What do you think?
Rate this book
X Marks the Haunt
From the #1
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Mystery of Locked Rooms
, when a centuries old crypt key is lost—unleashing a dark force—it’s up to the son of the local crypt keeper to end the haunting for good.
Find the key. Put it back. Get rid of the ghost. It’s supposed to be simple…it’s not.
Thanks to his mother’s job at a local graveyard, twelve-year-old Will Stone has some unique talents. For one, he knows exactly how a burial vault works and why they’re used. For another, he’s great at genealogy and can decode centuries old records. Not your normal every day after school activities, that’s for sure!
But when a centuries old crypt key is lost, his normally peaceful existence at Graceland cemetery is shattered. Trees wither and die. The lake becomes covered with a sinister green slime that threatens to choke out anything living in it. And suddenly, the graveyard’s reputation isn’t the only thing in jeopardy . . . Will and his friends' safety is, too.
Suddenly, Will is forced to consider that the lost key might be an even bigger problem than he originally thought. A dark force has been unleashed within the cemetery gates, and along with his friends Stash, Michelle, and Henry, Will must use his unique skill set to figure out which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life, and how to end the haunting for good.
Find the key. Put it back. Get rid of the ghost. It’s supposed to be simple…it’s not.
Thanks to his mother’s job at a local graveyard, twelve-year-old Will Stone has some unique talents. For one, he knows exactly how a burial vault works and why they’re used. For another, he’s great at genealogy and can decode centuries old records. Not your normal every day after school activities, that’s for sure!
But when a centuries old crypt key is lost, his normally peaceful existence at Graceland cemetery is shattered. Trees wither and die. The lake becomes covered with a sinister green slime that threatens to choke out anything living in it. And suddenly, the graveyard’s reputation isn’t the only thing in jeopardy . . . Will and his friends' safety is, too.
Suddenly, Will is forced to consider that the lost key might be an even bigger problem than he originally thought. A dark force has been unleashed within the cemetery gates, and along with his friends Stash, Michelle, and Henry, Will must use his unique skill set to figure out which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life, and how to end the haunting for good.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2026
13 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Currie
19 books997 followersLindsay Currie is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of mysteries for young readers, including the Delta Games series and It's Watching, She grew up on Nancy Drew and loves a good twisty tale. When she's not writing, Lindsay can generally be found looking for an adventure of her own. She loves researching forgotten history and recently relocated from Chicago to a 220 acre farm in downstate Illinois where she finally gets to see stars every night, and take hikes every day.
Coming soon: X Marks the Haunt (January 2026) and The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society (October 2026)! For more details on Lindsay's upcoming books, please visit the My Books tab at the top of the page.
To find out more about Lindsay, please visit her website at www.lindsaycurrie.com. Instagram: @lindsayncurrie
Coming soon: X Marks the Haunt (January 2026) and The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society (October 2026)! For more details on Lindsay's upcoming books, please visit the My Books tab at the top of the page.
To find out more about Lindsay, please visit her website at www.lindsaycurrie.com. Instagram: @lindsayncurrie
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
February 1, 2026
12-year old, Will Stone, has some unique interests for his age, mainly stemming from his proximity to his Mom's work at a local historic cemetery.
Will is well-versed in all things Graceland cemetery. He's familiar with how all the burial vaults work, he knows where the most interesting markers lie, and he is a wiz at interpreting centuries old records. Not quite the typical past-times of his peers.
Because of all this, Will doesn't have a ton of friends. He's more of a loner. He does have a best friend, Stash, and no one is really mean to him, but he doesn't have a big group he would generally pal around with.
When his class ends up taking a field trip to the cemetery, at first he's horrified. He doesn't want his classmates knowing his Mom works there, and she's going to be guiding their tour. It's instant panic mode for Will.
His Mom is a professional though, and ends up making it a fun and memorable visit for all the kids. Will is surprised by the interest a lot of his classmates show, and by the end of the day, he's found he's made a couple new friends.
Unfortunately, there is one kid that's not as nice as the rest and he ends up pressuring Will into doing something he really doesn't want to do. The result of this action is that a priceless crypt key ends up lost.
After that, Will's peaceful existence in the cemetery goes awry. Trees start to die, the lake seems poisoned and Will begins hearing and seeing disturbing things.
It seems some sort of malevolent force has been unleashed, and Will, along with his new found friends, need to figure out how to put things back to rights. If they find the key, that should solve everything, right? Maybe, maybe not.
X Marks the Haunt is classic Lindsay Currie. If you're a fan of her work, you definitely need to read this one. It's once again set in the beautiful, historic city of Chicago and incorporates history so fluidly.
Will is extremely lovable and pure. I love how resourceful and naturally curious Currie makes her protagonists, but they're also vulnerable and you can't help but root for their success. I loved watching Will gain confidence around his peers over the course of the story.
He showed a lot of growth and we love to see that. I think as far as Middle Grade stories go, Currie is one of the best at making history, learning, books smarts, all those things, look cool, because they are, but not all kids see it that way.
Although I didn't feel this was quite as spooky, or atmospheric, as some of Currie's earlier works, I still loved these characters so much and the incorporation of the cemetery as the backdrop of the action was so fun.
If you are a fan of Spooky Middle Grade and for some reason haven't read a Lindsay Currie book yet, you need to change that immediately. She's the best in the biz, IMO.
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Currie has never disappointed me.
I look forward to everything she writes and will continue to do so for a long, long time!
Will is well-versed in all things Graceland cemetery. He's familiar with how all the burial vaults work, he knows where the most interesting markers lie, and he is a wiz at interpreting centuries old records. Not quite the typical past-times of his peers.
Because of all this, Will doesn't have a ton of friends. He's more of a loner. He does have a best friend, Stash, and no one is really mean to him, but he doesn't have a big group he would generally pal around with.
When his class ends up taking a field trip to the cemetery, at first he's horrified. He doesn't want his classmates knowing his Mom works there, and she's going to be guiding their tour. It's instant panic mode for Will.
His Mom is a professional though, and ends up making it a fun and memorable visit for all the kids. Will is surprised by the interest a lot of his classmates show, and by the end of the day, he's found he's made a couple new friends.
Unfortunately, there is one kid that's not as nice as the rest and he ends up pressuring Will into doing something he really doesn't want to do. The result of this action is that a priceless crypt key ends up lost.
After that, Will's peaceful existence in the cemetery goes awry. Trees start to die, the lake seems poisoned and Will begins hearing and seeing disturbing things.
It seems some sort of malevolent force has been unleashed, and Will, along with his new found friends, need to figure out how to put things back to rights. If they find the key, that should solve everything, right? Maybe, maybe not.
X Marks the Haunt is classic Lindsay Currie. If you're a fan of her work, you definitely need to read this one. It's once again set in the beautiful, historic city of Chicago and incorporates history so fluidly.
Will is extremely lovable and pure. I love how resourceful and naturally curious Currie makes her protagonists, but they're also vulnerable and you can't help but root for their success. I loved watching Will gain confidence around his peers over the course of the story.
He showed a lot of growth and we love to see that. I think as far as Middle Grade stories go, Currie is one of the best at making history, learning, books smarts, all those things, look cool, because they are, but not all kids see it that way.
Although I didn't feel this was quite as spooky, or atmospheric, as some of Currie's earlier works, I still loved these characters so much and the incorporation of the cemetery as the backdrop of the action was so fun.
If you are a fan of Spooky Middle Grade and for some reason haven't read a Lindsay Currie book yet, you need to change that immediately. She's the best in the biz, IMO.
