old Vivian Van Tassel and her father leave their home in Chicago to start over in a small town called Midnight Lake. Between the mean teachers, the girls who bully her, and her dad's constant absence because of his new job, Vivian feels alone and angry. Things start to look up when Vivian meets a group of kids who invite her to play Beasts and Battlements (B&B) with them, a fantasy role playing game that was invented right there in the town. Meanwhile, Vivian's class project on the town's history leads her to suspect that this B&B game might be connected to the town's unexplained animal attacks, a mysterious gray man, and strange creature sightings. While Vivian is determined to discover the secret of Midnight Lake on her own, the dangers she encounters might mean enlisting help from some friends after all.

This was a fun book! It's a fairly standard middle grade fantasy/adventure novel. I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend it.

I liked Vivian as the main character; she's tough and smart. She's going through a hard time after her mother's death but that doesn't stop her from investigating all the mysterious happenings around the town. I loved all the Beasts and Battlements lore; it is basically reskinned Dungeons and Dragons but I think it would be enjoyable regardless of the reader's familiarity with the game. I liked the mystery/investigation aspect. The prophecy and prologue helped set up the story so that as I was reading I could connect the dots. There were some funny moments too, though it's far heavier on the mystery and RPG elements than humor.

Some things I liked less: As Vivian is a huge Harry Potter fan, be prepared for a ton of references to the series. I didn't expect HP to have such a significant presence in a D&D inspired book. It's also hard not to make comparisons between the two stories while reading; especially since Vivian herself does that for us!

Also, I understand that Vivian is grieving and reluctant to make friends, but I was disappointed at how much time she spent on her own. Especially with all the Harry Potter love, I was hoping that she and the misfits would work together more to solve the big mystery. I really wish that they had been pulled into the investigation earlier in the book. Still, this seems like it could be the start of a series so hopefully in future adventures the other kids will play a bigger role.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC at Comic Con. Although, I am not the targeted audience the book was entertaining. I think this is a good children's book as it has elements of adventure and mystery. I can see kids getting lost in this world.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20% - all the Harry Potter references and yet a fake version of D&D, the father being so inept, and Vivian herself just weren't interesting.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.

[Suzanne Wdowik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review based on an ARC I received from San Diego Comic Con

2.5, rounded up to 3.

VIVIAN VAN TASSEL is a fun middle grade fantasy debut from Dungeons and Dragons historian Michael Witwer. Witwer hits all the expected story beats of a book in this genre/category, and he delivers a slightly underwhelming but heartwarming climax, as well as a teaser to a potential sequel. This book deals with parental death and grief, and is accessible to the 8-12 age range. If you (or a kid you know) are interested in mystery, angry girls who are smart but make impulsive decisions, and a group of weirdo kids playing Dungeons and Dragons, this book is a good one to check out!

Alright, on to more specifics (and my personal ramblings):

Y'all, I could have done with a little less Harry Potter and a little more Dungeons and Dragons. Vivian Van Tassel constantly compares her life to Harry's in an attempt to prove to herself that she has it worse off after her mom dies. I have two main issues with this:

1. Harry Potter is (in my opinion) much better written than this book, so this book is just reminding me of a better middle grade fantasy.

2. JK Rowling has been using her fame/platform for years to promote harmful rhetoric against trans people (I'm grossly oversimplifying, but you get the point), so seeing this many HP references in a work being published in the year of our lord 2023 made me want to chuck this book against a wall.

Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to my other thoughts.

One of my favorite things in this book was the Dungeons and Dragons references, even though I did think this book could have used a few more sprinkled throughout. Witwer uses a fictionalized version called Beasts & Battlements (though I kept referring to it throughout as Bungeons and Bragons, because I think I'm hilarious). There are familiar monsters, races, and lore as well (e.g. B&B has vulturebears while D&D has owlbears). The snippets of B&B play we get with Vivian's friends made me do the Leo DiCaprio pointing meme ("Hey! I know that! I do that with my friends too!").

