What do you think?
Rate this book
The Triplets Grim #1
The Witch of Hagstone Hill
After an evil witch steals their aunt in a deal gone wrong, Nell and her sisters must embark on a fantastical journey to take the beldam down in this first book in a middle grade trilogy for fans of Coraline and the Sinister Summer series.
Although triplets Nell, Annet, and Hannah were born only minutes apart, Nell is the eldest, which means it’s her job to protect the others. But she doesn’t know how to defeat an enemy like the typhoid draining her sisters of life. Desperate, Nell will do whatever it takes to save them, even going to Hagstone Hill and making a deal with the evil witch—the beldam—who lives inside it.
Beldams are slippery to bargain with, known to cheat to get what they want—souls to feast on—but Nell has no choice. She and the beldam strike a deal: the beldam will save Nell’s sisters in return for something precious. Nothing Nell owns matters more than Annet and Hannah, so she’s prepared to give up whatever it is—especially once she sees her sisters getting healthy again. But when it’s time to pay, the beldam acts true to her nature and cheats. She doesn’t take something precious, but someone: the girls’ Aunt Lena.
Nell and her sisters must embark on a dangerous journey full of ghosts, goblins, and other dangers to save the only mother they’ve ever known from becoming the beldam’s next meal.
Although triplets Nell, Annet, and Hannah were born only minutes apart, Nell is the eldest, which means it’s her job to protect the others. But she doesn’t know how to defeat an enemy like the typhoid draining her sisters of life. Desperate, Nell will do whatever it takes to save them, even going to Hagstone Hill and making a deal with the evil witch—the beldam—who lives inside it.
Beldams are slippery to bargain with, known to cheat to get what they want—souls to feast on—but Nell has no choice. She and the beldam strike a deal: the beldam will save Nell’s sisters in return for something precious. Nothing Nell owns matters more than Annet and Hannah, so she’s prepared to give up whatever it is—especially once she sees her sisters getting healthy again. But when it’s time to pay, the beldam acts true to her nature and cheats. She doesn’t take something precious, but someone: the girls’ Aunt Lena.
Nell and her sisters must embark on a dangerous journey full of ghosts, goblins, and other dangers to save the only mother they’ve ever known from becoming the beldam’s next meal.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2025
4 people are currently reading
402 people want to read
About the author
Johanna van Veen
7 books1,541 followersJohanna van Veen grew up in the Netherlands with her two sisters. She received an MA in English Literature with a specialization in early modern literature, as well as an MA Book and Digital Media with a specialization in early modern book history.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 4, 2025
I love a good middle grade and this one was so cute!!!!
also age appropriately scary
with fun chapter titles
and the illustrations??? loved them
also age appropriately scary
with fun chapter titles
and the illustrations??? loved them
Read
March 27, 2025No rating because I worked on this book. But it's a delightfully creepy middle grade with a few illustrations throughout, and it's very well-written.
September 12, 2025
3.5 stars!
WARNING: Minor spoilers!
Another book that I absolutely devoured by Van Veen. This was such a quick, easy read, and not to mention very enjoyable, with a fast paced plot, good characters, plenty of action, and not to mention the creepy factor/horror was crazy. This was not only a great fall read but a great middle grade book, and I'm actually surprised that this is middle grade since I'm a grown adult, and there were plenty of scenes in this that genuinely creeped me out and unsettled me! As someone who was and still is scared of Coraline, reading the words beldam and seeing that Nell had to complete three tasks the same way she had to do was TERRIFYING. This book was scarier to me than most of the horror books I read for adult!
So I just hope whichever middle schooler decides to read this is brave and REALLY likes horror, because this book would've scared the wits out of me as a kid 😭. But this book also had other things that I thoroughly enjoyed snd appreciated, like A GOBLIN MARKET (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I love me a good goblin market in my fantasy books) and references to mythology/folklore. My favorite character by far was Cornelis. He's such a sweet boy and his backstory is genuinely tragic, like I mean genuinely sad. I hope we get to see more of him in the rest of this series, which speaking of, I will definitely read the next installment of when it comes out!