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Currie has never disappointed me.
I look forward to everything she writes and will continue to do so for a long, long time!
January 10, 2026
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
Lindsay Currie is one of the few current middle grade authors that I enjoy reading, because her writing is enjoyable, engaging, and fitting to her target audience. She explores the different facets of the tween scene in an engaging and believable way, without ever being over the top. 🥺 A grounded, well-meaning portrayal that creates a good balance to the mystery horror plot that the characters are placed in.
Twelve-year-old Will was a likeable protagonist. He was dedicated to his love and appreciation for the graveyard his mother acts as director, even his desire to be liked and expand his friends circle was also relatable. 👍🏻 He had a good moral compass, one where even as the fear of uncertainty crept in over the strange happenings occurring, he used good sense to understand what could have led to things taking such a dark and twisted turn.
“Because this ghost isn’t just haunting Graceland anymore; it seems like it’s haunting you.”
There was a good mix of humor and horror with that good ole teen spirit. What I mean is, having his best friend, Stash, and a few others join the search was a nice way to shed light on the daunting results of peer pressure, while also teaching some healthy values - namely graveyard etiquette. It's a no-brainer, really, that you do not disturb the dead that are sleeping.
Seeing Will navigate his own unsettled emotions, along with discovering the buried secrets of the truths behind burials and the mysteries of the past, felt sincere. Even in a chilling, bloody ghastly way - there was still feeling and compassion and an aching sense of empathy to the loneliness of the ones long gone. For one who is also still mourning his own father's absence understood the importance of not allowing our loved ones to be forgotten. 🫂
“That’s a huge part of what cemeterians do, Will. We look for things that interest us and learn about them.”
As a big girl, it was not scary-scary for me, but it did have some good shock-worthy and horror-esque moments that would give a tween the heebie jeebies. And if I was a twelve-year-old, who did face those chills, I would probably freak out, too! 😅 So, it didn't give me the tingles, but the well-timed pacing allowed the creepy unsettling fear to build up nicely.
It was also nice to see this have more of a historical touch to it. That the spooky factor touched upon something informative, one that I was not even aware of the extent of people's rash thinking. It was interesting, and I liked how she incorporated the real-life Graceland Cemetery into the plot, a more humane feel to it. The images shared at the end were hauntingly eerie, but also quietly sad for the stories the tombs and statues hold.
One such as Eternal Silence pictured below.
Its very name speaks so much, without saying anything at all. ❤️🩹
“The problem with graveyards, is that there are more questions than answers.”
Lindsay Currie is one of the few current middle grade authors that I enjoy reading, because her writing is enjoyable, engaging, and fitting to her target audience. She explores the different facets of the tween scene in an engaging and believable way, without ever being over the top. 🥺 A grounded, well-meaning portrayal that creates a good balance to the mystery horror plot that the characters are placed in.
Twelve-year-old Will was a likeable protagonist. He was dedicated to his love and appreciation for the graveyard his mother acts as director, even his desire to be liked and expand his friends circle was also relatable. 👍🏻 He had a good moral compass, one where even as the fear of uncertainty crept in over the strange happenings occurring, he used good sense to understand what could have led to things taking such a dark and twisted turn.
“Because this ghost isn’t just haunting Graceland anymore; it seems like it’s haunting you.”
There was a good mix of humor and horror with that good ole teen spirit. What I mean is, having his best friend, Stash, and a few others join the search was a nice way to shed light on the daunting results of peer pressure, while also teaching some healthy values - namely graveyard etiquette. It's a no-brainer, really, that you do not disturb the dead that are sleeping.
Seeing Will navigate his own unsettled emotions, along with discovering the buried secrets of the truths behind burials and the mysteries of the past, felt sincere. Even in a chilling, bloody ghastly way - there was still feeling and compassion and an aching sense of empathy to the loneliness of the ones long gone. For one who is also still mourning his own father's absence understood the importance of not allowing our loved ones to be forgotten. 🫂
“That’s a huge part of what cemeterians do, Will. We look for things that interest us and learn about them.”
As a big girl, it was not scary-scary for me, but it did have some good shock-worthy and horror-esque moments that would give a tween the heebie jeebies. And if I was a twelve-year-old, who did face those chills, I would probably freak out, too! 😅 So, it didn't give me the tingles, but the well-timed pacing allowed the creepy unsettling fear to build up nicely.
It was also nice to see this have more of a historical touch to it. That the spooky factor touched upon something informative, one that I was not even aware of the extent of people's rash thinking. It was interesting, and I liked how she incorporated the real-life Graceland Cemetery into the plot, a more humane feel to it. The images shared at the end were hauntingly eerie, but also quietly sad for the stories the tombs and statues hold.
One such as Eternal Silence pictured below.
Its very name speaks so much, without saying anything at all. ❤️🩹
October 11, 2025
This was phenomenal. A middle grade mystery that borders on the edge of dark and creepy. The setting was supreme and sets the whole tone of this book. The characters play off that perfectly. And the suspense accelerates as one mystery tumbles into a much scarier one.
January 22, 2026
I think this is my favorite Linday Currie book yet! Seventh grader Will is our main character, and his mom runs the Graceland cemetery. He loves spending time at the cemetery and getting to know it's history and everything about the people that are buried there. His class ends up taking a field trip to the cemetery and he is afraid of how the kids will act when they find out his mom runs it. Surprisingly the kids find it very fascinating. The class bully however has other thoughts and bullies Will into helping him out with a social media stunt. Things get out of hand and there ends up being a lost key, a disturbed grave, sick trees and a ghost who ends up haunting Will. The new group of friends have to work together to dig up some history and see if they can figure out what caused the haunting and how to stop it. It has just the right amount of creep factor with some pretty eerie scenes. I enjoyed the historical tie-in of the cemetery to the story. The found family, new friendships & a little crush evolvement during the story was done nicely. This was a really quick read, and I didn't want to put it down.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. #XMarkstheHaunt #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. #XMarkstheHaunt #NetGalley
September 2, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first horror novel ever, since I get scared easily. This was amazing! I loved the characters and the storyline. The only problem was that I don’t think it will be very scary for others who love to read horror constantly. It was scary at parts and then seemed like a fun mystery at other parts. That being said I think it would be a good book for someone just beginning to read horror or this is their first horror book. This was such a good book and I definitely recommend checking this book out and checking its author out since she makes lots more horror books and the really fun delta games series.
This was my first horror novel ever, since I get scared easily. This was amazing! I loved the characters and the storyline. The only problem was that I don’t think it will be very scary for others who love to read horror constantly. It was scary at parts and then seemed like a fun mystery at other parts. That being said I think it would be a good book for someone just beginning to read horror or this is their first horror book. This was such a good book and I definitely recommend checking this book out and checking its author out since she makes lots more horror books and the really fun delta games series.
January 8, 2026
This was a really fun read!
January 11, 2026
every now and then I like something A little lighter in horror and this fit the part. filled with a spooky graveyard a night time seance. ghosts and a band of friends trying to solve a mystery before its to late. good young adult entry to step into scary/horror
January 9, 2026
Nothing like a spooky middle grade set in a cemetery!
Loved the friendships and ideas around death that were centered in this story.
Loved the friendships and ideas around death that were centered in this story.
November 18, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this ARC.
I love this book! Middle school age kids, ghosts, growth in individuals or relationships are a sweet spot for me. And this one has it all in a cool real setting of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago with actual history thrown in—icing on the cake!