Vivian as a main character is a bit bland, but with enough personality to keep the story moving. She's smart, but a bit of a hot-head, especially when dealing with her grief after her mom passes (and feeling guilty about the way she died). In terms of D&D stats, I would say that Vivian has good INTELLIGENCE and DEXTERITY scores, but probably dumped CHARISMA, and her WISDOM is pretty low as well. The way Vivian's guilt over her mom's death is resolved was a bit icky for me; Vivian is able to forgive herself not because she realizes she needs to grow and live her life, not because she thinks her mom wouldn't want her to feel guilty, not because she realizes she's a kid and her emotions are valid, but because her mom's death is reframed so that someone ELSE is to blame.

As I mentioned earlier, this book is somewhat underwhelming, but the structure covers everything a story like this should cover. It's your average "girl moves to small town against her will, meets mean teachers and bullies, but through the power of friendship she manages to save her town from a secret magical threat" type of story. Vivian's B&B friend group (the "stairwell misfits") is a fun, if underutilized, collection of kids. I would love to see them more fleshed out in a sequel. Witwer has started laying down some groundwork for the lore of this world, but it's simple and relies too heavily on tropes in this particular book; I look forward to seeing if Witwer expands upon this in the future and adds more of his own spin onto it.

Random note: as someone who plays a goblin character in a D&D campaign, I found it very funny when Vivian had to briefly pretend to be a goblin near the climax of the book. There are a few other little things like that that made me chuckle as I read this.

A solid book that I liked but didn't love; looking forward to checking out any future fiction from this author to see what improvements there might be.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

9/23/2023 Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

9/25/2023 Vivian Van Tassel is an angry young teen. Part of this is justified: her mom recently died and she blames herself. But as we quickly learn, Vivian has had a temper for a while (and as a parent, I'm genuinely concerned that she's never been in therapy for this, either before or after what happened to her mom.)

Anyway, it doesn't help her any when her journalist father decides they ought to leave their Chicago home and move back to her mom's hometown of Midnight Lake, Wisconsin. Her mom's ancestral home is falling down and her hapless father has little clue how to fix anything, and has taken a significant pay cut to come work at the local paper besides. Starting at the middle school is awkward enough even without the popular Amber Grausman deciding she hates Vivian. The school is a converted sanatorium, and the teachers almost uniformly mean. The few bright sparks are an understanding history teacher named Miss Greenleaf and a group of welcoming nerds who play the role-playing game Beasts & Battlements (B&B for short) that was actually written and designed in Midnight Lake decades ago by the late Garrison Arnold.

When Miss Greenleaf assigns the kids to research various local institutions to drive home the impact of history on the living, Vivian begins to learn a lot more about the curious past of Midnight Lake. Worryingly, she begins to see parallels between historical incidents and the goings-on in the B&B game she's been reluctantly observing. As people start to go missing and dead creatures begin to mysteriously appear, Vivian will find herself plunged deeper into the secrets of her new home, even as her own bad temper continues to get in her way.

My favorite part of this book was the B&B group, who were delightfully diverse and way more inclusive and understanding than the average group of gamers or of kids. I wish we'd been able to spend more time with them in this book, and hope that Snarfette eventually realizes what a colossal damage dealer she can be (rogue is my favorite class for a reason!) As a role-playing nerd, I enjoyed all the little Easter Eggs that were woven into this homage to that great grand-daddy of RPGs, Dungeons & Dragons, which was created by Gary Gygax in his hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. While D&D has its flaws, it's inarguably popular, and anything that gets people into role-playing as a hobby is a net good, in my opinion.

I personally found Vivian hard to sympathize with, tho that's less her fault than it is her parents'. The girl is ANGRY, and her parents never seemed to have any idea of how to cope with that. It helped to think of her as a barbarian (my second favorite RPG class,) and it was good to see her grow over the course of the book. I still found her B&B group to be far more interesting characters than she was, tho.

I was not a huge fan of all the Harry Potter references. My antipathy to the Scottish author aside, it felt weird to have so much of Vivian's narrative be so fawningly dependent on real-world works, when D&D itself was so cleverly fictionalized. I can't remember ever reading any other fantasy series that referenced another intellectual property so often: it was a surprise that that wasn't lightly fictionalized, too. It also feels a bit like the book shooting itself in the foot with regards to expanding itself into other media, with the tangle of copyrights and trademarks that will entail.

Also, this book has the worst poetry I've ever read.