I'm just glad that this book didn't leave off on a cliff hanger and had a nice happy ending, because I was totally expecting for a crazy cliffhanger and to have to wait a year for the actual conclusion like some series do. But luckily it didn't! So overall, this was a very enjoyable read, I really enjoyed that it was fast paced and action packed with plenty of genuine horror elements and good characters (ESPECIALLY YOU CORNELIS 😭❤️). So, I'm definitely going to read the next book in this series, and I'm very glad this book did not disappoint!
WARNING: Minor spoilers!
Another book that I absolutely devoured by Van Veen. This was such a quick, easy read, and not to mention very enjoyable, with a fast paced plot, good characters, plenty of action, and not to mention the creepy factor/horror was crazy. This was not only a great fall read but a great middle grade book, and I'm actually surprised that this is middle grade since I'm a grown adult, and there were plenty of scenes in this that genuinely creeped me out and unsettled me! As someone who was and still is scared of Coraline, reading the words beldam and seeing that Nell had to complete three tasks the same way she had to do was TERRIFYING. This book was scarier to me than most of the horror books I read for adult!
So I just hope whichever middle schooler decides to read this is brave and REALLY likes horror, because this book would've scared the wits out of me as a kid 😭. But this book also had other things that I thoroughly enjoyed snd appreciated, like A GOBLIN MARKET (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I love me a good goblin market in my fantasy books) and references to mythology/folklore. My favorite character by far was Cornelis. He's such a sweet boy and his backstory is genuinely tragic, like I mean genuinely sad. I hope we get to see more of him in the rest of this series, which speaking of, I will definitely read the next installment of when it comes out!
I'm just glad that this book didn't leave off on a cliff hanger and had a nice happy ending, because I was totally expecting for a crazy cliffhanger and to have to wait a year for the actual conclusion like some series do. But luckily it didn't! So overall, this was a very enjoyable read, I really enjoyed that it was fast paced and action packed with plenty of genuine horror elements and good characters (ESPECIALLY YOU CORNELIS 😭❤️). So, I'm definitely going to read the next book in this series, and I'm very glad this book did not disappoint!
August 24, 2025
This is a delightful first installment of a trilogy featuring the triplets Grim and their dark misadventures. Although it features young heroines and the optimism and complexity of a middle grade story, the horrifying elements are bone-chilling enough to spook adult horror fans. Johanna van Veen's first foray into fiction for younger audiences is a smashing success, reminiscent of Coraline. I suspect another generation of young readers will be molded by this series.
November 24, 2025
3,5 ⭐
actually quite scary for a middlegrade book 😱 (not that I expected anything different from Johanna van Veen)
actually quite scary for a middlegrade book 😱 (not that I expected anything different from Johanna van Veen)
August 2, 2025
A well written quest adventure with lots of action and twists.
Brave, resilient characters who work together.
Brave, resilient characters who work together.
July 16, 2025
Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for my review.
Where were all these amazing books for middle schoolers when I was younger?! I'm so jealous!! I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone with middle grades kids or students. I'm hoping for a whole series and audiobooks to follow! The author's talents and skill in writing her adult gothic horror novels has been translated to a younger audience.
5 stars
Where were all these amazing books for middle schoolers when I was younger?! I'm so jealous!! I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone with middle grades kids or students. I'm hoping for a whole series and audiobooks to follow! The author's talents and skill in writing her adult gothic horror novels has been translated to a younger audience.
5 stars
August 10, 2025
Thank You NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC!
The Witch of the Hagstone hill was such a fun read! Nell and her sisters all have distinct characterizations to each other that just work so well that made it all the more enjoyable. There were aspects of it that had clear indications there was a whimsical fun influence of fairytale magic into the writing that I really liked a lot. I really recommend this to middle grade children that want to get into something whimsical and fun, but also just that slight bit of creepiness to keep them on edge on what's going to happen next!
The Witch of the Hagstone hill was such a fun read! Nell and her sisters all have distinct characterizations to each other that just work so well that made it all the more enjoyable. There were aspects of it that had clear indications there was a whimsical fun influence of fairytale magic into the writing that I really liked a lot. I really recommend this to middle grade children that want to get into something whimsical and fun, but also just that slight bit of creepiness to keep them on edge on what's going to happen next!