But that wouldn’t work if it wasn’t so well written. Plotting, pacing, characters, setting, writing style—it all works together to make this a five star book that kids teens and adult adults would enjoy. I especially appreciate the author’s portrayal of the protagonist Will’s sensitive attitude towards the cemetery and the people buried there.
I would enjoy a series with Will, Stash, Mom and others in the setting of historic Graceland Cemetery. I’ve found a new ghost story author along the lines of Betty Ren Wright and Eileen Dunlop!
I love this book! Middle school age kids, ghosts, growth in individuals or relationships are a sweet spot for me. And this one has it all in a cool real setting of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago with actual history thrown in—icing on the cake!
But that wouldn’t work if it wasn’t so well written. Plotting, pacing, characters, setting, writing style—it all works together to make this a five star book that kids teens and adult adults would enjoy. I especially appreciate the author’s portrayal of the protagonist Will’s sensitive attitude towards the cemetery and the people buried there.
I would enjoy a series with Will, Stash, Mom and others in the setting of historic Graceland Cemetery. I’ve found a new ghost story author along the lines of Betty Ren Wright and Eileen Dunlop!
November 13, 2025
A little mystery, a dash of paranormal, and a whole lot of heart — this one’s a middle grade win from start to finish.
This is one of the best middle grade books I’ve read in a long while. Actually, I can’t think of a better one off the top of my head. It had everything a great story — especially for young readers — should have.
The plot was engaging, fast-paced, easy to follow, and well constructed. It had fantastic representation of positive friendships, smart decision-making when it came to choosing (or walking away from) friends who make poor choices, and a wonderful message that special interests don’t make you an outcast. I also loved the positive, non-absent parental involvement — something that always stands out in the best middle grade stories.
And on top of all that? The plot was just fun to read, even as an adult! This is one I’ll be recommending every chance I get for middle grade readers. It’s also a perfect, age-appropriate entry into paranormal fiction. Young readers who love mysteries, ghost stories, or problem-solving adventures are going to eat this up. As I said earlier — it has it all!
I’m already looking forward to reading more from this author. It doesn’t release until January 6, 2026, which is a shame because it would’ve been perfect for spooky season or as a holiday gift. Still, it’s a great read any time of year. It’s up for preorder now — and even though I read the eARC, I ordered a physical copy because I need this one on my shelf.
Some books don’t just tell a story — they remind you why reading is pure magic, no matter your age.
I was fortunate to receive a complimentary eARC from Delacorte Press via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.
How I Rate
Since I primarily read ARCs, I focus on how I believe middle grade readers will respond. I sometimes round my rating up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, while doing my best not to let my own personal preferences weigh too heavily.
My Rating System for Middle Grade and Children’s Books
⭐️ 1 Star – Significant problems; I would not recommend it to the intended audience.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – A lot of trouble connecting with it; issues with prose or overall execution, though it may still hold some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – An okay read. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it, but it has value for young readers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – A really enjoyable book! I would recommend it for the appropriate age or reading level.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Outstanding! I would highly recommend it, especially for classrooms or school programs as a great wide-spread reading
This is one of the best middle grade books I’ve read in a long while. Actually, I can’t think of a better one off the top of my head. It had everything a great story — especially for young readers — should have.
The plot was engaging, fast-paced, easy to follow, and well constructed. It had fantastic representation of positive friendships, smart decision-making when it came to choosing (or walking away from) friends who make poor choices, and a wonderful message that special interests don’t make you an outcast. I also loved the positive, non-absent parental involvement — something that always stands out in the best middle grade stories.
And on top of all that? The plot was just fun to read, even as an adult! This is one I’ll be recommending every chance I get for middle grade readers. It’s also a perfect, age-appropriate entry into paranormal fiction. Young readers who love mysteries, ghost stories, or problem-solving adventures are going to eat this up. As I said earlier — it has it all!
I’m already looking forward to reading more from this author. It doesn’t release until January 6, 2026, which is a shame because it would’ve been perfect for spooky season or as a holiday gift. Still, it’s a great read any time of year. It’s up for preorder now — and even though I read the eARC, I ordered a physical copy because I need this one on my shelf.
Some books don’t just tell a story — they remind you why reading is pure magic, no matter your age.
I was fortunate to receive a complimentary eARC from Delacorte Press via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.
How I Rate
Since I primarily read ARCs, I focus on how I believe middle grade readers will respond. I sometimes round my rating up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, while doing my best not to let my own personal preferences weigh too heavily.
My Rating System for Middle Grade and Children’s Books
⭐️ 1 Star – Significant problems; I would not recommend it to the intended audience.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – A lot of trouble connecting with it; issues with prose or overall execution, though it may still hold some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – An okay read. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it, but it has value for young readers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – A really enjoyable book! I would recommend it for the appropriate age or reading level.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Outstanding! I would highly recommend it, especially for classrooms or school programs as a great wide-spread reading
December 2, 2025
Title: X Marks The Haunt
Author: Lindsay Currie
Synopsis: Find the key. Put it back. Get rid of the ghost. It’s supposed to be simple…it’s not.
Thanks to his mother’s job at a local graveyard, twelve-year-old Will Stone has some unique talents. For one, he knows exactly how a burial vault works and why they’re used. For another, he’s great at genealogy and can decode centuries old records. Not your normal every day after school activities, that’s for sure!
But when a centuries old crypt key is lost, his normally peaceful existence at Graceland cemetery is shattered. Trees wither and die. The lake becomes covered with a sinister green slime that threatens to choke out anything living in it. And suddenly, the graveyard’s reputation isn’t the only thing in jeopardy . . . Will and his friends' safety is, too.
Suddenly, Will is forced to consider that the lost key might be an even bigger problem than he originally thought. A dark force has been unleashed within the cemetery gates, and along with his friends Stash, Michelle, and Henry, Will must use his unique skill set to figure out which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life, and how to end the haunting for good.
Review: Lindsay Currie never fails to write a creepy yet dark middle grade novel! I don’t know how she does it but she has written such an atmospheric setting that is perfect for this story! The characters were great and I liked Will as the main character! The mystery and suspense in it kept me intrigued and I genuinely wanted to know the truth as much as the main character did! If you are looking for a creepy and dark middle grade book this is the perfect read for you!
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance!
Author: Lindsay Currie
Synopsis: Find the key. Put it back. Get rid of the ghost. It’s supposed to be simple…it’s not.
Thanks to his mother’s job at a local graveyard, twelve-year-old Will Stone has some unique talents. For one, he knows exactly how a burial vault works and why they’re used. For another, he’s great at genealogy and can decode centuries old records. Not your normal every day after school activities, that’s for sure!
But when a centuries old crypt key is lost, his normally peaceful existence at Graceland cemetery is shattered. Trees wither and die. The lake becomes covered with a sinister green slime that threatens to choke out anything living in it. And suddenly, the graveyard’s reputation isn’t the only thing in jeopardy . . . Will and his friends' safety is, too.
Suddenly, Will is forced to consider that the lost key might be an even bigger problem than he originally thought. A dark force has been unleashed within the cemetery gates, and along with his friends Stash, Michelle, and Henry, Will must use his unique skill set to figure out which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life, and how to end the haunting for good.
Review: Lindsay Currie never fails to write a creepy yet dark middle grade novel! I don’t know how she does it but she has written such an atmospheric setting that is perfect for this story! The characters were great and I liked Will as the main character! The mystery and suspense in it kept me intrigued and I genuinely wanted to know the truth as much as the main character did! If you are looking for a creepy and dark middle grade book this is the perfect read for you!
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance!
December 23, 2025
4.5/5
This book was SUCH a fun surprise! I can completely see my middle grade self falling head over heels for this one.