That aside, I enjoyed this middle-grade fantasy novel that clearly loves D&D and wants more people to discover its joys, too. The ending was great, and I loved the cleverly hidden puzzles as well as the little Stranger Things-type touches throughout. The cover is also tremendous, and will hopefully draw more girls and nonbinary kids into both fantasy novels and gaming.

Vivian Van Tassel And The Secret Of Midnight Lake by Michael Witwer was published August 29 2023 by Aladdin Paperbacks and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivian Van Tassel has relocated with her father from their apartment in Chicago to a creepy house in a small town on Midnight Lake. The recent loss of her mother follows them everywhere they go, tainting their relationship with each other and with the people around them. Reluctant to make new friends, and quick to make new enemies, Vivian begins to settle into her new town through a school history project, and a group of misfits playing Beasts & Battlements (B&B), a roleplaying game, underneath the school’s stairwell. Through the game and through her research into the Middle School, which is also the former Sanitorium, Vivian learns that her new town is not all that it seems to be. There are also indications that maybe her family is not all it seems to be.

Within the first few pages, Witwer accomplishes a couple of things that impressed me, and made me want to keep reading. He quickly establishes that this is a world of fantasy within our modern world. He introduces mythical beings called “Vulture-Bears”, the use of longbows, and cell phones, all within the first event of the book. No question that we are talking about both mythical and modern, and the combination as depicted by Witwer is highly compelling.

Two pages later he addresses the elephant in the room for all YA modern-mythical stories of recent years, the Harry Potter phenomenon. How do you write a story about a middle grade teenager, finding a new life in a new school, surrounded by magical things she once thought fictitious, without stumbling upon Harry Potter? Well, Witwer just takes the bull by the horns. Vivan calls a fellow schoolmate a “Malfoy” describing this as “Harry Potter’s snobby rival.” It is seamlessly done, and rather than setting up this story as another Harry Potter variant, sets Harry Potter up as a fictional work within this universe. In one fell swoop, Harry Potter is acknowledged as an influence on today’s readers, and passed over for this “real” adventure. It is beautifully done.

Harry Potter turns out to be a recurring theme in the book, as Vivian carries around a copy of the first book with her, and makes many comparisons from her real life to the fictional world of Harry. Establishing further that the “Potterverse” is fictional while the town of Midnight Lake is “real.” Witwer pays homage to many of his own favorites throughout the book, most clearly in Beasts & Battlements but also in some overt references to The Princess Bride and in some more understated references to The Lord of the Rings. These references are woven in nicely, and lend some much appreciated nostalgia for this YA reading mom. For my son, Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons are two of his passions and I am excited for him to sink his teeth into this book.

The development of the story, the town, the mythology around the game, and the friendships that Vivian builds are all executed well in their own right, and combine together in a really well developed universe. It is a page turner. I read the book on a stormy day at home with the family, and it is the first time in a while that I have finished a book in a single day. It is the first time in even longer that I have held a book in my hand to read while cooking supper, I just didn’t want to put it down. The book does stand nicely on its own, but also sets up a really interesting universe, possibly even a multiverse, for future books. I will definitely be excited for those to come out, and hopefully for many of them in the future, this is a world I want to explore further.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
The most intriguing part of the book is the fact that Murkwood Middle School was one of many insane asylums located around Myrtle Lake. The school’s history makes it a creepy setting and the less-than-friendly teachers, except for Ms. Greenleaf, only add to the cold atmosphere. An immediate question is why there were so many sanitariums located this close together and readers will wonder if there might be lingering bad vibes and juju in Vivian’s school. She discovers many of the patients were diagnosed with very similar symptoms and delusions which adds to the evidence that something very strange was happening in Midnight Lake. Vivian’s school assignment is to report on the history of her school building but it evolves into solving the mystery of Mirror Lake.
Vivian’s character and personality are complicated and they often make her interactions with others challenging. She’s feeling anger and sadness since she blames herself for her mother’s death. She knows her emotions are on edge but she often can’t stop the fury from erupting. This loss of control results in physical altercations with classmates or sassy, disrespectful comments to her teachers. Vivian’s father offers to spend more time with her and talk when she’s having trouble but she just can’t bring herself to open up to him. Vivian begins to feel uneasy when she often notices a gray man keeping his eye on her from across the street or rooms. She doesn’t know his intentions so it’s easy to think the worst in the town of Midnight Lake.
Vivian begins to hang out with four misfits she finds playing a version of a Dungeons-and-Dragons-type game during the lunch period. The game’s creator once lived in Midnight Lake. The misfits are non-judgmental and Vivian can be at ease around them. Her anger comes in handy at one point when she steps in to help one of the kids deal with the school bully. However, Vivian won’t call them friends because becoming close to others only sets her up for future pain. The misfits welcome her whenever she chooses to show up and they offer her support as she adjusts to the new school. Their expertise in playing the game comes in handy when Vivian uncovers unbelievable news about the history of Midnight Lake.
What didn’t work as well:
Vivian’s personality makes it hard to feel sorry for her. Yes, the loss of her mother has caused her anger but she doesn’t develop honest, positive connections to any other characters. She tells her father she spends time with the misfits for research and she leaves their games suddenly without sharing any explanation. Her disrespect for characters and self-absorption in her own life may keep readers from feeling too sorry for her. Rest assured Vivian eventually transforms into a more positive character.
The final verdict:
The secret of Midnight Lake offers a thrilling mystery for young readers. Some clues are fairly obvious but the author still includes some surprises for later. Overall, I recommend you give the book a shot.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerous moments, strange secrets, quirky characters and even heart make this into a fun read.

Vivian has been acting out ever since the death of her mother, but she's pretty sure the move to her mother's family house in a small town isn't going to make things any better. Vivian's fears seem confirmed as she immediately butts heads with the school's mean girl and giggles follow everywhere she goes. But her problems are about to change as farm animals are dying under mass attacks from an unknown creature, and her own teacher disappears. Although a few acquaintances she plays with claim to be new friends, she refuses to open up and decides to take on the growing weirdness and mystery alone...but she's taking on something deadlier than she could have ever dreamed.

This is a tale loosely spun around Dungeons & Dragons (aka Beasts & Battlements, in this tale) and launches nicely into its own, rich world. Vivian and her friends play B&B, but it's the mystery surrounding the school and people, which really dig in. Of course, it helps that the school was once an asylum (great way to build up the spooks and tension) and that the founder of B&B just happened to have lived in that town and had an odd history himself. While it's not too hard to guess where some of this is going, the author weaves wonderful tension with interesting details to make a grabbing tale.

While the monsters and secrets keep Vivian and her 'acquaintances' on their toes, the emotional end doesn't dissipate. The usual bulling theme comes in with the cliche mean-girls, there's guilt after the death of a parent, and the inability to open up and receive support from others rings loud and true. These themes, while not rare in kidlit, mold nicely into the plot and do add needed depth without bogging down on the action and mystery end.

While this tale clearly spins around D&D, there are also references to other cultural points. These work here even if I'm not a huge fan, since they will tend to age the book quickly in the long run Plus, I wonder if some of these will connect with the average middle grader as its hoped they will. There are many references to Harry Potter, which held an odd edge against the D&D's main lead. But this will hit every reader differently and by no means diminishes the fun of this read.

It's an exciting tale with so many aspects to make it fun from the first page until the very last. I am excited to see where this series heads next. I receive an ARC and enjoyed this read quite a bit.

[Paige V · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl has stumbled onto a great mystery that can impact the lives of Midnight Lake and maybe the whole world.

Vivian Van Tassel, a 12-year-old girl, has to move to her late mother's childhood home, the town of Midnight Lake. Vivian is guilty of her mother's death since she thinks her running away a few blocks (due to her temper) made her mother die in a car crash against a tree looking for her. At her new school (formerly a physiatric hospital), Vivian has to research the school's history. Vivian couldn't put her finger on it, but the cases of "delusion" involved monsters that appeared in B&B, the game her acquaintances love to play. Coincidence or not?

This debut fantasy was good, but the story dragged on a bit too long at the end.
Aside from that, the school intrigued me the most because it reminded me of a book I had read called Asylum—a school in a formerly a physiatric hospital.
The story is based on the infamous Beasts & Battlements (B&B) roleplaying game invented in Midnight Lake.
I also love that Vivian is a Harry Potter fan as well. You will find many HP references throughout the book.

Vivian is a very bittersweet character. She is perceptive but, at times, a little too angry. Her dad is lovely and hardworking. Her mother sounded like a beautiful person. The stairwell misfits (Vivian's acquaintances) are quirky. I wish they would be more involved in the story.