August 4, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.
I liked this one. It was a spooky fantasy that had hints of a fairy tale to it. I liked the characters (though at times they were their age, but I am not that target), and I really liked the glimpse into the fairy world. I liked the adventures Nell went on for the sake of her family. There definitely were some creepy parts to this story.
I liked this one. It was a spooky fantasy that had hints of a fairy tale to it. I liked the characters (though at times they were their age, but I am not that target), and I really liked the glimpse into the fairy world. I liked the adventures Nell went on for the sake of her family. There definitely were some creepy parts to this story.
Read
August 19, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Witch of Hagstone Hill by Johanna van Veen is a third person-POV Middle Grade fantasy horror. Nell is the oldest of triplet girls and has to look after her sisters when their father is at sea and their aunt Lena is busy. When her sisters get typhoid fever and she’s left alone, Nell makes a mistake and puts their family into debt. To fix the issue, she makes a deal with a bedlam, a creature that doesn’t play fair, and the bedlam takes her aunt.
This is somewhere between a fantasy horror and a dark fairy tale. The worldbuilding through the art feels like roughly 1500s Germany and the triplets’ last name is ‘Grimm,’ which helps to contribute to the dark fairy tale elements. But the dark elements felt closer to a horror and even contained some references to famous horror films, such as A Haunting, so I felt this was a fantasy horror. Either way, this is full of spooky moments, ghosts, and the fantastical for young readers looking for a scary read.
Nell, Annett, and Hannah are identical in appearance but have very different personalities. Everything is filtered through Nell’s POV and we don’t get a ton of time with Annett and Hannah until after twenty-five percent of the way through, so our idea of them is rooted in Nell’s perception. Since this is a trilogy, I wonder if the next two books will rotate the POV or if they will keep Nell as the star.
This is marked as being for kids eight to twelve and I do feel that that is fairly accurate. It’s missing the edge that older kids tend to be really hungry for and the voice during the trials does feel to be younger. There were several moments that reminded me of Animaniacs in a positive way and that helps the book feel younger. I would still put this in a classroom for older Middle Grade readers because the spookier moments, illustrations and fast-paced prose might be really appealing to a reluctant reader who is not quite at grade level.
I would recommend this to fans of spooky fantasy and young readers who like adventures and trials
The Witch of Hagstone Hill by Johanna van Veen is a third person-POV Middle Grade fantasy horror. Nell is the oldest of triplet girls and has to look after her sisters when their father is at sea and their aunt Lena is busy. When her sisters get typhoid fever and she’s left alone, Nell makes a mistake and puts their family into debt. To fix the issue, she makes a deal with a bedlam, a creature that doesn’t play fair, and the bedlam takes her aunt.
This is somewhere between a fantasy horror and a dark fairy tale. The worldbuilding through the art feels like roughly 1500s Germany and the triplets’ last name is ‘Grimm,’ which helps to contribute to the dark fairy tale elements. But the dark elements felt closer to a horror and even contained some references to famous horror films, such as A Haunting, so I felt this was a fantasy horror. Either way, this is full of spooky moments, ghosts, and the fantastical for young readers looking for a scary read.
Nell, Annett, and Hannah are identical in appearance but have very different personalities. Everything is filtered through Nell’s POV and we don’t get a ton of time with Annett and Hannah until after twenty-five percent of the way through, so our idea of them is rooted in Nell’s perception. Since this is a trilogy, I wonder if the next two books will rotate the POV or if they will keep Nell as the star.
This is marked as being for kids eight to twelve and I do feel that that is fairly accurate. It’s missing the edge that older kids tend to be really hungry for and the voice during the trials does feel to be younger. There were several moments that reminded me of Animaniacs in a positive way and that helps the book feel younger. I would still put this in a classroom for older Middle Grade readers because the spookier moments, illustrations and fast-paced prose might be really appealing to a reluctant reader who is not quite at grade level.
