The Skeleton Flute

by Damara Allen

The legend of the Pied Piper meets Sal and Gabi Break the Universe with a touch of Coraline in this spooky and suspenseful middle grade adventure about a boy whose wish goes horribly wrong and his fight to reunite with his real family.

Sam Windsor’s parents and younger siblings, Grayson and Addie, are his whole world, so when his parents announce they’re separating, Sam is devastated. He’d do anything to make his parents change their minds and keep the family together. When a stranger offers a flute made of bone that supposedly grants the player’s wish, Sam doesn’t really believe it will work but figures he has nothing to lose.

Surprisingly, the wish on the skeleton flute comes true. The next day, his parents are happily in love, with no plans for his dad to leave. But there’s a major problem: his parents’ relationship isn’t the only thing in his life that has changed, and some of the changes are definitely for the worse.

Caught in a world full of unintended consequences and familiar strangers, Sam has limited options for returning to his old life—worries, challenges, and all. Can he track down the mysterious man who gave him the flute and undo his wish?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Horror, Childrens, Divorce, Audiobook, Mystery

368 pages, Hardcover

Published August 27, 2024

Reviews

[Mary Averling · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SKELETON FLUTE is my favourite type of middle grade horror. It's creepy, heartfelt, and imaginative in equal measure, tackling real-life issues (like divorce) seamlessly alongside fantastical troubles (like accidentally magicking yourself into a whole other life). Sam is such an authentic, vulnerable, well-rounded sweetheart. The mystery was EXCELLENT. To top it off, Damara Allen's writing is just *so* evocative, brimming with emotion and that deliciously unnerving atmosphere--kids (and adults!) are going to eat this one up.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Skeleton Flute Sam finds out that his parents are separating and is approached by a stranger named Bones who offers him a flute that will grant his greatest desires. Despite his initial skepticism Sam wishes his parents would stay together and wakes up the next morning to find them together as a couple and happier than ever. However this wish has a catch and that comes at the expense of his siblings disappearing and his best friend no longer recognizing him. He soon meets Lena, a girl his age who made a similar wish after losing her mother and they soon discover these new realities aren't as happy as they appear.

This is a well paced book that held my attention despite the length which is a feat for middle grade at the moment. Damara Allen did a great job building the horror elements of the story. You could clearly all the little details building into something greater. And it felt like a fresh tale.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I picked this up excited to read a simple J horror book but instead got a Pied Piper story with alternate universes and frogmen. Well! It was a good read, and often genuinely scary. Having just recently finished Stephen King’s The Outsider I felt there were some parallels between the two books which was interesting.

As much as I liked the story I found it took me a long time to read - particularly for a middle grade novel. It seemed overwritten at times and I think it could have been more concise. Would recommend for the right child or adult who likes all things spooky, fans of Candyman and Stranger Things.

[USOM]

The Pied Piper meets Coraline, The Skeleton Flute is a story about wishes. About the things we think we want so badly, but then what happens if we get them? But then we lose something else instead? The Skeleton Flute takes this premise and adds a supernatural - and spooky - twist. Sam figures out that while his parents might be back together, it's the furthest from what he wants. Not only are his siblings gone, but his parents aren't the same. However, what if this has happened to someone else before him? Could he find more answers to reverse this wish?

[Ellen Stumbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book, and although it was horror, I’m fighting tears from such a touching and moving story of learning that we all have the strength to do hard things when we are surrounded by people who care about us.
There is plenty of spooky for spooky lovers, but this story also has so much HEART!
Highly recommend!

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam's world is rocked with the announcement of his parents' separation, and he will do anything to change that reality. Including make a wish on a skeleton flute presented by a shady character named Bones.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damara Allen has created a fast-paced, creepy tale in The Skeleton Flute. The Pied Piper story is one of the darkest of fairy tales and this new take on the story builds upon that darkness. Sam Windsor has just learned that his parents are separating and a spooky stranger has offered to make his greatest desire come true. All he has to do is play the skeleton flute. When he wakes up after playing the flute his parents are deeply in love but the other changes to his world are more than he bargained for. Now Sam has to find the stranger and try to get his life back. The world-building in this story is top-notch as the eerie alternate world that Sam discovers is brought to life with gruesome creatures that will send chills down your spine.

I could not put this one down. I can’t wait for the next title by this debut author.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and I started reading it and could not stop! It is about Sam, a boy who's parents are splitting up and he will do just about anything to keep them together, even make a wish on a bone flute from a stranger. He makes his wish and it does not turn out how he hoped it would. I give it five stars and would recommend it for 9-13. It was written very well and the idea is so cool. Loved it!

Thanks to Two Thumbs up book reviews for the ARC

[Wendy Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read—compelling, creepy, incredibly imaginative. And it's not only scary, it's heartfelt. Damara Allen does a fantastic job portraying Sam's very real and relatable mix of complicated emotions. I highly recommend it!

[Emily Deibert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of THE SKELETON FLUTE, out August 27, 2024 from Aladdin Books/S&S! This debut middle grade novel was a fun, spooky, action-packed adventure about bravery, family, friendships, and being careful what you wish for...

Middle-schooler Sam Windsor's world is turned upside down when his parents tell him and his younger siblings, Grayson and Addie, that they're separating. Sam wants nothing more than to keep his parents together—so when a mysterious stranger in the park offers Sam a magical flute that can grant his wish, Sam accepts, even if it seems too good to be true.

When Sam wakes up the next day, his parents are more in love than ever. But as the day goes on, Sam's horrified to realize that his parents' relationship isn't the only thing the skeleton flute changed. Now, Sam will have to team up with Lena—another kid who made a desperate wish on the magical flute—if he wants to see his whole family together again.

I absolutely adored this spooky middle grade novel by debut author Damara Allen! Sam was such a fun narrator, and I just loved his friendship with Lena and his relationship with his family. His struggles with his parents' separation, as well as his worries that he isn't brave enough, will be relatable for so many middle grade readers. The story also had a fantastic cast of secondary characters, including the creepy stranger Bones, the helpful librarian Helen, and (without spoiling anything!) the allies Sam and Lena meet in their journey to return their lives to normal.

The spooky, atmospheric setting was also a highlight of this story—I loved the creepy creatures Sam and Lena encounter, and all the historical lore the duo uncover along the way. The scary, action-packed aspects of the story were perfectly balanced by Sam's humour and the heartwarming relationships he develops with everyone around him. And most of all, I loved the lessons Sam learns about what it means to be brave and how it's okay to feel your feelings (even the tough ones).

I definitely recommend checking this book out when it's released later this year—I've already preordered my copy! I'd recommend THE SKELETON FLUTE to fans of STRANGER THINGS or SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE, or anyone looking for their next spooky MG reads. This was a fantastic MG debut and I can't wait to see what's next from the author!

[Cheryl Gatling]

This is absolutely the most wholesome, heartwarming, inspiring book I have ever read that is about slimy, toothy monsters and soul-sucking evil.

To begin with, Sam’s parents announce that they are separating, and that his dad is moving out. Sam is so distraught that he storms off on his bike. On a secluded path through the park he meets a man who gives him a bone flute and says if he plays it he will be granted his greatest desire.

Sam thinks this is crazy, and creepy, plus he was raised to not engage with strange men in the woods, but his desire to not have his parents split up is stronger than all that. He takes the flute home, and yes, gives it a toot.

The next morning Sam’s mom and dad seem to be crazy in love. That part’s good. But Sam’s little brother and sister are gone. As if they had never existed. And a lot of other things are different, too. Sam’s best friend isn’t his friend anymore. Some other guy is Sam’s best friend.

Now Sam’s greatest desire is to get his old life back. He teams up with a girl who had a similar experience, and wants to get her sister back, as well as a helpful librarian who had her life switched ten years ago.

The road back leads through a nightmare land of darkness and decay and danger. It’s pretty exciting and also kind of disgusting. Sam and his friends learn a lot of lessons along the way. Such as, you can do hard things, and we’re all better off helping each other.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believe those Coraline comps! This excellent speculative retelling of the Pied Piper made me feel like I was falling through a wormhole! Sam’s world is rocked when his parents say Dad is moving out. So when a mysterious stranger offers him a flute that will make his greatest desire come true, Sam wishes that his parents will stay together. And they do! They’re happy! They’re going on date nights! They’re not stressed! Only one problem: Sam’s brother and sister have disappeared. And his best friend barely knows him. In trying to undo this horror, Sam learns that he’s not the only person whose world has been turned upside down by the skeleton flute. Soon he and the others whose wishes have gone sideways are investigating the magical object, the mystery man, and what could have happened. Damara Allen’s writing is fantastic, encompassing both Sam’s disbelief and fear as well as his wry, middle grade sense of humor. There was also room in this story for the kids to talk and process their grief over what might have been. I think this is such an important theme in children’s literature when so often we’re pushing kids to get through something, thinking they’ll be better when they’re beyond the pain, without giving them the space and time to sit with their sorrow. I also think many young readers will see themselves in Sam’s struggle with his desire to keep his family together when it isn’t his fault that things are changing nor in his power to keep everyone at home.

[Amr Saleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Skeleton Flute is exactly the type of book I used to love reading growing up. It’s a middle-grade horror but not in the cheap “oh, look, a scary jump scare” kind of way. Quite the opposite. Damara Allen’s debut creates its horror aspect by putting our protagonist in an impossible situation he can’t even fully understand let alone find a way out of. The horror aspects of the story were wonderfully complimented with a fantastical twist that was incredibly imaginative. I won’t say what it was exactly because of spoilers but I’ll say that I was happy to see a concept that usually falls flat in other stories executed here in a way that not only elevates the story but also highlights the themes the author wants to discuss.

Speaking of themes, The Skeleton Flute deals with heavy topics that I’m glad to see in the MG space. Themes like divorce, friendship, and allowing ourselves to express our feelings and not be afraid to show our true emotions around the people we love. This was all masterfully shown through our protagonist Sam who is probably one of the most relatable protagonists I’ve read in general and not just in a middle-grade story.


Overall, The Skeleton Flute is an incredible debut by Damara Allen and I definitely recommend it to all readers of all ages.

[Nicole Loos Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO good!

When Sam's parents announce they're separating, Sam wishes for his parents to stay together, but he learns that wishes come at a cost that's much much higher than what he's wiling to pay.

There is SO much to love in this book! I really loved how back and forth Sam went with whether or not to use the skeleton flute to make a wish — sometimes in books about wishes gone wrong, it's a quick impulse, but Sam really thinks it over and is encouraged by those he trusts to make the wish. When he does, his wish is granted but not at all in the way he intended. Sam finds alliances, he questions his values and priorities, and he makes a true hero's journey in this story about how hard growth can be but how even the hard things can be endured when you reach out for the support and love around you. Such a wonderful story and I'm so glad it's finally on my shelf!!

{SPOILER ALER: I love that it managed to have a happy ending despite Sam's parents not getting back together at the end. I love that it gives the message that things don't have to be "fixed" in order to move forward with hope and happiness.}

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun middle grade horror retelling of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" set in contemporary times. When Sam's parents announce to him and his younger siblings that they're separating, he storms off on his bike, near tears. On a bike trail, he meets a strange man named Bones who gives him a bone flute. Bones tells Sam he can make a wish and blow on the flute, and the wish will come true. Sam dismisses the idea but still takes the flute and brings it home. Later, sad about his parents, he blows a note on the flute. The next morning, he's in a different life where his parents are together, but his siblings never existed. He's desperate to return to his old life, and meets another kid, Lena, in a similar predicament.

I really enjoyed the world building behind this retelling, as well as the kids. It got a little bogged down at the end, in my opinion, but I would definitely still recommend this.

[Melissa Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love spooky books with atmospheric settings (that feel like characters), this book is a must-read for you. Protagonist Sam learns the hard way that you have to be careful what you wish for when he accepts a magical flute that grants wishes. For him, what he wants more than anything is for his parents to keep their marriage from unraveling and change their minds about divorcing.

The very next morning, after making his wish, he discovers it worked--his parents are in love again. It doesn't take long, however, for Sam to discover that the flute changed other things as well. Things that could ruin his family forever.

This novel hits all the right notes--friendships, family struggles, humor and heart. There is plenty of action and suspense to keep middle-grade readers enthralled. It would make a great addition to 4th through 6th grade classrooms.

[Noël · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in a style that feels authentically middle grade in young Sam's voice, this book is sure to captivate readers. I couldn't put it down! As if the Bones stranger and waking up to twisted reality isn't creepy enough, wait until you get to the real horror. It gave me STRANGER THINGS vibes.