The story is set in Graceland Cemetery (which is a real place) where Will, our main character goes on a school field trip that turns into a cemetery scavenger hunt. Spooky? A little bit but we soon find out why Will actually thrives there. His mom works at the cemetery, giving him a major advantage and for once, the kid who’s usually an outcast gets to shine in his element. I loved this part of the story :)
Throw in a troublemaker bully and a few hiccups along the way and you’ve got a story that balances mystery, eerie vibes, friendship and heart! I loved how much real cemetery history was woven into the plot! The author’s note explains why that history matters and what goes into cemetery caretaking! I thought this was such a cool and thoughtful touch because I learned stuff too as an adult!
The writing was intriguing and I especially appreciated how the author peeled back the bully’s story to remind us that "you never really know what someone else is going through." So just give grace :)
If you love a middle grade haunt with substance, atmosphere, and heart then this one is a must. All those Fear Street kids out there, this one’s for you. 👀✨
Tropes & vibes:
🪦 Spooky (but not scary) setting
🗺️ Scavenger hunt adventure
🧠 Outsider finds their strength
📜 History woven into the story
🤝 Empathy & understanding
👻 Middle grade haunt energy
Perfect for readers who want chills, curiosity, and a big heart 💛
This book was SUCH a fun surprise! I can completely see my middle grade self falling head over heels for this one.
The story is set in Graceland Cemetery (which is a real place) where Will, our main character goes on a school field trip that turns into a cemetery scavenger hunt. Spooky? A little bit but we soon find out why Will actually thrives there. His mom works at the cemetery, giving him a major advantage and for once, the kid who’s usually an outcast gets to shine in his element. I loved this part of the story :)
Throw in a troublemaker bully and a few hiccups along the way and you’ve got a story that balances mystery, eerie vibes, friendship and heart! I loved how much real cemetery history was woven into the plot! The author’s note explains why that history matters and what goes into cemetery caretaking! I thought this was such a cool and thoughtful touch because I learned stuff too as an adult!
The writing was intriguing and I especially appreciated how the author peeled back the bully’s story to remind us that "you never really know what someone else is going through." So just give grace :)
If you love a middle grade haunt with substance, atmosphere, and heart then this one is a must. All those Fear Street kids out there, this one’s for you. 👀✨
Tropes & vibes:
🪦 Spooky (but not scary) setting
🗺️ Scavenger hunt adventure
🧠 Outsider finds their strength
📜 History woven into the story
🤝 Empathy & understanding
👻 Middle grade haunt energy
Perfect for readers who want chills, curiosity, and a big heart 💛
January 9, 2026
Thank you so much to Delacorte Press for the eARC of X Marks the Haunt by Lindsay Currie!
Just another day of me being an absolute sucker for a middle grade horror! Seriously, middle grade horror is TOP TIER & will forever be one of my favorite things.
I’ve read from Lindsay Currie in the past & vibed EVERY single dang time. And like her other books, X Marks the Haunt has a heaping tablespoon of creepy & a whole lot of heart.
The friend gang in this one is absolutely PRECIOUS; I love how Will got to know his other classmates and that they became a ride or die kinda crew. + the relationship between son & mother was also so dang sweet!
I also like the whole setting & information about cemeteries that is provided in X Marks the Haunt. We quickly learn how much love goes into the Graceland Cemetery (a very real cemetery located in Chicago!) and how important it is to respect those no longer in our world that rests in the cemetery.
X Marks the Haunt was such a lovely read & I definitely recommend it to middle graders, readers who read middle grade & someone who’s looking for a creepy time in a cemetery!
Just another day of me being an absolute sucker for a middle grade horror! Seriously, middle grade horror is TOP TIER & will forever be one of my favorite things.
I’ve read from Lindsay Currie in the past & vibed EVERY single dang time. And like her other books, X Marks the Haunt has a heaping tablespoon of creepy & a whole lot of heart.
The friend gang in this one is absolutely PRECIOUS; I love how Will got to know his other classmates and that they became a ride or die kinda crew. + the relationship between son & mother was also so dang sweet!
I also like the whole setting & information about cemeteries that is provided in X Marks the Haunt. We quickly learn how much love goes into the Graceland Cemetery (a very real cemetery located in Chicago!) and how important it is to respect those no longer in our world that rests in the cemetery.
X Marks the Haunt was such a lovely read & I definitely recommend it to middle graders, readers who read middle grade & someone who’s looking for a creepy time in a cemetery!
February 1, 2026
I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den.
Lindsay Currie is the queen of clean but creepy middle grade horror. Every time I see she has a new book coming out, I jump on it, and I haven't been disappointed yet. I love the way she layers fiction over real-world places and history, but X Marks the Haunt had something unique that immediately grabbed my attention: genealogy! My librarian heart was so excited at the idea of genealogy being represented in middle grade fiction like this that I couldn't wait to pick this one up!
X Marks the Haunt is a creepy, atmospheric middle grade horror built around the beauty of a graveyard, with the stark reminder of what happens when loved ones are forgotten.
Currie absolutely didn't disappoint, weaving a spooky atmosphere that had impressively very little to do with the fact that the book is set in a graveyard. The little squad of newly minted friends is so adorable that I just want to squish them. I also was not disappointed with the real-world setting of this, and certainly not with the heartfelt reminder (albeit fictional) of the poor treatment of the dead in the past. This was a fun, chilling read that I will gladly recommend to both kids and kids-at-heart who are looking for something creepy but not outright scary!
My Thoughts
✿ Right off the bat, the librarian heart that beats in me is ecstatic over the general setting Currie creates, where graveyards are cozy, beautiful places filled with history and wonder. In fact, I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve seen genealogy itself mentioned in middle grade books. It would be an incredibly short list. As someone who is constantly battling to get the youth involved and interested in history, it can sometimes be a challenge.
Welcome to Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum, where X Marks the Haunt takes place. While a lot of people associate graveyards with death and spookiness, Currie presents a much softer side: a place of reverie, peace, and beauty, where the dead are at peace. Or they’re supposed to be, at least. And they were, before strange things started happening and the trees started dying from some mysterious rot.
As someone who has always loved cemeteries and preserving them, I am not only in love with the representation and behind-the-scenes look into maintaining a graveyard, I also found the interesting little lore and tidbits from Graceland to be fascinating. Plus, it’s a grave (pun totally intended) reminder of how conditions were in the past—where the fear of being entombed alive was all too real! Early on in the book, through a school scavenger hunt, Currie weaves a lot of these interesting facts about tombstones and monuments into the narrative, reminding readers how fascinating the past can be.
✿ I have already dubbed Currie queen of the middle grade horror, and even while she praises Graceland for its peace and beauty, she constructs a creepy, atmospheric horror that is mild enough for scaredy cats while still delivering on the haunts. My absolutely favorite thing about Currie’s horror is the way she humanizes the dead . . . which were, in fact, humans (though sometimes people forget that). Being set in a graveyard itself, Currie takes extra care to remind the reader over and over again that the people interred there had lives very similar to ours, with hopes and dreams and people they loved. And, just sometimes, unfinished business that causes them to haunt people who mess with their graveyard (as they should).
While I wouldn’t say this book is outright scary, it provides just the right creepiness! It also gives the reader some poignant insight into less-than-moral moments in our history that nevertheless had major impacts on society and the way that impacted the dead, such as during outbreaks, when the death tolls are hard to keep up with.
✿ I absolutely love the relationship between Will and his mother. It’s supportive and warm, while still giving him room to make his own mistakes. Because, let’s face it, children absolutely will make their own unique, spectacular mistakes. No matter how many times you warn them. (Sometimes simply because you warned them.) I absolutely want to see more of this in middle grade! Less orphans, and more supportive parents doing their best to produce healthy kids that are allowed to stumble their own way through life. Because Will is absolutely a good kid, but that doesn’t make him a perfect one. Still, his mother does her best to support him and encourage him when needed, but also give him enough room to be his own person. It’s not just Will’s mother, either. The adults in this book are so freaking wholesome and supportive, and I absolutely love to see it. Even when Will makes a potentially grievous mistake that he instantly regrets, they give him space to fix it himself and learn from it.
✿ Speaking of relationships I love . . . this quartet of children is utterly wholesome and adorable! Will has always been best friends with Stash, who is actually his only friend. Until he’s partnered with Henry and Michelle on a class trip to Graceland, and he realizes that maybe his initial snap judgments of them were incorrect. They’re actually kind of—dare he say—cool. But Will isn’t quite sure what it means to make new friends, or even how to extend his sphere of trust that far. Or why Michelle sometimes gives him butterflies when she looks at him. Okay, so there are still some things he’s figuring out. He’s at the right age for it. It was fun to go on an adventure with this little squad. They compliment each other very well, even as they make mistakes and learn what it means to atone for things and forgive each other. It’s such a wholesome group, with an all-around wholesome message!
Sticking Points
✿ This is obviously a very me thing, but I really neither wanted nor needed the awkward romance subplot. I am really of two minds when it comes to this. Obviously, the book is written for middle graders, some of whom I assume will be going through their own early crushes and trying to understand what it means. In that aspect, Currie does a great job of a very clean, wholesome romance that is just butterflies and wanting to be around each other—all very wholesome and age appropriate.
But y'all . . . I was here for the ghosties. Even middle grade me would've been furious that my wonderfully creepy story was being interrupted by the protagonist mooning over his new female friend, even though I was already at the age where I was having my own crushes. (Because, obviously, my priorities have always been solid.) Adult me certainly didn't feel the need to shoehorn budding romance into my horror story. Again, this is obviously a me thing, and your mileage may vary!
Lindsay Currie is the queen of clean but creepy middle grade horror. Every time I see she has a new book coming out, I jump on it, and I haven't been disappointed yet. I love the way she layers fiction over real-world places and history, but X Marks the Haunt had something unique that immediately grabbed my attention: genealogy! My librarian heart was so excited at the idea of genealogy being represented in middle grade fiction like this that I couldn't wait to pick this one up!
X Marks the Haunt is a creepy, atmospheric middle grade horror built around the beauty of a graveyard, with the stark reminder of what happens when loved ones are forgotten.
Currie absolutely didn't disappoint, weaving a spooky atmosphere that had impressively very little to do with the fact that the book is set in a graveyard. The little squad of newly minted friends is so adorable that I just want to squish them. I also was not disappointed with the real-world setting of this, and certainly not with the heartfelt reminder (albeit fictional) of the poor treatment of the dead in the past. This was a fun, chilling read that I will gladly recommend to both kids and kids-at-heart who are looking for something creepy but not outright scary!
My Thoughts
✿ Right off the bat, the librarian heart that beats in me is ecstatic over the general setting Currie creates, where graveyards are cozy, beautiful places filled with history and wonder. In fact, I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve seen genealogy itself mentioned in middle grade books. It would be an incredibly short list. As someone who is constantly battling to get the youth involved and interested in history, it can sometimes be a challenge.
Welcome to Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum, where X Marks the Haunt takes place. While a lot of people associate graveyards with death and spookiness, Currie presents a much softer side: a place of reverie, peace, and beauty, where the dead are at peace. Or they’re supposed to be, at least. And they were, before strange things started happening and the trees started dying from some mysterious rot.
As someone who has always loved cemeteries and preserving them, I am not only in love with the representation and behind-the-scenes look into maintaining a graveyard, I also found the interesting little lore and tidbits from Graceland to be fascinating. Plus, it’s a grave (pun totally intended) reminder of how conditions were in the past—where the fear of being entombed alive was all too real! Early on in the book, through a school scavenger hunt, Currie weaves a lot of these interesting facts about tombstones and monuments into the narrative, reminding readers how fascinating the past can be.
✿ I have already dubbed Currie queen of the middle grade horror, and even while she praises Graceland for its peace and beauty, she constructs a creepy, atmospheric horror that is mild enough for scaredy cats while still delivering on the haunts. My absolutely favorite thing about Currie’s horror is the way she humanizes the dead . . . which were, in fact, humans (though sometimes people forget that). Being set in a graveyard itself, Currie takes extra care to remind the reader over and over again that the people interred there had lives very similar to ours, with hopes and dreams and people they loved. And, just sometimes, unfinished business that causes them to haunt people who mess with their graveyard (as they should).
While I wouldn’t say this book is outright scary, it provides just the right creepiness! It also gives the reader some poignant insight into less-than-moral moments in our history that nevertheless had major impacts on society and the way that impacted the dead, such as during outbreaks, when the death tolls are hard to keep up with.
✿ I absolutely love the relationship between Will and his mother. It’s supportive and warm, while still giving him room to make his own mistakes. Because, let’s face it, children absolutely will make their own unique, spectacular mistakes. No matter how many times you warn them. (Sometimes simply because you warned them.) I absolutely want to see more of this in middle grade! Less orphans, and more supportive parents doing their best to produce healthy kids that are allowed to stumble their own way through life. Because Will is absolutely a good kid, but that doesn’t make him a perfect one. Still, his mother does her best to support him and encourage him when needed, but also give him enough room to be his own person. It’s not just Will’s mother, either. The adults in this book are so freaking wholesome and supportive, and I absolutely love to see it. Even when Will makes a potentially grievous mistake that he instantly regrets, they give him space to fix it himself and learn from it.
✿ Speaking of relationships I love . . . this quartet of children is utterly wholesome and adorable! Will has always been best friends with Stash, who is actually his only friend. Until he’s partnered with Henry and Michelle on a class trip to Graceland, and he realizes that maybe his initial snap judgments of them were incorrect. They’re actually kind of—dare he say—cool. But Will isn’t quite sure what it means to make new friends, or even how to extend his sphere of trust that far. Or why Michelle sometimes gives him butterflies when she looks at him. Okay, so there are still some things he’s figuring out. He’s at the right age for it. It was fun to go on an adventure with this little squad. They compliment each other very well, even as they make mistakes and learn what it means to atone for things and forgive each other. It’s such a wholesome group, with an all-around wholesome message!
Sticking Points
✿ This is obviously a very me thing, but I really neither wanted nor needed the awkward romance subplot. I am really of two minds when it comes to this. Obviously, the book is written for middle graders, some of whom I assume will be going through their own early crushes and trying to understand what it means. In that aspect, Currie does a great job of a very clean, wholesome romance that is just butterflies and wanting to be around each other—all very wholesome and age appropriate.
But y'all . . . I was here for the ghosties. Even middle grade me would've been furious that my wonderfully creepy story was being interrupted by the protagonist mooning over his new female friend, even though I was already at the age where I was having my own crushes. (Because, obviously, my priorities have always been solid.) Adult me certainly didn't feel the need to shoehorn budding romance into my horror story. Again, this is obviously a me thing, and your mileage may vary!