I would recommend this to fans of spooky fantasy and young readers who like adventures and trials
October 16, 2025
this was such a lovely fantasy tale- siblings, magic, heist, riddles and trickery, outwitting old hags, spooky and creepy without being scary... I really love Van Veen's writing style and immersive creativity, this was so enjoyable to read
December 20, 2025
4,75⭐️ I absolutely loved this book!!!!
The Witch of Hagstone Hill was cute and eerie, spooky and funny, heartwarming and quietly powerful.
I went in with high expectations (Johanna van Veen’s previous two books were among my absolute favorites this year) but since this is a middle-grade fantasy, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.
Safe to say: it exceeded every expectation.
The story feels exactly like how the best middle-grade tales should feel; rich with wonder, perfectly paced and written in a way that pulls you in without ever talking down to its reader.
The writing is atmospheric and engaging, with a warmth that wraps around you even as the story tiptoes into darker, creepier
corners.
And yes, I have to say it: this book was much spookier than I expected. There were moments where I was genuinely tense, completely absorbed and just the tiniest bit unsettled in the best possible way.
There even were some subtle, underlying lessons woven throughout the story; about courage, kindness, belonging and paying attention to the world (and people) around you. They never felt forced, just gently present, like something you carry with you after turning the last page. It's the kind of book I would eagerly hand to my children... if I had any..and I'd delight in introducing them to the spooky, magical world of horror stories from a young age.
The characters were phenomenal, lovable, and deeply memorable.
The storyline felt incredibly solid and thoughtfully constructed and the emotional atmosphere of the book was handled with such care.
Every element worked together beautifully: the setting, the tone, the magic and the heart.
I'm genuinely in awe of how much this story managed to do within the framework of a middle-grade novel. Whether you usually read middle grade or not, The Witch of Hagstone Hill is a story for everyone. No matter the age!
Highly, highly recommended.
The Witch of Hagstone Hill was cute and eerie, spooky and funny, heartwarming and quietly powerful.
I went in with high expectations (Johanna van Veen’s previous two books were among my absolute favorites this year) but since this is a middle-grade fantasy, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.
Safe to say: it exceeded every expectation.
The story feels exactly like how the best middle-grade tales should feel; rich with wonder, perfectly paced and written in a way that pulls you in without ever talking down to its reader.
The writing is atmospheric and engaging, with a warmth that wraps around you even as the story tiptoes into darker, creepier
corners.
And yes, I have to say it: this book was much spookier than I expected. There were moments where I was genuinely tense, completely absorbed and just the tiniest bit unsettled in the best possible way.
There even were some subtle, underlying lessons woven throughout the story; about courage, kindness, belonging and paying attention to the world (and people) around you. They never felt forced, just gently present, like something you carry with you after turning the last page. It's the kind of book I would eagerly hand to my children... if I had any..and I'd delight in introducing them to the spooky, magical world of horror stories from a young age.
The characters were phenomenal, lovable, and deeply memorable.
The storyline felt incredibly solid and thoughtfully constructed and the emotional atmosphere of the book was handled with such care.
Every element worked together beautifully: the setting, the tone, the magic and the heart.
I'm genuinely in awe of how much this story managed to do within the framework of a middle-grade novel. Whether you usually read middle grade or not, The Witch of Hagstone Hill is a story for everyone. No matter the age!
Highly, highly recommended.
January 2, 2026
Just like Johanna van Veen's adult novels, this is awesome. The beldam in this middle grade horror/fantasy book picked the wrong sisters to mess with. The beautiful illustrations by Raquel Lagartos made this even more enjoyable.
October 30, 2025
Johanna van Veen is on her way to being one of my favorite authors. While this is a middle grade novel, it had everything that made me love her adult novels. Women (or girls in this case) who will fight with their lives for one another, well written atmosphere, and just the right amount of creep factor! I want to make it very known that I LOVE Coraline (the movie) and it was so cool seeing a beldam in something else! I feel like it's not something I see very often and I wish I did! This might be reading into it a bit much, but there was also a doll with button eyes that had me smiling so big my cheeks hurt. But with that being said, this book is nothing like my favorite childhood movie, the beldam in this is much scarier (in my opinion) and way harder to defeat than Other Mother is. I also feel like this book was appropriately scary for it's intended audience, but it pushes a bit further, which is something I always looked for when I was a middle grade reader. I loved following Nell and seeing her character growth throughout this story and I'm sooooo excited to read more in this world!