Mostly I enjoyed how Sam and his new friend Lena stayed true to their goal to get back to their old lives even though their new realities gave them what they wished for. There was great character development in that both Sam and Lena realised the consequences of their choices and put others above their own desires. Even when the going got tough, they didn't waver.

I'm very impressed how Damara Allen took the Pied Piper legend and retold it in this modern horror story. Can't wait to see what's next by this author!

[Kaitlyn Marquart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Skeleton Flute is a wonderful story—engaging, heartfelt, and full of important lessons for readers of all ages. While written for middle-grade readers, it speaks to anyone whose family has gone through separation or divorce. Damara Allen weaves a tale that balances imagination and adventure with real-life struggles, creating a story that is both entertaining and deeply meaningful.

What I especially loved is how the book validates young readers’ emotions without being heavy-handed, offering both comfort and hope. It reminds us that even in times of change and uncertainty, resilience, love, and courage can shine through. This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you finish the last page.

I'd recommend it for classrooms, families, and anyone looking for a thoughtful, adventurous, uplifting read.

[Cayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! I hope The Skeleton Flute is just the first of many novels to come from debut author Damara Allen. Though the book is targeted for middle grade readers, it doesn’t shy away from heavier themes that so many kids in that age range face: divorce, loss, self-doubt, and guilt. These topics are interwoven in a way that feels natural to the story rather than being forced elements, appropriately present without distracting from the core spooky plot. And spooky it is! The book is well-paced, giving you time early on to get to know each of the rich and diverse characters, building towards a gripping climax that had me turning pages until one in the morning to see how it all ended. Definitely pick this one up!

[Dani Terk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished THE SKELETON FLUTE by my friend, @dsallenauthor.

This is a spooky book with SO much heart. It has the delightfully creepy vibes of Coraline, the Upside Down feel of Stranger Things, and some clever hat tips to classic horror/paranormal stories for the keen observer. Though imaginative creepy monsters are extremely on brand for her books, Allen masterfully layers in the real, everyday challenges kids face such as parents separating, fears and phobias, and the social dynamics of middle school. Readers come away knowing that you don't always get what you wish for but with the skills and friends you gain along the way, you can navigate even the toughest of times. And if that isn't a lesson for right now, then I don't know what is.

[Nedda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Allen's captivating and adventure-filled middle grade debut. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the author's ability to capture the vulnerability and challenges facing her main character, Sam. While there are many exciting plot twists and turns, the way Allen uses them to help Sam come to terms with the big changes happening in his life is remarkable. I loved this twist on the tale of the Pied Piper. Be careful what you wish for!

[Ranjeeta Raam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to fans of STRANGER THINGS or anyone looking for their next spooky MG reads. The spooky multiverse world is fascinating and unique. The ending was the best for me, where the author neatly ties all the loose ends, not disappointing us with the usual wish-comes-true ending. but instead leaving us with a valuable message about life. I can't wait to see what's next from the author!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The Pied Piper story is a deeply creepy one, and isn't retold much in middle grade literature; Cody's The Peddler's Road and Skurzynski's What Happened in Hamelin (1979) are the only ones I can think of. The divorce, and Sam's feelings about it, would have been great in a realistic fiction book, but wishes gone wrong are always appealing.

[Maria Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book on a flight and could not put it down! I almost read it in one sitting! I was totally immersed in the story and cheering on the characters. It’s fun, just the right amount of scary, and redeeming in the best ways. I cannot wait to have my kids read this! Perfect for middle schoolers, high schoolers, or adults who love a good story! ❤️

[Shawn Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and it's incredibly imaginative approach to updating the pied Piper story. It moves along quickly and invest you in Sam as well as all of the other characters, even the villain. Highly recommended!

[Emily Wingenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful way of depicting how hard our early teen years are. This book has something everyone can relate to while still being an interesting and thrilling story. I really enjoyed The Skeleton Flute as an adult, and my young nephew enjoyed it as well. A book for all ages.

[Tweller83]

I received a free audio copy from Libro.fm as part of their Educator Audiobook Listening Copies (ALCs).

[Maleeha Siddiqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! The Skeleton Flute is MG horror at its finest.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multiverse things always get a bit confusing.

[Ami Schroder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this slightly creepy middle grade take on be careful what you wish for!