The Ghosts of Warble Hall

by J.L. DuRona

The latest chapter in the Berge Sisters series!

Lacey Berge is torn. She’s been living at St. Agatha’s Boarding School for Girls ever since her dad remarried, distancing herself from her new family. But after she and her stepsister Cal’s adventure through the Neitherswarth, the two girls have never been closer. Lacey wants to embrace her new family, but would that mean betraying her late mother’s memory?

And if she weren’t stressed enough, Cal is coming to visit her at school! She wants to explore Warble Hall, an abandoned dorm on campus, before it’s torn down. Lacey agrees, unaware that the spirits of the building’s past still roam the grounds, and not all of them are friendly.

Now the doors are locked, the ghosts are closing in, and the Berge Sisters only have until daybreak to escape before they become permanent residents of Warble Hall!

198 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2023

About the author

J.L. is the award-winning author of the spooky middle grade series The Berge Sisters. While other kids played on the jungle gym during recess, he would quietly slip away into the woods surrounding his rural elementary school to read the most recent Goosebumps book. It’s always been a dream of his to create stories that inspire others the same way he was as a kid. The Berge Sisters Tour the Neitherswarth is his debut novel.

J.L. graduated in 2007 from Castleton University with a BA in Children’s Literature. He's also a cartoonist and received his MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2011. He currently lives in Vermont with his wife and three cats.

Reviews

[Louise Conway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in this fun series picks up a short time after the events of book 1. Having escaped from supernatural realm the Neitherswarth, Lacie Berge is now getting ready to return to the welcome normality of life at her boarding school, where she plans to put any crazy encounters with the paranormal world well and truly behind her. However it soon becomes clear that fate has other ideas. Before long she and her step-sister Cal are swept up in the mystery of a disused part of the school which has been haunted for many years-- and if the siblings aren't careful, they may never find a way to escape the clutches of its resident ghosts.

I didn't find this story quite as enthralling as the first-- for me it was missing a little of that magical spark book 1 had from start to finish. The plot didn't feel as strong or as engaging, the overall tone slightly darker.

The only other thing I wasn't sure about was the main character using (very) occasional language and hand gestures; those moments seemed more suited to YA than middle grade. Otherwise this was a really enjoyable read with some absolutely wonderful descriptions. The author has a brilliant knack for crafting vivid, immediately likeable characters. The Berge Sisters is a series I'd definitely recommend and I look forward to book 3

[William Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to say that I enjoyed this more than the first. Although some of that might just be personal preference as a real sucker for a good ghost story.

I read this and wished it had been around when I was a kid, because I would have absolutely devoured it then, holding it up alongside the likes of the Fear Street series for books that were spooky but fun. The Berge sisters are quickly becoming indie essentials in my mind.

[Amy Baron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stepsisters Lacey and Cal Berge are back for another adventure—to explore Warble Hall, an old dormitory at Lacey’s boarding school. Too bad their mission is interrupted by a gaggle of ghosts with their own plans. Can the girls escape before it’s too late?

DuRona’s second in the series is a spooky middle-grade adventure with a heartfelt friendship at its core. Fast-paced and fun! Can be read in series or as a standalone.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters and ghosts and an evil house mother. Really fun! A story about how moments can change our whole lives and being able to recognize when those moments happen and make sure they don't control us.

[Heather Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and thrilling story! I liked this one even more than the first book. I loved all the side and supporting characters and their backstories. It got darker than I expected but nothing kids can't handle!