September 4, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Will Stone spends a lot of time at the Graceland Cemetery in Chicago because his mother is the executive director, and because he is very interested in the history and the stories of the people who are interred there. Not only does he help his mother with looking up information in the old fashioned file cards for inquiring families, but he rides along with groundskeeper Art and intern Addie on security sweeps that also check on the coyote population. His best friend, Sean (aka Stash) understands and doesn't give him a hard time, but Will downplays his background at school, worried that the unpleasant Chris will treat him the same way he does Toby, whose parents run a local funeral home. Chris calls Toby "body boy" and badgers him constantly, so when Will finds out that his class is taking a field trip to Graceland, he is worried that this will put him on Chris' radar. Will and Stash are put on a team for a scavenger hunt along with Henry and Michelle, who are both friendlier with Chris than Will would like, but they all enjoy finding out information about the cemetery and seem to get along. Unfortunately, Chris decides that getting into the cemetery after dark and live streaming from a tomb is a good idea, and he compels Will to give him a key to the Marvin Ryerson tomb. Will knows that the tomb is hard to get into, and he's not surprised when Chris and Henry are spooked and run back to the entrance, pursued by Art, before they can get in. What is surprising it that Chris has thrown the 150 year old key somewhere in the grounds. This is catastrophic, and Will knows he needs to find it. As he searches, he feels that something is off, and he also hears something sinister whispering his name. When a ghost appears in his bedroom, the trees in the cemetery start dying, and the lake level goes down, Will feels that there are ghosts at work, although he doesn't really believe in them. With the help of Stash, Michelle, and Henry, will scours the historical records and finds a young woman who died of tuberculosis. This incurable, deadly disease often devastated entire families, and was sometimes thought to have some vampiric qualities. Because of this, Anna McDowell's body was exhumed, and her ghost won't move on until she gets some better treatment. With more trees dying, and Will's mother concerned that the cemetery will lose its hard fought status as an arboretum, something Will's late father worked on, can Will and his friends appease the ghost before she causes more chaos?
Strengths: As she did in It's Watching and It Found Us, Currie uses her knowledge of and research into actual cemeteries to give her creepy tales an extra layer of verisimilitude. This is set in November, and the feeling of the dark, dank, chill crept right into my bones! Will is an engaging character who truly enjoys taking care of the cemetery and protecting its legacy, but he also yearns for friends who can understand his somewhat unusual background. This makes his struggle in dealing with Chris realistically painful to watch; some of my favorite moments were when Will had had enough and told Chris that he needed to stop what he was doing. The inclusion of Chicago cemetery history is interesting; I wonder if readers will be compelled to pick up Murphy's (2012) Invincible Microbe or John Green's new Everything is Tuberculosis (which I haven't read) to find out how widespread the connection between "consumption" and vampirism was! The adults in the book were both harried yet supportive, and treated Will with respect, even when he makes poor choices. Young readers will pick this up for the late night graveyard runs and the frightening ghosts, making this a book that will command a variety of audiences.
Weaknesses: While having Will's father killed in a car accident two years before the book begins does make Will's desire to preserve the trees and the arboretum status more understandable, it was unnecessary to kill yet another middle grade parent. It would have been more realistic and poignant to have Will's grandfather be the one who had passed away after spending a life devoted to Graceland.
What I really think: Like Currie's other books, X Marks the Haunt is a masterful mix of history and spookiness that will give readers shivers down their spines, but not scare them so much that they are afraid to hunt down a local cemetery, do some grave rubbings, and learn about local history through gravestones. They might want to be just a little more careful than they should be not to disturb any murderous ghosts!
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Will Stone spends a lot of time at the Graceland Cemetery in Chicago because his mother is the executive director, and because he is very interested in the history and the stories of the people who are interred there. Not only does he help his mother with looking up information in the old fashioned file cards for inquiring families, but he rides along with groundskeeper Art and intern Addie on security sweeps that also check on the coyote population. His best friend, Sean (aka Stash) understands and doesn't give him a hard time, but Will downplays his background at school, worried that the unpleasant Chris will treat him the same way he does Toby, whose parents run a local funeral home. Chris calls Toby "body boy" and badgers him constantly, so when Will finds out that his class is taking a field trip to Graceland, he is worried that this will put him on Chris' radar. Will and Stash are put on a team for a scavenger hunt along with Henry and Michelle, who are both friendlier with Chris than Will would like, but they all enjoy finding out information about the cemetery and seem to get along. Unfortunately, Chris decides that getting into the cemetery after dark and live streaming from a tomb is a good idea, and he compels Will to give him a key to the Marvin Ryerson tomb. Will knows that the tomb is hard to get into, and he's not surprised when Chris and Henry are spooked and run back to the entrance, pursued by Art, before they can get in. What is surprising it that Chris has thrown the 150 year old key somewhere in the grounds. This is catastrophic, and Will knows he needs to find it. As he searches, he feels that something is off, and he also hears something sinister whispering his name. When a ghost appears in his bedroom, the trees in the cemetery start dying, and the lake level goes down, Will feels that there are ghosts at work, although he doesn't really believe in them. With the help of Stash, Michelle, and Henry, will scours the historical records and finds a young woman who died of tuberculosis. This incurable, deadly disease often devastated entire families, and was sometimes thought to have some vampiric qualities. Because of this, Anna McDowell's body was exhumed, and her ghost won't move on until she gets some better treatment. With more trees dying, and Will's mother concerned that the cemetery will lose its hard fought status as an arboretum, something Will's late father worked on, can Will and his friends appease the ghost before she causes more chaos?
Strengths: As she did in It's Watching and It Found Us, Currie uses her knowledge of and research into actual cemeteries to give her creepy tales an extra layer of verisimilitude. This is set in November, and the feeling of the dark, dank, chill crept right into my bones! Will is an engaging character who truly enjoys taking care of the cemetery and protecting its legacy, but he also yearns for friends who can understand his somewhat unusual background. This makes his struggle in dealing with Chris realistically painful to watch; some of my favorite moments were when Will had had enough and told Chris that he needed to stop what he was doing. The inclusion of Chicago cemetery history is interesting; I wonder if readers will be compelled to pick up Murphy's (2012) Invincible Microbe or John Green's new Everything is Tuberculosis (which I haven't read) to find out how widespread the connection between "consumption" and vampirism was! The adults in the book were both harried yet supportive, and treated Will with respect, even when he makes poor choices. Young readers will pick this up for the late night graveyard runs and the frightening ghosts, making this a book that will command a variety of audiences.
Weaknesses: While having Will's father killed in a car accident two years before the book begins does make Will's desire to preserve the trees and the arboretum status more understandable, it was unnecessary to kill yet another middle grade parent. It would have been more realistic and poignant to have Will's grandfather be the one who had passed away after spending a life devoted to Graceland.
What I really think: Like Currie's other books, X Marks the Haunt is a masterful mix of history and spookiness that will give readers shivers down their spines, but not scare them so much that they are afraid to hunt down a local cemetery, do some grave rubbings, and learn about local history through gravestones. They might want to be just a little more careful than they should be not to disturb any murderous ghosts!
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
January 7, 2026
A group of friends find themselves haunted by a ghost who is desperately trying to send them a message in a graveyard. The friends realize interacting with the ghost may not be the best thing to do, but when the graveyard itself is threatened the group figures out that maybe the ghost’s message is more complicated than they first realized. Author Lindsay Currie returns with another winning cast of characters and a plot that is downright creepy in the best way in her newest book, X Marks the Haunt.
At 12, Will Stone is old enough to know that most kids haven’t grown up in a graveyard like he has. His mother’s work overseeing the graveyard and arboretum means Will can read cursive like a pro, research family records, and help people looking for ancestors buried in the Graceland cemetery. While most kids are playing soccer, Will is learning how to dive deep into the pasts of those who made Graceland their final resting place.
When his class ends up at Graceland for a field trip, Will is a little nervous. His best friend, Stash, is the only one who knows about Will’s work at the cemetery and what it means to him. No one else, especially the class bully, Chris, has a clue. But then Chris and two other classmates, Michelle and Henry, find out, and Chris takes the opportunity to strong-arm a favor: Chris wants to get back into the cemetery after hours with Henry to record a video in one of the special cemetery vaults and post it on social media.
Will hates that Chris orders everyone around the way he does, and it’s clear how uncomfortable Henry is with the plan too. Still, he agrees to it. There’s no way, Will thinks, that Chris can figure out how to open the vault. The lock is so tricky that his mom is the only person who can unlock it. Will meets Chris and Henry at the cemetery that night and gives Chris the key, a hundred percent sure Chris will fail, give up, and forget the whole idea.
The entire plan goes sideways when Chris loses the key, and he and Henry run away. Soon after, Will starts seeing and hearing the spookiest things. He’s been in and around the cemetery his whole life and has never batted an eye at death. What he doesn’t like? Ghosts. Except now there’s one after Will, and she refuses to be ignored.
Even after telling Stash, Henry, and Michelle, Will is terrified. This ghost definitely means business. Not long after she arrives, the trees in the cemetery become severely diseased. The lake starts draining too. Will’s mom is freaking out, because caring for the trees was a passion project she shared with Will’s dad before he died in a car accident. More than that she has no idea what’s going on, and Will is afraid that if he and his friends can’t figure it out fast enough the ghost will make sure everyone knows.
Author Lindsay Currie gives middle grade readers a fantastic group of friends in Will and the others in this latest book. Will and Stash’s friendship is warm and three-dimensional, making their conflicts worrisome in the way readers want to worry about their favorite characters. Currie also makes sure adding Michelle and Henry to the mix feels organic. Will’s hesitation to share his life at the cemetery with new friends is justified, making their inevitable inclusion that much more realistic.
The horror elements of the book are good enough to frighten even older readers. Currie doesn’t hold back in terrifying her protagonist, yet she also maintains that fine balance of the book’s thrills with moving the plot forward. The scary portions aren’t included just to be scary; they serve a necessary purpose and provide Will and Co. with actual problems to solve. Like the best of books, solving the initial problems only creates more. The result is a fun race against time to see whether the kids will solve the mystery of the ghost and save the cemetery or lose everything, and readers will absolutely be invested for every chapter.
If the book can be faulted anywhere, it’s in the pacing of certain sections. Readers won’t have much time to get to know Will before he squares off with Chris; conversely, the “X” in the title takes longer to show up. Advanced readers may find themselves getting slightly impatient waiting for it to come; when it does, however, it’s worth the wait.
Middle grade readers who love scary books will definitely enjoy this one. Older readers may want to check it out too.
At 12, Will Stone is old enough to know that most kids haven’t grown up in a graveyard like he has. His mother’s work overseeing the graveyard and arboretum means Will can read cursive like a pro, research family records, and help people looking for ancestors buried in the Graceland cemetery. While most kids are playing soccer, Will is learning how to dive deep into the pasts of those who made Graceland their final resting place.
When his class ends up at Graceland for a field trip, Will is a little nervous. His best friend, Stash, is the only one who knows about Will’s work at the cemetery and what it means to him. No one else, especially the class bully, Chris, has a clue. But then Chris and two other classmates, Michelle and Henry, find out, and Chris takes the opportunity to strong-arm a favor: Chris wants to get back into the cemetery after hours with Henry to record a video in one of the special cemetery vaults and post it on social media.
Will hates that Chris orders everyone around the way he does, and it’s clear how uncomfortable Henry is with the plan too. Still, he agrees to it. There’s no way, Will thinks, that Chris can figure out how to open the vault. The lock is so tricky that his mom is the only person who can unlock it. Will meets Chris and Henry at the cemetery that night and gives Chris the key, a hundred percent sure Chris will fail, give up, and forget the whole idea.
The entire plan goes sideways when Chris loses the key, and he and Henry run away. Soon after, Will starts seeing and hearing the spookiest things. He’s been in and around the cemetery his whole life and has never batted an eye at death. What he doesn’t like? Ghosts. Except now there’s one after Will, and she refuses to be ignored.
Even after telling Stash, Henry, and Michelle, Will is terrified. This ghost definitely means business. Not long after she arrives, the trees in the cemetery become severely diseased. The lake starts draining too. Will’s mom is freaking out, because caring for the trees was a passion project she shared with Will’s dad before he died in a car accident. More than that she has no idea what’s going on, and Will is afraid that if he and his friends can’t figure it out fast enough the ghost will make sure everyone knows.
Author Lindsay Currie gives middle grade readers a fantastic group of friends in Will and the others in this latest book. Will and Stash’s friendship is warm and three-dimensional, making their conflicts worrisome in the way readers want to worry about their favorite characters. Currie also makes sure adding Michelle and Henry to the mix feels organic. Will’s hesitation to share his life at the cemetery with new friends is justified, making their inevitable inclusion that much more realistic.
The horror elements of the book are good enough to frighten even older readers. Currie doesn’t hold back in terrifying her protagonist, yet she also maintains that fine balance of the book’s thrills with moving the plot forward. The scary portions aren’t included just to be scary; they serve a necessary purpose and provide Will and Co. with actual problems to solve. Like the best of books, solving the initial problems only creates more. The result is a fun race against time to see whether the kids will solve the mystery of the ghost and save the cemetery or lose everything, and readers will absolutely be invested for every chapter.
If the book can be faulted anywhere, it’s in the pacing of certain sections. Readers won’t have much time to get to know Will before he squares off with Chris; conversely, the “X” in the title takes longer to show up. Advanced readers may find themselves getting slightly impatient waiting for it to come; when it does, however, it’s worth the wait.
Middle grade readers who love scary books will definitely enjoy this one. Older readers may want to check it out too.
February 12, 2026
12-year-old Will loves to spend his free time at Graceland Cemetery improving his genealogical skills by digging through old records - he can even read script handwriting! He also tries to do his part to honor and remember the people who are interred there. But this is something only his best—and only—friend, Stash, knows. Middle school can be rough and the last thing Will needs is for his classmates to know his mom is the executive director at Graceland, especially because it wasn’t long ago that he was known as the kid whose dad was killed in a car crash. It’s not that Will isn’t proud of the work his mom and her coworkers are doing, he just really doesn’t want to be teased for hanging around dead people so much. So it’s less than ideal that he’s on a class trip to Graceland. As the kids are split up into groups for a scavenger hunt, Will and Stash find themselves paired with Michelle and Henry - who happen to be close friends with the class bully, Chris. But Will discovers that they aren’t like Chris and are genuinely interested in the history of Graceland and he begins to wonder if he could actually be making some new friends.
So when Chris blackmails Henry into taking on a social media dare of sneaking back into Graceland at night, Will agrees to help – mostly to keep Chris from damaging the cemetery, but also in hopes of earning favor with Henry and Michelle. Yet something goes terribly wrong and Chris and Henry are running back to the cemetery gates, with something sinister coming out behind them. Chris claims to have tossed the irreplaceable mausoleum key, but he can’t remember where. Will knows if he can’t find the key soon, his mom will know he took it and he’ll be in big trouble. Soon the trees in Graceland start to die and an increasingly violent ghost shows up in Will’s bedroom. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Will, Stash, Michelle, and Henry rush to find the key and dig through historical records to discover who is haunting Will before it’s too late. Currie takes readers on a thrilling ride to a heartbreaking ending that shines a light on the people that are lost to time. Main characters cue as white.