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an eBook copy to review on NetGalley.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an eBook copy to review on NetGalley.
August 22, 2025
I haven't read a middle-grade book in a while, so this was a great and fantastical read to get started again! This was a fun read filled with Dutch folklore, a beldam, triplet sisters, fantasy elements, and much more. I would def recommend this to adults as there are some classic literary references (The Haunting Of Hill House?) and horror elements, though this is mainly a fantasy book. Also, the book cover and illustrations inside offer greater insights for the story and are just so pleasant to look at! This was a fave read so far in 2025!
February 9, 2026
Overall, I did think this book was entertaining and well written BUT I had a couple issues:
1. LENA - The very 1st interaction we see with her is negative. So right off the bat I didn’t care for her, especially when she calls Nell “stupid” and I was not very invested in her being saved. On this same vein, up until the very end we only are ever told how sweet and kind Lena is but I’d rather SEE it. Show me in flashbacks or tell me stories. Don’t just SAY “Lena is the best aunt!” SHOW me how great she is so I care about her.
2. BIRTH ORDER - In my opinion the personalities of all the girls seem to be wrong for their birth order. Nell’s personality in particular seemed pretty contrary to her place as the oldest. For someone who has been told her whole life how she is the one that needs to take care of her sisters, she seems to consistently act in ways contrary to that and makes all the wrong/harmful actions. I appreciate how imperfect she is, how she is constantly second-guessing herself, and trying to prove herself. But she comes off way more immature than her sisters, and again, we’re TOLD how much she tries to protect her sisters without really being SHOWN.
3. OBJECTS - I felt like there was a lot of good opportunity here to use the materials at hand (i.e., the hagstone, encyclopedia, Cursed Doll, etc) that were not fully taken advantage of. One thing I love about fantasy children’s books is that often very innocuous/unassuming things are planted early on that then end up paying off later on unexpectedly. I feel like there could’ve been more of this if maybe there hadn’t been as MANY objects introduced so early or frequently, and some for no apparent reason. Nell’s reasoning for bringing the girls cut hair and encyclopedia in the 1st place didn’t really make sense. Arthur was not used when I felt he should have been in Nell fining her way blindfolded to the Beldam’s home. And the girls acquiring the Cursed Doll was never really explained and also didn’t end up mounting to anything at all.
On smaller notes: I did like the trials portion but would have loved this to be a bigger part to give each girl a chance to shine and use their specific skills and acquired objects to solve the puzzles; gave me big Coraline vibes. Honestly, the whole Goblin Market, though cute, could have been totally excluded in my opinion; the iron scissors they brought from home ended up being more useful than anything they got at the Market. I did love Cornelis but I wanted way more of him!
1. LENA - The very 1st interaction we see with her is negative. So right off the bat I didn’t care for her, especially when she calls Nell “stupid” and I was not very invested in her being saved. On this same vein, up until the very end we only are ever told how sweet and kind Lena is but I’d rather SEE it. Show me in flashbacks or tell me stories. Don’t just SAY “Lena is the best aunt!” SHOW me how great she is so I care about her.
2. BIRTH ORDER - In my opinion the personalities of all the girls seem to be wrong for their birth order. Nell’s personality in particular seemed pretty contrary to her place as the oldest. For someone who has been told her whole life how she is the one that needs to take care of her sisters, she seems to consistently act in ways contrary to that and makes all the wrong/harmful actions. I appreciate how imperfect she is, how she is constantly second-guessing herself, and trying to prove herself. But she comes off way more immature than her sisters, and again, we’re TOLD how much she tries to protect her sisters without really being SHOWN.