Give this book to mystery lovers who love an excellent adventurous fantasy story that teaches moral lessons of friendship, trust, and forgiveness.

Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚
Thank you to the publisher for sharing this book with me.

[Emily Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this out loud to my three kids and they enjoyed it so much they were wanting more: the moment we finished reading it as a family, my oldest (12) re-read it on her own, and my youngest (7) is NOT a reader, but he asked for the audio book yesterday so he could listen. My kids are all very different in their interests and reading preferences, but they all enjoyed this. My action-oriented son complained at first that there wasn't enough action in the beginning (despite the fact that it literally opens with two fight scenes, I guess he's not one for exposition), but he ended up being the most invested as the story began to unfold and the clues started coming together (there was also more action). Vivian Van Tassel is mystery, fantasy, and adventure, with a few lessons of friendship, trust, and forgiveness as well. I think Vivian is a very relatable character, I recognized thoughts, feelings, and struggles that my own kids frequently face in her, I wonder if that's part of why they were so invested.
There are pop-cultural references throughout: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Star Wars, and "Dungeons and Dragons" (referred to in the book as "Beasts and Battlements"). As a parent, I enjoyed the nods to "Mean Girls," and the "vintage" movies and video games that I grew up with (Indiana Jones and Tron, for instance). I'm mentioning this because my guess is, if you or your kid is interested in any of these things, they're probably going to enjoy a story written by someone who is also a fan.

[Fabienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the loss of her mother Vivian van Tassel moves with her dad to Midnight Lake. New beginnings are hard and doubly so for Vivian. Everything is new, she had no friends and feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere and when the school bully gets her sights on her, Vivian wishes things were different…

But things slowly change as Vivian becomes friends with a group of kids that love to play Beasts and Battlements. Then she gets a homework assignment that makes her discover more about her new hometown. Slowly, however she realises that not everything is as it seems in eerie Midnight Lake and as persistant and determined that Vivian is she knows she will have to get to the bottom of this mystery… with all its concequences…

Join Vivian in this wonderful thrilling adventure written by D&D historian Michael Witwer. You can tell by the exquisite worldbuilding that Michael is an amazing Dungeon Master. I have always said that Dungeon Masters make great authors, and I was proven right!

This story is a good mix of fantasy and adventure. I love the little winks to The Goonies and Lord of the Rings! Fans of Harry Potter will love to know that Vivian is a fan too and regularly quotes the books during the story.

I, myself, cannot wait to read more! This is a greatly executed story for an author writing for middle grade for the first time. The pacing starts of gently, just as you too are discovering Midnight Lake alongside of Vivian, but when it picks up the pace, you won’t want to put the book down!

A five star favorite!!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Vivian and her father move to the small town of Midnight Lake outside Chicago after the death of Vivian's mom. Vivian is struggling with grief, bullies, mean teachers, and more. She does find a small group, that she terms The Misfits but refuses to acknowledge as friends due to her issues around grief and loss, who she joins for their D&D-like game called Beasts and Battlements. She gets a school assignment that requires her to research a part of Midnight Lake history, specifically their school, which was formerly an asylum for the insane. She quickly discovers that this quiet little town is not what it appears from the outside. Vivian is angry and determined to do things on her own despite repeated offers from the Misfits.
Despite the frequent references to Harry Potter, which seemed odd in a D&D type book, this was a fun read from a debut author with a possible sequel to follow. There's a problematic lack of counseling for both dad and daughter, a bit of flatness to the characters, and a few too many references to HP for my taste what with that author's transphobic statements - but still, a nice debut and I look forward to what Witwer will produce in the future.
Grades 5-8

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steeped in Dungeons and Dragons type characters and role-playing, Vivian’s adventure begins with an unwanted move from Chicago back to her mother’s childhood home in small town Midnight Lake. Things are not quite right-her school is in an old psychiatric hospital complete with barbed wire teachers with names like Mr. Putrim, Mrs. Vulture, and Mr. Drabner, the house is falling apart, and then violent animal attacks begin and her only kind teacher, the principal and the mayor disappear. Middle grade readers who love creative monsters and mythological creatures like elves and druids will thrill as every chapter seems to bring a new being. Main character Vivian has to fight her tendency to let anger get the best of her, deal with the guilt she feels over her mother’s death, harness her unique strengths, and recognize the strength that can be found in friendship or the whole town may be destroyed. Exciting fantasy that is not the usual magic school trope. Text is free of profanity and sexual content and the violence is not overly exaggerated.

