Monsters of Mt. Hope

Scareville #3

by John Ward

Tommy's 13 th birthday is coming up. Much to his dismay, his parents are taking him on a trip from Kansas City to Mt. Hope, Kansas to spend his big day with his grandparents. Having spent a lot of time in Mt. Hope growing up, Tommy didn't want to spend his most important birthday in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Something felt very different about this trip, however. Frightening experiences and strange sightings cause Tommy to wonder if there were monsters now roaming in this once sleepy small town. He would soon find out the nightmarish answer to his question.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade

142 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2023

Reviews

[Angel Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series and it's another banger. Without spoiling it, the ending in this one might be the darkest so far in the series. The ending might legit scare a kid to bed, haha.

On a serious note, John continues the streak of having me relive my childhood memories. The main character was easy to cheer for. Overall, just another great book!

[Madison Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being forced to go to his grandparents house and spending time with some old friends, Tommy got an unexpected surprise for his 13th birthday! Definitely check this Scareville series out if you were a fan of Goosebumps as a child.

[Missy Dillavou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick story! This very much gives goosebumps vibes. I would be a great YA horror book but also as a full blown adult (almost 30 years old) I still thoroughly enjoyed it!!!! This author is a great story teller! Can't wait to read more by him!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy is days away from his 13th birthday, and instead of getting to celebrate the way he wants to, his parents are driving him to his grandma and grandpa's house in the small town of Mt. Hope. He loves them and his grandma's home cooked meals, but staying there isn't his idea of a fun, important milestone. They don't even have a TV or WiFi, and there's nothing fun to do in the middle of nowhere.

On the way there, they're forced to make a pit stop maybe an hour or so outside of their destination. While his parents are busy, a strange man comes over and starts chatting with him. When Tommy mentions their destination, the man panics and starts frantically talking about the monsters that live there, and how he needs to turn back now for his own good. Tommy's dad sees the ruckus, but the man runs off before he can confront him for scaring his son.

Now Tommy's confused. Monsters? He'd spent so many childhood days there, and hasn't ever seen or heard anything of the sort. But he can't seem to shake the thought. And why is he hearing strange noises? Is he seeing things, or is there really a pair of glowing eyes outside of his bedroom window?

Same as the first two books, Scareville #3 does not disappoint. It's a fun, quick read, perfect for children/teens, or adults looking to relive that nostalgic feeling of reading Goosebumps as a child. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator (same as #1) did a fantastic job. I'll be starting this series with my kids this week, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I have!

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to review the audiobook of Monsters of Mt. Hope, which was written by John Ward and narrated by Dylan J. Holt. I absolutely love this author and narrator combo! I think that Dylan does an excellent job with the voices and really helps John's writing flow.

This book is part of the Scareville series. Although it's a series, each book is able to serve as a standalone with separate characters and different stories. This book focuses on a character named Tommy that takes a trip with his parents to visit his grandparents in Mt. Hope. Some unexplainable happenings lead Tommy on a search for the Monsters of Mt. Hope, but what he finds will be more surprising than he could have ever expected!

The characters in this book were a lot of fun. I love the way that we're able to get to know not only the main character, but also his family, friends, and even the town bully. This series of books is creepy without being overwhelmingly scary, which makes it perfect for a middle grade audience (about 8-12). Although, at nearly 13, the main character is slightly older than middle grade, I believe this book holds the most readability and appeal for a slightly younger audience.

Thank you to John Ward for the opportunity to review the audiobook!

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Second read/updated review) I just listened to the audiobook for this, and it was absolutely fantastic, just as enjoyable as reading the story! I highly recommend checking out the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job! Just as spooky and spine tingling as the first read. 5/5 ✨️


I had to take some time to think about how to review this books because it was just amazing! It kept me interested throughout every chapter, Anyone that likes suspense and horror will enjoy this! From the beginning it’s very mysterious and creepy! I loved the small town setting, I really liked the characters in this book! The friendship between Tommy and Kevin was interesting, It was nice seeing Tommy stand up to his bully and making new friends! Mt. Hope is a very creepy town! I really didn’t expect the ending at all I was in shock! If you like goosebumps or spooky books! I’d recommend you check out the scareville series! It’s definitely one for people of all ages to enjoy! 🖤👻🎃

[Sophia McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. John Ward we get it your awesome. Your choice of narrators, amazing.
Monsters of Mt Hope starts off with Tommy, a boy quiet upset that he has to spend his 13th birthday at his grandparents house. They dont have internet or anything fun for him to do. He would rather stay with his friends. On the way Tommy and his parents stop in a little town where he talks to and old man. Who tells him not to goto Mt. Hope, because there are monsters there and he will die, Tommy, a little rattled but they continue on their way. Tommy gets birthday money from his grandmother to goto the store and buy himself a little something. He comes out of the store with a monster book and finds that the town he is currently in, may in fact have monsters........

[Kendra Raptor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters of Mt. Hope is about a young boy named Tommy. He went with his parents to visit his grandparents around Mt. Hope, because they wanted to celebrate his birthday with him. Well, while Tommy is here, he finds out that Mt. Hope has monsters lurking. Can Tommy prove to his family and friend that its true, before he has to go home?

I loved this story. The way it was written and the character development were great! This one kept me guessing and I was shocked by the ending.

Definitely a favorite of 2024! I recommend this is story to anyone, really. Especially, YA!

[Crystal DeBoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monsters of Mt. Hope is part of the Scareville series by John Ward. This is the only one I have read in this series, and it did just fine as a standalone. This was a cute little story and that ending! Adult me enjoyed this, kid me would have LOVED this. Totally recommend if you have younger kids who like the spooky stories.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for Monsters of Mt. Hope

I absolutely loved it! Another awesome book! John Ward is the master of scare! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Brittney Sohar · Rating 5 out of 5]

*review to come

[Logan Bristow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book!! Short chapters that kept me on the hook and just spooky enough to keep any young readers awake at night with a flashlight keeping an eye out for monsters.

[Alexandra Huffaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time goosebumps loving 90s baby, this was so good. I loved it so much. I liked the twist towards the end. I will definitely be reading this whole series

[Erica Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Scareville book! The ending was awesome!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy will soon be celebrating his thirteenth birthday. He wants to stay home and celebrate with his friends but his parents insist that they visit his grandparents and celebrate with them.

Tommy is convinced that there are monsters living in the neighborhood and he sets out to prove his theory.

What follows is a hair raising adventure as we follow Tommy in his investigation.

This is an extremely engaging and well written book. A tale for all ages.

I highly recommend this book and John Ward’s other books to anyone that loves a good chilling mystery.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Scareville series, I read a few last year and came back to read more. Monsters of Mt Hope is a fun, fast ya read. I always choose these to get me in a spooky or nostalgic mood the stories are good, the writing keeps me fully engaged and I want to know what happens! I've downloaded the new one.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am well over the age of the intended reading audience, but I truly enjoy the Scareville books. The author has done a great job in creating scary horror stories suitable for middle grade readers.

In this book, Tommy's parents insist that they travel to his grandparents' home in Mt. Hope, Kansas, to celebrate his 13th birthday. Tommy isn't happy about this since there are no computers, Internet or TVs in their home. However, he soon comes to believe that there are monsters in Mt. Hope after an encounter with a creepy man in a nearby town. He is determined to prove this fact with the help of his friend, Kevin. And, he is equally determined to prove that the local bully, Nick, is a real life monster!

This book has just the right amount of creepiness mixed in with typical events in a 13 year old's life. The ending was open-ended enough to make it especially enjoyable. I hope that the author continues to write more books in this series since they are quick to read and so much fun!

The narrator was perfect for this book and added a lot to my enjoyment.

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh alas I have finally read the third installment of the Scareville series.

Tommy is about to turn the big 13 and he has to spend it with his parents at his grandparents house in Mount Hope.

Tommy because enamoured with monsters and believing they are real but his family and his only friend on Mt Hope just brush him off all the time.

I loved this one and I am eagerly waiting for the next book!

Oh and the cliffhanger at the end? Oooh that was good hopefully we may get a second part to this book like the goosebumps books!

Ready and waiting for the fourth one when you are John Ward.

[Scott Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites of the series.  John Ward has a way of drawing you into the story and keeps dropping hints and bits of information to keep you guessing and thinking you know what's going on and then BAM an ending you didn't see coming! This story kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me the creeps to keep turning the pages!  Good for all ages young and old .  Every time I read one of his books it brings back a forgotten feeling  I had as a child when I was excited about Halloween and everything scary!

[Mark F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one by John Ward. And now I'm wondering if I'll see two white eyes staring back at me whenever I look out the window at night.

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, creepy!

[Lisa Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! I grew up in the country of the Midwest so I can relate to Tommy being frustrated with the endless trees and corn on the drive and lack of cable TV. As the parent of a teenage boy, I can relate to his parents' frustration with his boredom without cable and internet. There were aspects of the story that I saw coming long before they happened, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the journey there. I had a lot of fun with this one. I plan to read more Scareville books when I need something a little lighter.

[Rhonda Bobbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun. I didn't see that ending coming at all. Being my first John Ward book, it definitely won't be the last. I absolutely loved the characters in the story. Thank you, John, for recommending this one. My grandson will love it.

[Irene Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

a unique story! I like it.

[Kelsi - Slime and Slashers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down for GR. Fun little middle grade read.