3. OBJECTS - I felt like there was a lot of good opportunity here to use the materials at hand (i.e., the hagstone, encyclopedia, Cursed Doll, etc) that were not fully taken advantage of. One thing I love about fantasy children’s books is that often very innocuous/unassuming things are planted early on that then end up paying off later on unexpectedly. I feel like there could’ve been more of this if maybe there hadn’t been as MANY objects introduced so early or frequently, and some for no apparent reason. Nell’s reasoning for bringing the girls cut hair and encyclopedia in the 1st place didn’t really make sense. Arthur was not used when I felt he should have been in Nell fining her way blindfolded to the Beldam’s home. And the girls acquiring the Cursed Doll was never really explained and also didn’t end up mounting to anything at all.
On smaller notes: I did like the trials portion but would have loved this to be a bigger part to give each girl a chance to shine and use their specific skills and acquired objects to solve the puzzles; gave me big Coraline vibes. Honestly, the whole Goblin Market, though cute, could have been totally excluded in my opinion; the iron scissors they brought from home ended up being more useful than anything they got at the Market. I did love Cornelis but I wanted way more of him!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for a complimentary early release copy of The Witch of Hagstone Hill written by Johanna Van Veen and Illustrated by Raquel Lagartos.
I love Johanna Van Veen’s adult horror books so when I seen she was releasing a horror middle grade/children’s fiction novel I was intrigued! The Witch of Hagstone Hill is a fun adventure of a read, I liked our main characters the Grimm sisters, they were fun to follow and I enjoyed many of their character quirks. I liked the side characters we meet along the way, I think they were all very unique and I was always excited to meet the next new character! Some of my favorite have to be brunhild, little Lucia, Buzzletruzz, and the cursed doll. The interactions between the main characters and these characters are all very memorable and it certainly a magical moment!
I do wish we would have learned a bit more about the Beldam, they were an interesting antagonist and we do get some information about them but I would have loved to get more background like how the Beldam came into existence, were they born a Beldam, what was their past life like if not. Every time the Beldam appeared it’s both a moment of intrigue but also dread for what it is going to do next.
I’m curious to know what the other books in this series are going to follow plot wise. I would assume since it’s a three book series that each book is going to follow a different sister (or at least I’m hoping). Both Annet and Hannah seem like nice characters and I’m eager to learn more about the two of them. Especially with Annet and the cursed doll! I loved the illustrations included in the book, I feel that they really helped picture some big moments clearly plus it was nice to see what the characters look like.
If you enjoyed this book and are interested in adult horror I really recommend checking out Johanna Van Veen’s other books My Darling Dreadful Thing and Blood on Her Tongue are both standalone books. They are atmospheric gothic horror and I have enjoyed both of them!
I love Johanna Van Veen’s adult horror books so when I seen she was releasing a horror middle grade/children’s fiction novel I was intrigued! The Witch of Hagstone Hill is a fun adventure of a read, I liked our main characters the Grimm sisters, they were fun to follow and I enjoyed many of their character quirks. I liked the side characters we meet along the way, I think they were all very unique and I was always excited to meet the next new character! Some of my favorite have to be brunhild, little Lucia, Buzzletruzz, and the cursed doll. The interactions between the main characters and these characters are all very memorable and it certainly a magical moment!
I do wish we would have learned a bit more about the Beldam, they were an interesting antagonist and we do get some information about them but I would have loved to get more background like how the Beldam came into existence, were they born a Beldam, what was their past life like if not. Every time the Beldam appeared it’s both a moment of intrigue but also dread for what it is going to do next.
I’m curious to know what the other books in this series are going to follow plot wise. I would assume since it’s a three book series that each book is going to follow a different sister (or at least I’m hoping). Both Annet and Hannah seem like nice characters and I’m eager to learn more about the two of them. Especially with Annet and the cursed doll! I loved the illustrations included in the book, I feel that they really helped picture some big moments clearly plus it was nice to see what the characters look like.
If you enjoyed this book and are interested in adult horror I really recommend checking out Johanna Van Veen’s other books My Darling Dreadful Thing and Blood on Her Tongue are both standalone books. They are atmospheric gothic horror and I have enjoyed both of them!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews