Haunted Holiday

Sinister Summer #5

by Kiersten White

Giant battle robots! Cotton candy betrayal! Blasts from the past! And the ultimate challenge to stay true to themselves and each other await Theo and Alexander in the final book in the tragic series about the Sinister-Winterbottom twins, who must solve one wretched mystery after the next.

Trapped in Aunt Saffronia’s spectral house, Theo and Alexander must work together to escape, stop their newfound nemesis Essa and her henchman Edgaren’t, save Wil and their friends, find their parents, and maybe, just maybe, get things back to normal.

Following the clues left behind, the twins find themselves at Siren’s Song Seaside Amusement Park. Old faces and new surprises await them in a park that was built to lure in visitors… and their secrets.

As they get closer to answers, the twins are left with the biggest question of Who is Essa really, and why is she so determined to find their parents?

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Paranormal, Humor

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2024

About the author

Kiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning, and critically acclaimed author of many books for readers of all ages, including the And I Darken trilogy, the Sinister Summer series, the Camelot Rising trilogy, Star Wars: Padawan, Hide, Mister Magic, and Lucy Undying. She also has a very large tortoise named Kimberly, which isn't relevant, but she wanted you to know.

Visit her online at kierstenwhite.com.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect ending to the perfect series. 🥹 I cannot wait to read these with my daughter someday!

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout the series the biggest question has been what has happened to all the parents? Each book, or each stop during the summer has led to another family and another mystery. The Sinister-Winterbottoms along with the new friends they've made have come to the conclusion that all the mysteries, large and small, are related to a much larger threat.

This book then is their chance to put everything to rights and learn some long held family secrets. It's also the second time in their summer adventure that the twins will learn that adults don't always tell them the truth. Sometimes adults lie and sometimes they just hold back the truth. They'll also learn that adults sometimes do this when they are trying to protect their kids.

https://pussreboots.com/blog/2024/com...

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[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series! It's the right amount of creepy, funny, adventurous, and heartwarming. There are paranormal characters, mysteries surrounding the kids' parents and lineage, and some fun summer places I wish I could visit. Everyone works together and it's a great found family vibe. I will be rereading these books and wishing for more of the Sinister-Winterbottoms!

[Julia (Shakespeare and Such) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4/5 stars — I cannot say this is at all how I imagined this series wrapping up, but I’m not entirely mad about it. I do think we could have had a stronger reveal about the past family lore. love love love the messaging to her audience in this conclusion though💕

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

[Rebekah Burnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I COULD NOT have asked for a better ending!! I know a few adults that could use to read this series and maybe get better with communication 👀 And the messages?? "Being different is different. Not bad, just different." You can learn to be with yourself and use your quirks, specialties, weirdness, awesomeness, fears, cautions, bravery, smarts, talents, love, and the bees buzzing inside your chest to be the best version of you possible. You are never too much. You are you, and we don't want you any way else.

I will never fully emotionally move on from this series and I hope my beautiful daughter grows up loving to read so I can introduce her to the series I needed when I was growing up🖤

Also, Kiersten White? Can we be friends, because high we would be GREAT friends😎👉👉

[Emily Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting series that had the coolest concepts! Gothic water parks, creepy camps, and spas run by potential vampires, but it all felt a bit cheesy to me. They were almost more self-help books in how they really focused on Theo and Alexander discovering how to work through their emotions. The ending was a bit anticlimactic. It really was an “everyone is a winner” and “this has all just been a misunderstanding” sort of end, which was a totally bummer considering there was supposed to be a Kraken vs Battle Robot fight. Cool idea, probably for a younger audience than it’s advertised for.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful conclusion to a delightful series (I'm assuming it's the final book in the series, but could be wrong).

This book (and series) is so charming. Filled with beautiful life lessons and morals about acceptance, embracing differences, friendship, family, and more. The characters are distinct and loveable. The settings are vibrant and exciting (especially the one in this book; I wish I could go to this amusement park!).

I also love little things that it does like giving clear and fun definitions for words that younger readers might not know.

I did have a few moments in this one where I was getting some of the names mixed up (so many S names) but I figured it out eventually and enjoyed the story regardless.

All in all, a fantastic series (and excellently narrated too; I listened to all the audiobooks). Definitely one I'll recommend to friends and family in the future.

[Lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

some of the elements I loved about the first few books in the series (the witty writing, the humour, the unique settings) had to step aside in favour of wrapping up the plot which made this book a little too plot-heavy for my liking, but it was still a worthy finale. I'd highly recommend this series to all middle grade readers and fans of lemony snicket especially!

[Diana Holdridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful ending to a really lovely YA book series. Charming and mysterious and really engaging and splendidly human characters!

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great ending to the series! I'm sad it's over, naturally, but I can't imagine a better final installment!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming conclusion

[Candace S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a series that sticks the landing! This was so fun.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good wrap up to a very cute series.

But what is happening in Delaware that is such a secret? Lol.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander and Theo traipse through caves and find themselves at Siren’s Song. They finally confront their captors, friends, enemies, and parents.

An excellent wrap up to the Sinister Summer series. Question are answered, motivations are explored, and all on the quirky, fun, mysterious way that we’ve come to expect from the series. Audiobook was excellent once again.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the series is over. I'm so sad. These books are adorable. This one was full of all of the feelings and lessons! It was a great way to end the story.

[Alexis Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m so happy I stumbled across one of my friends talking about this series over on bookstagram 🦇

However, I was a bit underwhelmed with this final book. I was expecting an epic adventure between our beloved twins but we just didn’t get that here. The whole robot thing at the end was unexpected lol.

3 stars 🖤

[Geertje · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A fun ending to a fun series! This series is perfect for young lovers of mysteries.

[Liz Kittencat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel so disappointed! This ending is not funny, heartwarming, sweet or enjoyable is cheese, absurd and rush. Too instructive and in a silly -not-good-or- entertainment -way.

So sad.

My eternal love for Lucy, her tiny white fang, Edgard cool style (and thick lashes) and Will o' wisp.

[Shawn Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my 8 year old. We found the series as a whole absolutely delightful. We've been referencing theme's, characters, and funny quotes constantly over the summer while we've been reading it. The finale did not disappoint. A lot of action and adventure is packed into the story along side some thoughtful wisdom, absurdity, laughs, emotional reflection, and family/group/team values.

Most importantly my 8 year old loved it. Said it's their favourite series. That they were sad we reached the end. That they wanted to be a writer when they grow up and write infinite sequels involving the different characters in this world. The first few sentences of the next book have already been written.

I was quite skeptical when my kid picked Wretched Water park out at the library. I warmed up to the series considerably by Vampiric Vacation, and fell in love with it by Camp Creepy. I'm having a hard time at the moment thinking of anything else we've read together that has been packed with this much fun and so much goodness. Reminds me of the television series "The Good Place" in a lot of ways.

It feels like a lot of the detractors in the reviews I read were expecting a book that is actually scary and dark, or something for adults (I don't think a single review I read so far actually mentioned a child's reaction or the experience of reading it with a child!)... Despite some allusions to famous elements and characters in the horror genre this entire series has been more of an absurdist wholesome comedy. I suppose that's one of the core messages: Sometimes things that have a scary veneer are not actually so. Being scared can lead to people doing some terrible things. Confronting your fears and trying to understand what is really going on beneath the surface requires bravery (but not the knight in shinny armour kind), and may lead to some unexpected discoveries. The ending is totally in line with what I've come to expect from the series.

I feel the different emotional regulation challenges a lot of the children in the story face is relatable for kids of this age. Or at least my kid. I found myself referencing different characters from sinister summer in our daily lives as my little one dealt with big feelings. That the book deals with it in a silly way, while also showing progression in the characters over the series, as well as the positive aspects of different feelings (ex turning caution/anxiety into a super power), gives kids a lot to think about. Painting the adults as imperfect, recovering from their own inter-generational trauma, and still prone to letting their worst fears lead them to misguided and counter-productive actions is a heavy theme that is lightened, and made accessible to kids by the over-the-top style of the book.

I'd agree the ending is a little heavy handed if you're an adult. At the same time, the book is dealing with big, difficult themes, that I'd expect most parents want to communicate to their children. This book does it in a way my kid, who often covers their ears when I try to discuss 'big' ideas with them, is willing to listen to. I also don't know if the ideas would be super intuitive or as obvious for a child if the author didn't make it clear at the end.

