Stonewall Honor-winning author Justine Pucella Winans returns with a middle grade horror about a haunted house and the stories we tell when real life gets too scary.
The only thing worse than having ghost hunters for parents is having fake ghost hunters for parents. Luna Catalano would know. Her moms are influencers who use their pretend psychic powers and interior design skills to turn spooky old houses into ghost-free modern homes—not that there were any ghosts in the first place. It’s bad enough her moms’ job means they have to move all the time, but just once, Luna wishes there was an actual, for real haunted house.
When they move yet again, Luna isn't expecting much. But this new place feels...different. Things start out innocent enough—flickering lights, strange noises—but this ghost is playing for keeps. And if Luna doesn’t find a way to stop it, she and her moms might end up haunting the house themselves.
With the help of her next-door neighbors, a cute girl Luna definitely doesn’t have a crush on, and a mysterious woman who seems to know a lot about the home, Luna starts to piece together who exactly this ghost is. But not everything is as it seems. And in order to save her family, Luna will have to get the story right before everything goes completely wrong.
Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a critically acclaimed and award winning author of queer fiction. They have written a variety of funny and/or scary books across age ranges, receiving accolades such as a Stonewall Honor, Indies Introduce, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and multiple starred reviews. When not writing, she can be found taking too many photos of her cats, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, actively avoiding real life scary situations, and working their true goal of becoming a Pokémon trainer.
Oh man this needed more drafts. Also the queer labels shoehorned into every part of the book don’t mean it’s good or accurate representation :,(
Premise was really fun, but execution was uninspired and like reading a poorly edited tumblr post. The obvious self inserts were tough too.
The IBS thing just insisting on itself over and over is so tonally awkward. If it was less forced or even just mentioned in context or with comedic timing it could be ok, but it’s really weird as is.
A Little Too Haunted is full of ghost-hunting tools, blood dripping from the bathroom ceiling and an iPad, an exorcism, plenty of spiders and some spontaneously firing up gas burners. Along with the haunted house is Luna, a girl with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) that flairs up inconveniently, drama within her family of house-flipping, influencer moms, trouble making friends and lots and lots of cats next door.
Luna’s moms made a name for themselves online flipping haunted house and entertaining viewers with the ways spirits interfere with their home remodeling efforts. Turns out, it’s all fake and Luna, a true believer in ghosts and not part of the subterfuge, has an online fit and exposes Mom and Mamma’s gimmick, resulting in a loss of sponsors and the need for total rebranding. So, off to Ohio and another home re-do, but this time, there are really ghosts and no one is safe. It’s Luna to the rescue but she makes several mistakes along the way that put her family and new friends in danger.
Winans’ middle grade ghost story has plenty of elements to like and many in grades 4-6 will, but some, like me, may find that the family drama and a fair amount sexual identity confusion and discussion gets in the way of the primary story arc. (And I know I was really tired of hearing about Luna and her moms’ favorite home makeover show.) For many readers, the IBS, struggle to find/keep friends, and/or the various LBGTQ+ characters will give them the feeling of being seen.
Text is free of profanity and sexual content. Violence is appropriate to the genre and age group and is far less gory than in most Goosebumps books. Representation: Luna’s next door neighbors are Hispanic and their heritage is included in some dialogue, food choices and naming conventions, Luna has two moms and the three enjoy watching Queer Fearleaders on TV which features a trans woman and a bisexual man, Luna is struggling with her attraction to female Logan because she has always considered herself straight, next door neighbor Dani has decided to use they/them pronouns and is appreciative of Luna’s support.
Thanks for the eARC, Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Edelweiss.
This was a great middle grade horror novel. The level of scariness was decently high and the gore wasn't too bad but it definitely had some. I really liked the themes of loneliness, family and found family, as well as Luna's examination of her sexual orientation and her feelings for Logan. I empathized with Luna and her storyline with her moms was realistic in a book that was very fantastical. The pace was great and I wanted to keep going through the whole book. The thing I had the most problems with was Luna being locked out of her house and thinking it was fine that a woman was walking by and to not just talk to her but have her want to tell you ghost stories in the middle of the night. I really enjoyed the conclusion with all the action and it's sweet aftermath. A great novel for tweens who want a higher level of horror than most books for this age group.
Luna and her family have moved into yet another house to flip, but this time the ghosts may be real? Toeing the line of being just spooky enough, A Little Too Haunted is a heartfelt novel about fitting in while standing up for what you believe in. I really loved the representation in this novel!
I couldn't put the book down once I started— heartwarming, with some really spooky and dark moments. Much better than I expected, when I blindly picked out a spooky young reader book. Loved it.
An approachable horror novel for the middle school ready. Cinematic-esc scares with all the current understandings of those that enjoy the paranormal; grab your ghost hunting equipment, because these ghosts aren’t going away easily.
Luna Catalano, who struggles with irritable bowel syndrome, leads a peripatetic life with her two mothers, who are home improvement influencers who renovate and flip haunted houses. Revenues are down since Luna had a live streamed freak out when she discovered that they faked the paranormal aspects of their content. Mom and Mamma are looking to rebrand as they start their newest project on Shadyside Street in Cleveland, Ohio. At first, Luna doesn’t think the house is dark and dismal enough to be haunted, but when she spends more time there, she feels disturbing auras. This is great, because Luna WANTS the house to be haunted. She’s a huge fan of the show Queer Fearleaders. She has a crush on the male host and desperately wants to get their Starter Ghosthunters’ Kit, which her moms eventually break down and buy for her. Since she has had several disturbing visions of being covered in blood, and seeing a giant spider on the kitchen ceiling. There are rumors about the house, which had been abandoned for some time, and the neighbor children, Dani (who is trying out they/them pronouns) and Mateo Moreno help Luna investigate. She also gets some insight when she wakes up in the middle of the night and goes outside, running into 23-year-old neighbor Evie, a horror writer, who tells her stories about the Burning Man and Mourning Dove. There’s also neighbor Logan, a very pretty girl who captures Luna’s attention, and is even the object of a very confusing crush, since Luna doesn’t consider herself gay. The stove in the house keeps turning on unexpectedly, and Luna’s moms think she has done it because she is unhappy about the move, blaming her for ruining their new camera. The children talk to Mr. Winston at the library and get some more history of the house, and learn about the Rosewood family that perished in a fire in the early twentieth century. When Evie gives Luna instructions on how to perform an exorcism, things go badly wrong, and the evil spirits in the house need serious attention. Will Luna be able to save herself and the house, and convince her moms that she is tired of moving? Strengths: This was a bit of a twist on the middle grade trope of moving into a haunted house; Luna’s family WANTS the house to be haunted. There must be people who make a living being social media influencer, and seeing the difficulty that Luna’s mothers have with getting sponsorship and losing viewers because of her meltdown is interesting. I liked the way that Luna’s IBS was worked into the story; it’s not part of a plot arc, but does effect some of her daily life. There is lot of LGBTQIA+ representation of various sorts. Weaknesses: I was a little confused as to why Luna could see Evie and Logan; there's a little explanation, but there could have been more. Also, it seemed pretty apparent that Evie was evil, so I would NOT have followed her instructions to do an exorcism! What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like books that involve moving into haunted houses like Dawson’s Mine, Hung’s Hungry Bones, Bowman’s Where the Lost Ones Go, or Acevedeo’s The Curse of Spectacle Key. The home renovation portion of this reminded me vaguely of O’Reilly’s The Secret of Goldenrod or Davies’The International House of Dereliction.
👻What happens when professional and totally fake ghost hunters move into a house that's actually, terrifyingly haunted? The chaos is real.🤣
Okay, let me start by saying: I have never related so hard to a character’s chaotic life as I did with Luna Catalano’s. Imagine having parents who are not just ghost hunters but fake ghost hunters. Influencer ghost hunters! I knew right away this book was going to be a ride, and oh wow it delivered.
When Luna and her mom moved yet again, I fully expected another haunted house that was really just bad wiring. But nope. This time? The house says, “Hi, yes, I am haunted, prepare yourself.” From flickering lights to strange noises, I felt my heart doing little horror tap dances the whole time. But in a fun, middle-grade safe way. Mostly!
What I loved most was how Luna teams up with the neighbors, one of whom she totally does not have a crush on. Sure, Luna, we all believe you! This quirky little squad actually feels like a real group of kids trying to solve a supernatural problem with zero adult supervision. Perfect!
And the ghost? Oh, the ghost has layers. The more Luna uncovers, the more I realized this wasn’t just a spooky story, it was about grief, truth, and the stories families tell to survive things scarier than any specter. This book is creepy, heartfelt, funny, and full of charm.
By the final chapters, I was cheering, gasping, and maybe clutching a blanket just a little too tightly. A protagonist you can’t help rooting for!
⚡️Thank you Bloomsbury Children's Books and Justine Pucella Winans for sharing A Little Too Haunted with me!
Luna loves ghosts. Her moms flip haunted houses, and Luna enjoys searching for ghosts. Unfortunately, she finds out that her moms fake the spooky noises, etc., and she's heartbroken. She exposes them on a livestream, with painful consequences for herself and her family.
Now they've moved into a new house. Luna starts having creepy experiences, but no one else seems to see anything. How can she prove to her moms that ghosts are real? How can she get them to listen to her and be a family again?
This delightful middle grades novel is one I would have loved to read as a child. It's engaging and the perfect blend of spooky and real. I highly recommend it for classroom and school libraries. I think it'll be a favorite.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!
If you’re looking for a book that’s going to give you those perfect, page-turning chills, you HAVE to check out A Little Too Haunted by Justine Pucella Winans.
This suspense/horror read follows Luna as she navigates a truly haunted house, the overwhelming pressure of her moms' popular YouTube channel (hello, social media struggles!), and the very real journey of exploring LGBTQ identity and finding herself.
It’s the perfect kind of scary—enough to make you jump at shadows, but not so much that you'll lose sleep. Plus, trust me, this book is packed with twists most students won't expect! If you like ghosts, mystery, and stories that feel real, grab this one next time you're in the library!
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like this middle grade novel. I enjoyed the haunting and the creepy imagery and the ghosts. I did see some of the big twists coming but I didn't mind that. I was really into the family issues and I really felt for the main character. She was really layered and I liked her a lot. There was a lot of twists and turns in this one and I was there for all of it. At the heart of it, there was Luna's loneliness and I liked the way it was explored. Overall, this was a really good ghost story and book all over. I can't wait to read more by this author.
This was such a fun and spooky read. Perfect for middle grade readers who prefer a little darker reads. I really enjoyed the stories within - and the quote “About storytellers. You can talk to someone and share a piece of your mind, or you can tell them a story and share a piece of your soul.” Really stuck out to me, and with me.
There is a decent and varied amount of represent. I did feel at times a frustration with how Luna’s moms reacted, but understand it is part of the story and meant to help reinforce her feeling alone. Wonderful story overall, that I already recommended to my own 12yo daughter.
Luna’s family flips haunted houses for a living! This move might be different, because the ghosts might be real. 👻🏚️
When Luna and her moms move into their newest project house, strange sights and sounds fill the night. Then she meets Evie, a girl with ghost stories that feel too real. Luna and the neighbor kids are on a spooky ghost hunt full of eerie hauntings and spectral surprises. Luna soon finds out that fighting ghosts is harder than it seems.
Perfect for middle grade readers who love a good scare! My daughter and I had so much fun reading this one together. 👻🖤✨
I didn’t read scary stories as a kid, but as an adult who’s finally into horror books I really really loved this book. Totally age appropriate for middle grade readers, wonderful queer representation, some skin crawling creepy moments, and such a fun twist to the “move into a haunted house” trope. And there’s cats!
Thanks libro.fm, Justine Pucella Winans, and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ALC :)
This has some legitimately scary moments with very mean ghosts who are trying to hurt people. Interestingly, though, I never felt much tension during any moments of the book.
I appreciated Luna's family dynamic, her frustration with her moms (could they really have been so dense?) and challenges in trying to communicate her feelings, and the non-traditional aspects of their family. I also liked Luna's explorations of her romantic feelings, which felt age-appropriate and real.
I loved this spooky middle grade ghost story! It is full of vibrant characters (both living and dead); intriguing stories within the story; and touching themes of friendship, forgiveness, and belonging. A great combination of creepy details, mysterious happenings, and sweet relationships. Highly recommended!
For fans of The Sixth Sense, some of the plot twists are a little obvious, but there are still plenty of others that you probably won’t see coming. It seems like it could be the launch of a series with Luna, the protagonist, and her friends working to help other ghosts let go of their regrets to cross over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book.
This was a great book on so many levels. I loved the IBS rep and Linda's struggles with her moms. I loved the concept of flipping haunted houses. And I loved the level of spook in this book, it had some creepy parts to it but wasn't complete horror. This was such a good book.
All the right kinds of creepy, swoony, exciting, and memorable. I loved Luna's voice and her ever-changing world, and the perfect set up of this story. Fake ghost hunters get really haunted? Fantastic. Queer and fun and delightful, despite the heavier and scary factors. I'd have loved this book at any age.
Equal parts spooky, suspenseful haunted house book with plenty of jaw-dropping twists and an emotionally resonate story about loneliness, identity, and finding your loved ones and home. Could not recommend this one enough!
Justine slayed again. They’re a rising star in the queer paranormal genre (an amazing genre that should be used more) and even tho this is middle grade, they didn’t disappoint! Highly recommend to fans of Justine’s books, young and older.
Although this is a book written for middle schoolers in terms of vocabulary and the main character's age, there were parts in it that were a bit too much for me. On the mundane front, Luna has IBS and early on there is more focus on her bathroom needs and habits than is necessary for the narrative. On the horror front, some of the ghosts are capable of actually injuring the living. Another ghost uses blood as a regular motif in how they haunt. The description of the blood got to me at times.
All that said, I'm not saying this book isn't appropriate for a reader in the intended age range. Far from it. Those are just details that pulled me out of my enjoyment of an otherwise thrilling haunted house story.