Welcome to Scareville

Scareville #1

by John Ward

Scareville is a brand new series of middle grade horror books, that can be read and enjoyed by anyone! If you grew up enjoying a particular middle grade horror series in the 90's, then this is for you and your kids as well!
What makes my series different? My imagination and life experiences. I dont just love horror...I LIVE horror! I am here to spread that joy and fear to young and even older readers alike that might enjoy a fun horror series!
The debut book of the series is called, Welcome to Scareville. When "Scareville", a store specializing in the sale of all things creepy and unusual opens in a former funeral home in the sleepy town of Lakewood, Ohio, the whole town goes insane with anticipation. Carson and his friends are avid horror and Halloween enthusiasts and are eager to see what it's all about. They quickly begin to realize there is something very wrong with the store owner, Mr. Enstrom. Shrouded in fear, mystery, and strange occurrences, Mason and his friends embark on a mission to find out the sinister truth about Mr. Enstrom and "Scareville".

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade

148 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2023

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one isn't really my usual fare as I seldom intentionally pick up books intended for young readers, that being said I found this one to be quite pleasant. I would recommend it for young readers with a budding interest in horror that aren't yet ready for books with a higher stake and people who are nostalgic for their Goosebumps days. The imagery is nice and the characters rather compelling (they're children behaving like children).

[Shadyside Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I thought the writing was excellent and made it such a pleasure to read. The story wasn’t anything mind blowing but it was spooky, fun, and a good setup for a series! I’ll definitely be reading more of the books in this series!

YouTube Video Review: https://youtu.be/dRMGz-IJ6vc?si=AkWd3...

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Scareville by John Ward is a middle grade horror reminiscent of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. This book is perfect for the 8-12 year old audience that is ready to be introduced to the horror genre, but aren’t quite ready to dive into the worlds of YA and adult horror. Similarly, I’d recommend this series to adults that feel nostalgic for some old-school middle grade horror. I found the story to be intriguing and really enjoyed the characters. I think that this book is the perfect amount of creepy without being overwhelmingly scary for young readers.

I had the opportunity to listen to the Audible version of this book, which is narrated by Dylan J. Holt. I think Holt was the perfect narrator for this particular story as he did an awesome job with the voices of the character and using tone of voice to convey mood. I would definitely listen to more books with this author and narrator combo!

[Madison Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Ward never ceases to fail to bring back the nostalgia of my childhood. I was the child that read just about every Goosebumps book out there. Now that I am an adult, John Ward is the closest to R.L. Stine that I am going to get to. I absolutely ADORE his books. The Scareville series is a perfect read for any age that enjoy a good scare. Also Dylan Holt did an amazing job with the narration. (I have not listened to many audio books, but this one was definitely worth listening to.)
Could you find the books and solve the riddle?

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for anything that reminds me of Goosebumps, The three investigators, Fearstreet ect and even though I am now an adult I still love it.

But what else do I love? Stephen Kings Needful Things, my all time favorite, and this book is like a mix of all of that, it was a quick read for me, but it's a favorite now.

I wish we could do half stars because this is a solid 4.5

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATE: Upon below comments I had no idea this was meant for middle grade children. As such, this book is definitely scary for a 12 year old and 12 year old me would have had nightmares. I remember some Goosebumps books gave me nightmares. I feel terrible that I judged this as an adult novel. And I want to say big kudos to the author for writing a novel for kids that kept me as an adult entertained. Still reminds me of Needful Things but for kids which makes so much sense now. And thank you to the author for reaching out to me.

Original review: I was hoping this would be really scary but it wasn’t. It was like a scary book for a 12 year old. I liked the premise and it reminded me of Needful Things, but it could have been scarier.

[Angel Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of this book gave me Goosebumps vibes, which is a great thing. I was a huge fan of the books and TV series. The story itself was excellent. Even though it's meant for younger audiences, I found myself truly enjoying it. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Let's just say there can be hidden horrors in a converted funeral home... That's all I'll say about it because even though the book is for middle grade, even adults will have a good time with this one! I know the kid in me enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next one in the series.

[Dawn Schock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity to listen to and review the audiobook for Welcome to Scareville. And let me tell you, if you grew up on R.L. Stine, then you should definitely check out John Ward and this series.

I just finished this one, which is the first book, and it was an absolute delight.

It features a group of kids in a small town who hang out in comic book shops and ride their bikes around all over town, till one day Scareville, a new Halloween and Horror inspired store opens. Soon all sort of spooky things start happening to the kids and they have to figure out why.

It brought back all the nostalgic vibes of reading Goosebumps as a kid. I loved every minute of this story. And I can't wait to let my 9 year old listen to it.

Dylan Holt did an amazing job narrating. He captured each character and their childhood angst perfectly. Very well performed.

What Stine was for us, Ward is for our kids.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on Goosebumps books - they creeped me out, entertained me, and started my love for the horror genre. Reading this gave me SO much nostalgia!

Carson and his friends and family are super excited for a new horror themed store, Scareville, to have it's grand opening. But something seems off about the store's owner Mr. Enstrom... What could it be?

I really enjoyed this quick, fun read. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and introducing my 10 year old to it!

[Jessie-Punkersfictionreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome To Scareville is such a fun nostalgic read. Growing up on Goosebumps made me fall in love with the middle grade horror genre. This book is a fantastic edition to that genre. I can’t wait to read more in the series. The cover art is stunning. I really loved the characters and the monster. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
4/5 Stars

Thank you to author for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Logan Bristow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and good introduction to the series. If you’re unable to find goosebumps this is a great substitute for a young reader.