Marina's metaphor of the Siren and the Kraken in the middle of the book was quite nice, and provided some obvious to me foreshadowing, while leaving a lot to the imagination. For me, by the end of Menacing Manor is was becoming clear to me that Essa's character wasn't going to be black and white. We already got a taste of this with Quincy in books 2 and 3. Throughout the series I'd check in and ask the kid what they thought would happen: The option that I thought was likely but counter-intuitive, or the option you were meant to believe as a reader if you accepted the circumstantial evidence. Generally the 8 year old wasn't foreseeing the twists. So I feel the ending that makes things clear and explicit is appropriate for the intended audience.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Being different is different. Not bad, just different.”

REVIEW

➽ Haunted Holiday is the final book in the Sinister Summer series! Reading this slightly spooky MG series has been a lot of fun for me, so I was looking forward to the last book. Haunted Holiday has Theo and Alex cut off from their friends who have been captured by Essa and Edgaren't. It's up to them to escape from their Aunt Saffronia's house and save everyone. I liked the setting of the Siren’s Song Seaside Amusement Park, it was fun and made this the perfect summer read. I also appreciated how both Theo and Alex have grown throughout the book and are feeling much more confident in their abilities. Alexander will always have a special place in my heart, I like how he started believing in himself without completely changing his cautious, anxious nature! This series definitely has a lot of positive message about how being different isn't necessarily bad!

➽ Unfortunately, as a series finale, Haunted Holiday was a bit disappointing. I loved getting to explore the different settings and mysteries of each book, but this time it wasn't as fun because the author tried to make everything come together. I feel like the overall mystery of their missing parents should have been better explored in the books leading up to this one, as the resolution was a letdown. The ending felt overly cheesy and lacked the nuance that was present in the previous books. Compared to another MG series I enjoy (the Small Spaces Quartet), the Sinister Summer books don't seem to trust the readers with a realistic, meaningful ending. Not everything needs to be perfect and nice in the end, just so things are wrapped up.

INFORMATION
➽ CW's: Discussion of Abandonment & Anxiety
➽ Rating: 3.5 Stars

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[Eliana Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly loved this entire series, I love how different the siblings are, how protective they are of each other, especially Theo and Alexander. I love how Wil is so observant and intelligent and at the same time she can seem detached and oblivious. I adore all the characters in the book, and the plot was unique. I enjoyed all the adventures each book took us on.
In this final adventure we get to finally see the parents and why they left.
It began with Theo and Alexander back at aunt Saffronia's house courtesy of Wil sending them and the family books to safety.
Theo and Alexander need to find a way to leave inf order to save their sister and the other children. They finally find a solution that would satisfy aunt Saffronia who was entrusted with their care, and take them where they will find help. They go to Camp Creek to get clues and soon find themselves at Siren's song Seaside amusement park. Here is where they find Essa and Edgaren't , and the other children, narrowly missing getting caught themselves. I won't go into spoilers, suffice to say they are able to find and free everyone.
Loved this series!!!

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's all over. Seems too soon. I have to say, for a finale I am underwhelmed but first, I did enjoy the theme park Siren Song a lot. Wish we could have spent more time there like the water park in book 1.

Essa being a cousin was somehow more of a let down then being a ghost aunt. It made the overall theme less spooky and more sappy and definitely by the end this book was oozing with sap. We don't get anymore information on what exactly was the prison the parent's were sent to as kids or how they managed to stay hidden well enough after leaving camp that an active unsolved missing persons case is still open for all of them. We finally meet Stein and he has like one line (lol) and a lot of stuff was not brought up again like how Mrs. Widow's twin literally murdered Mr. Frank and was collaborating with Van Helsing (who did a lot of bad stuff) but everything is hunky dory in the end - no hard feelings.

Anyway, at least Edgar and Wil ended up together and I don't have to keep reading the word 'raisin' being brought up like 100 times.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the book, but 5 stars for the series overall. I enjoyed this last book, but I feel like I wanted a little more from this last book. I enjoyed getting all the answers (except for who left that note in the tunnel!!). They definitely weren't the answers I was expecting, but I thought it was a fun ending though. There were definitely some literary references I didn't get until this last book (specifically Wuthering Heights, though it seems so obvious now lol).

I think if I had read this book right after I finished the 4th one, it would have gotten a higher rating because I would have still been in the world and been a little more used to the middle grade story structure (since I've mostly been reading adult romance books recently), but it was still a good book and I think a good ending to the series.