Thanks for the print arc, Simon & Schuster.

[Bookish Bee Auntie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a chance and bought the book for each of my nieces and myself for a fun read and to discuss. It was one I absolutely do not regret (I will update their reviews as a couple are not done reading). Froggy Girl came up to me one day after I got off work and said “10/10 Better than Harry Potter. When is the next one?” hands on her hips fully expecting me to have an answer. I believe she liked it 😊

As an adult who lived through the 80’s and 90’s, I recommend this to anyone that loves fun pop culture references and would like to introduce their younglings to D&D. The D&D aspect in the book of Beasts & Battlements is a great way to do that. I raised my son with all the 80's/90’s movies and shows I enjoyed and it was fun to read about Vivian’s dad doing the same.

Froggy Girl – 12 yrs – Completed - It was really funny and I love, love, love the Harry Potter references. The B&B game in the book really made me more interested in checking out D&D that my aunt and my cousin plays. After the ending I really want the next book now.

LootQueen – 10 yrs – Halfway through - She has red hair like me! Viv really has anger issues and I hope she ends up realizing that she is better than that and makes friends and good decisions. Also, Yay for Harry Potter references. UPDATE: Finished - I really like the lessons she learns, my aunt says not to give spoilers about that, but Vivian goes through so much and the B&B is pretty cool. Will there be another book?

NerdCharArt – 12 yrs – Starting book – UPDATE - The B&B is so cool. I really like D&D and it's fun to read about other kids playing it. (not finished yet)

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book from word of mouth from another author. It takes alot for me to get real deep into a book but this is one of afew that got me hooked till the end. It my target younger audiences but is great for all ages. A gripping tale with mystery around every corner. Vivian and her newfound friends had me on the edge all the way to the end. Story flows nice and is extremely well written all the way. The narration is a easy 5 stars in itself. If you loved Kings Fairytale or Rowlings Harry Potter then you don't want to miss out on this gem. A must read all the way! Check it out, you won't regret it, a must read!

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book at a children's book breakfast in February for my school library and got to meet Michael. He was so excited about the story and made it so interesting that I had to buy it for my kids. Just got around to reading it and it was a super fun read. It was a little heavy on the Harry Potter references for me but it was a romp! I hope it's the first of a series because I really liked all the characters! It was very suspenseful and wrapped up nicely at the end. Great debut, Michael.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a grandparent I love to give a gift of a good book to my grandchildren. After reading this book, I knew I'd found a winner. Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake by Michael Witwer has all the elements of a good read. It's a mystery with an adventurous main character. A middle school girl is at a new school dealing with bullies, misfits and trying to fit in. It held my interest all the way through. It takes place in a small town with a cast of characters that draw you into their lives. You'd be hard pressed not to enjoy this book. I hope there's a sequel.

[evelynmaeve13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivian Van Tassel is a highly imaginative world and set of characters. I enjoyed how the mystery was placed in places that were unexpected. If you enjoyed this book, then consider reading "The Firefly Summer". Suggestions for grade and age level it would be a 4-6 grade level and 9-12 age audience.
-SnowSnowKitty

[Jennifer Rinehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute read. I liked the HP and Star Wars references. The world of LARP was interesting too. Would have ranked higher but I got overwhelmed with all the different monsters. This book could have been half as long as it was.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

[Bookwormgyrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick fun read for fans of Harry Potter, D&D or fantasy in general. 4.0 Folios

[Alicia Mesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character’s obsession with Harry Potter was over the top. She has anger issues that are never resolved or treated.

[Natalie Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vivian moves to a new town after her mother dies. She gets involved in B&B (basically Dungeons and Dragons). She constantly compares herself to Harry Potter. And after a while it gets super annoying.

[Gem · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is lame

[alexofmacedonia · Rating 1 out of 5]

per the overuse of harry potter references: OTHER BOOKS EXIST THAT ARE NOT HARMFUL. TRY THEM.