[Ben Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

As expected, this was like slipping back into a solid volume of goosebumps. Can’t wait to read more of the series.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for Welcome to Scareville

I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down! This is a must read! I can’t wait for more from this author!

[Nolan Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nostalgic. The story was very captivating. The group of kids very much reminded me of the Losers Club from IT. Truly enjoyed this one! If you're a Goosebumps fan, you'll like this!

[W. L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I enjoyed this middle grade horror a lot and love how the ending was written! I wish sometimes kids in the book didn’t always get a happy ending as sometimes bad things do happen in life. Great short read 🙂

[Star Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a good read! I enjoyed it! It was a small book but it still creeped me out with a certain character! Super fast read!! I met the author in Medina book store and he was super cool! I can’t wait to read his other books! I highly recommend!!!

[Irene Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

even if it’s a middle grade book I got really scared reading it. He made a unique series. I enjoyed the first book what more for the next.

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is dubbed "The Next Goosebumps".. myself as a 90s baby and a lover of Goosebumps... can verify that this is absolutely brilliant and is the next goosebumps! I can't wait to read the next one 🥰.

Such a creepy cover that was embedded into my brain come night time 🤣.

The creepy Mr Enstrom opens a shop in an old funeral home that sells creepy and unusual things, but when some strange thing start happening in the Dreams of the children, what or who is to blame? Is it the items them bought? Or the Creepy Mr Enstrom?

Love love love this, can't wait to get my hands on the next one! If you love goosebumps you'll love this.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read scareville last year and have been reading the books as they were released! But when I found out they had been turned into audiobooks I had to listen, the story was just as fun listening to it! The vibes were just as good! Dylan J. Holt did a fantastic job narrating this book! Mr. Enstrom was super creepy. The characters were brilliant! If you enjoy the goosebumps series this book is for you! Loved it 5/5 ✨

[Lee Crucefix · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun Ya horror story that hits a lot of nostalgia points for older readers. Perfect for fall and spooky season. It invokes memories of reading goosebumps as a kid, and im glad there is something simillar for kids today. I really like the idea of this book also being the framing device for the rest of the series, with scareville and its author being a series of books and the author within the book. I will definitely be carrying on with the series.

[Sophia McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive read the physical book with my son. Now the audiobook is out and I had the honor of getting one from the author. I loved the narration. I will be buying the 2nd book in the series on audio as well. If you have not picked up this series go quick. John Ward's Scareville is our to our kids what R.L. Stein's Goosebumps was to us.

[Joan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You John Ward and Dylan J Holt

This was a delightful read that young and old readers will enjoy. It has the vibe of Needful Things for the younger generation. I feel my grandsons would really enjoy this book. My son
may get a nostalgic feel of his younger years.

[J.A. Barrios · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun!

I listened to the audiobook as I worked on my yard. The runtime was under 3 hours which was the perfect amount to keep me entertained while I did annoying work. This story is about a new horror shop opening in town and all the townsfolk get excited for something new, something different. It reminded me of "Something Wicked This Way Comes," with all the wonderment of the arriving carnival, but just like Bradbury's classic, something sinister lies beneath the surface of this shop of oddities.
Carson and his friends all pick one item to purchase at the new shop, Scareville, and soon become tormented with nightmares. There is something off with the shop owner, Mr. Enstrom, and Carson is going to find out one way or another!

I loved all the little nods scattered throughout the story, like the old Sanderson's funeral home. And I really enjoyed how meta some parts were. The shop being called "Scareville," inspired by a book series of the same and written by John Ward himself. My question is, is Ward this Enstrom himself? Is he feeding off the fear of each reader? If so, I will gladly keep bring Ward some meals while I jump into my next visit to Scareville.

[Kirsty Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle Grade Horror

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book and I loved the nostalgic 90s Goosebumps/Shiver Point vibes it gave. However, the biggest problem in this book was in its execution. It was riddled with typos and seriously bad grammar that made enjoying it that little bit difficult. With a good copy editor this book would have been so much better. Unfortunately even though I’ve bought the other books in the series, it’s actually put me off wanting to read them.

[Mark F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Categorized as horror for children/young adults, let me tell you, anyone can enjoy this book. And enjoy it, I did. The author has a way of writing that made me feel like a kid again, getting fully immersed in the story, feeling like I, too, was on a mission of discovering secrets, solving mysteries, and feeling the fear of encountering ghosts, monsters and other things that go bump in the night. And that cover, amazing!

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scareville is such a fun middle grade horror!
I’ve heard many people compare this series to Goosebumps, and they were spot on. It has that same nostalgic vibe of kids encountering creepy, unexpected events. My kids and I really enjoyed this book, and we’re excited to explore the rest of the series!

[Kirsty Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok story for a young child but nothing groundbreaking and very basic, would suit a child wanting to read a scary story for the first time. Huge error at the end of the book, no shovel then using a shovel??
I'm definitely not the target audience, my daughter would probably thought it was good when she was 6 or 7.

[Raeshel Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey

Had a lot of twist and loved how they turned out never thought that it would lead to what actually happened.. very good and love the short story can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Ryan Wefelmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you just want an easy read that takes you back to your childhood. This book is exactly that. With a nice flowing plot, a little mystery, and a touch of nostalgic horror, this book will take you back to your favorite book fair finds.

[Sabriena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read in that it reminded me of Goosebumps. I loved the story and for the ages that this is written for, it's an absolute winner. The cover is stunning and creepy. I'll definitely be picking up and reading the rest of the series.