My biggest complaint is that it felt like Marina kind of disappeared... Like she was there but I feel like she didn't have any dialogue at all at the end of the book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying conclusion to the series. Loved how much Theo and Alexander grew throughout the series.
The author did a fantastic job of showing Alexander’s fears and how he dealt with them. The twins were challenged to use their strengths and develop their weaknesses throughout the series. In this final chapter, the story pieces finally come together. All of the characters from the previous books make an appearance. Would’ve liked more time with many of them. Wanted a bit more of the explanation of what was happening while Theo and Alexander were trying to solve the final puzzle pieces. Important messaging that things aren’t as they always appear. There is often more to the story than available on the surface. Jumping to conclusions and believing someone is only one thing (good or bad) isn’t always the best. 100% agree with the twins that raisins are evil and should never be in a cookie. Loved the series.

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending of a great young readers series!
Theo and Alexander have had quite a summer. While their parents have left them with their Aunt Saffronia, they have saved a water park from being shut down, stopped a pyramid scheme at a spa, spared a summer camp from a brainwashing enterprise, and foiled the villains from stealing from the science camp.
Now they're needing to work with all their new friends at an amusement park to stop the ultimate plan of Essa and Edgarent AND find their parents.
Unlike the Series of Unfortunate Events, the Sinister Summer series actually wraps everything up, solves all the mysteries, and gives a happy ending. It was vastly more entertaining too because I loved all the lore that was sprinkled in to all the locations, like Dracula, Sirens, and Zombies. It was fun and fluffy and kids would love this series so much.
Full 5 stars for the series as a whole!

[Jacq · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5⭐️s - If you've followed me long enough to watch me read my way through this YA series, then I am sure this review won't come as a surprise to you - this was crazy charming and utterly delightful. Each book has had the best reminders and morals for youngsters... and adults, too, and this one was no exception. The characters somehow became even more lovable, and the team/family spirit they embodied was warm and magical. This one seemed to focus on trust, growth, bravery, and recognizing that anyone can make mistakes, and that doesn't make them "bad." Everything was wrapped up neatly, and I had so much fun getting to "the end of the summer" with the Sinister family and friends. Highly recommend!

[Nuffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun ending to this super fun series! I want all of the parks featured in these books to be made real, because I want to go to there!!!

Honestly, my only gripe about the series is that I feel secret bread crumbs could have been laid sooner. It felt like we got EVERYTHING in this last book, making the series very book-ended.

(I also was definitely expecting more…Christmas in July vibes based on the title. Before I got the book and just saw a little digital image of the cover, I definitely thought there were candy canes and stuff, but nope, it’s a remarkable kraken karnival!!! This was probably my second favorite location after the goth water park in the first book! I want these places to be real SO BAD!!)

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the absolute perfect ending to this series. I loved how everything Alexander and Theo had been struggling with and learning over the course of the summer came together. I loved that so many other characters were there. I loved the way they decided to tackle the big final challenge. And I loved and hated that White left just a few unexplained mysteries - even drawing attention to them. I love it because I'm hoping that means we get more books in this world. I hate it because I want to know the answers! Fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Mysterious Benedict Society, or the Cassidy Blake series and anyone enjoying a good family-centric mystery series will like these books!

[Miss Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A solid conclusion to this series that answers the pressing question of what happened to the Sinister-Winterbottom parents and their friends and whether or not they can defeat Essa and Edgaren't's schemes.

I do think the series is a lot of fun but also it repeats itself and treads a lot of the same ground in each book in a way that I think could have been utilized better or else tightened the pacing to only three or four books. I do wish that they had been able to explore the family backstories a bit more. Lucy continues to crack me up.

In the end, the kids were great and I enjoyed the series as a whole. The first is still the strongest.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this this morning. It was a decent conclusion. I can say that it definitely has a happier ending than A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really loved the group they had formed over the 4 previous books.

We finally got a lot of answers in this book. It felt a little preachy at the end when the kids were trying to teach the adults something. But I appreciated the happy ending. This series was a nice mix of paranormal and normal and you were never quite sure which it was going to be.

This is a fun middle grade read for those who don't want the sadness and unfortunate-ness of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Also, I still can't stand the voice used for Alexander.