Personally, I am a big fan of Currie’s middle grade horror novels (this one was my favorite so far!) and how she pulls from actual historical events to provide modern day readers with a chilling ghost story that also teaches them a bit about potentially forgotten history. There are also fun Easter eggs referencing previous Currie novels for astute readers to pick up on - this one mentions Hazel from It Found Us, which takes place in the same cemetery. One criticism I’ve had in previous Currie horror novels is how the plots only work due to the absence of adult supervision and in some cases, where adults actively go along in supporting the tweens putting themselves into dangerous situations without trying to protect them. In X Marks the Haunt, Will and his friends do skirt around the adults in his life to get away with many of the primary plot points, but Will’s mom and coworkers do show that they are suspicious (and concerned) but choosing to trust that Will is a good kid and will ask for help if he needs it. And Will does end up having to deal with the consequences of his choices. So I feel like there was a good balance of the kids having enough freedom for the plot to progress while also providing good examples of adults that are there for Will and supportive without question. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
So when Chris blackmails Henry into taking on a social media dare of sneaking back into Graceland at night, Will agrees to help – mostly to keep Chris from damaging the cemetery, but also in hopes of earning favor with Henry and Michelle. Yet something goes terribly wrong and Chris and Henry are running back to the cemetery gates, with something sinister coming out behind them. Chris claims to have tossed the irreplaceable mausoleum key, but he can’t remember where. Will knows if he can’t find the key soon, his mom will know he took it and he’ll be in big trouble. Soon the trees in Graceland start to die and an increasingly violent ghost shows up in Will’s bedroom. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Will, Stash, Michelle, and Henry rush to find the key and dig through historical records to discover who is haunting Will before it’s too late. Currie takes readers on a thrilling ride to a heartbreaking ending that shines a light on the people that are lost to time. Main characters cue as white.
Personally, I am a big fan of Currie’s middle grade horror novels (this one was my favorite so far!) and how she pulls from actual historical events to provide modern day readers with a chilling ghost story that also teaches them a bit about potentially forgotten history. There are also fun Easter eggs referencing previous Currie novels for astute readers to pick up on - this one mentions Hazel from It Found Us, which takes place in the same cemetery. One criticism I’ve had in previous Currie horror novels is how the plots only work due to the absence of adult supervision and in some cases, where adults actively go along in supporting the tweens putting themselves into dangerous situations without trying to protect them. In X Marks the Haunt, Will and his friends do skirt around the adults in his life to get away with many of the primary plot points, but Will’s mom and coworkers do show that they are suspicious (and concerned) but choosing to trust that Will is a good kid and will ask for help if he needs it. And Will does end up having to deal with the consequences of his choices. So I feel like there was a good balance of the kids having enough freedom for the plot to progress while also providing good examples of adults that are there for Will and supportive without question. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ve read a few of Lindsay Currie’s books, and they’ve all been five-star reads for me, so it’s no surprise that 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 is no exception. This is a genuinely creepy middle-grade horror packed with atmosphere: a spooky setting set in Graceland Cemetery, a sprawling 121-acre historic cemetery and arboretum in Chicago with tens of thousands of burials dating back to the late 19th century, a mysterious ghost, unexpected friendships, and meaningful life lessons that resonate with both kids and adults.
Middle-grade books don’t always get the credit they deserve. At their best, they teach foundational life lessons in ways that feel safe, hopeful, and deeply relatable without ever talking down to the reader, and that’s especially true for middle-grade horror. Some of the most important lessons I’ve carried with me came from the books I read growing up: empathy and kindness, the idea that courage isn’t the absence of fear, learning to accept who you are, and holding onto hope even in dark moments. 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 delivers all of that. The lessons that stood out to me most were courage in the face of fear, friendship, teamwork, identity and belonging, and empathy that stretches across time.
The story follows twelve-year-old Will Stone, whose mom works at Graceland Cemetery, and through helping her from time to time, he’s picked up some very unconventional skills, from understanding burial vaults to decoding centuries-old genealogical records. When a long-lost crypt key disappears, Will’s quiet life is upended as the cemetery begins to feel darker rather than peaceful, trees start to die, the lake drains, and a dangerous force is unleashed. With the help of his friends Stash, Michelle, Henry and Toby, Will must use his unique knowledge to uncover which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life and figure out how to stop the haunting before it’s too late.
I also absolutely love how Lindsay Currie weaves Chicago’s rich history and iconic landmarks into her stories. Her familiarity with the city adds an extra layer of authenticity, grounding the supernatural elements in real places and making the horror feel more believable. What I especially appreciate is how her books feel connected in ways that go beyond each setting. Titles like 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐈𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞, and 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 are linked through lingering haunts, restless spirits, and the idea that the past never truly stays buried. Each story stands on its own, but together they create a shared, ghostly continuity that makes her version of Chicago feel alive, haunted, and deeply interconnected.
Overall, 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 is a perfect example of why I love middle grade horror so much. It’s spooky, heartfelt, and thoughtful in a way that feels like a true friend sticking by your side. After all, as middle graders reading middle grade books, that sense of comfort and understanding is something many of us long for at that age and honestly maybe even now. Whether you are a younger reader discovering horror for the first time or an adult who still loves a good creepy ghost story, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
(𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.)
Middle-grade books don’t always get the credit they deserve. At their best, they teach foundational life lessons in ways that feel safe, hopeful, and deeply relatable without ever talking down to the reader, and that’s especially true for middle-grade horror. Some of the most important lessons I’ve carried with me came from the books I read growing up: empathy and kindness, the idea that courage isn’t the absence of fear, learning to accept who you are, and holding onto hope even in dark moments. 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 delivers all of that. The lessons that stood out to me most were courage in the face of fear, friendship, teamwork, identity and belonging, and empathy that stretches across time.
The story follows twelve-year-old Will Stone, whose mom works at Graceland Cemetery, and through helping her from time to time, he’s picked up some very unconventional skills, from understanding burial vaults to decoding centuries-old genealogical records. When a long-lost crypt key disappears, Will’s quiet life is upended as the cemetery begins to feel darker rather than peaceful, trees start to die, the lake drains, and a dangerous force is unleashed. With the help of his friends Stash, Michelle, Henry and Toby, Will must use his unique knowledge to uncover which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life and figure out how to stop the haunting before it’s too late.
I also absolutely love how Lindsay Currie weaves Chicago’s rich history and iconic landmarks into her stories. Her familiarity with the city adds an extra layer of authenticity, grounding the supernatural elements in real places and making the horror feel more believable. What I especially appreciate is how her books feel connected in ways that go beyond each setting. Titles like 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐈𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞, and 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 are linked through lingering haunts, restless spirits, and the idea that the past never truly stays buried. Each story stands on its own, but together they create a shared, ghostly continuity that makes her version of Chicago feel alive, haunted, and deeply interconnected.
Overall, 𝐗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 is a perfect example of why I love middle grade horror so much. It’s spooky, heartfelt, and thoughtful in a way that feels like a true friend sticking by your side. After all, as middle graders reading middle grade books, that sense of comfort and understanding is something many of us long for at that age and honestly maybe even now. Whether you are a younger reader discovering horror for the first time or an adult who still loves a good creepy ghost story, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
(𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.)
January 26, 2026
X Marks the Haunt was a really fun middle grade ghost story that I finished in one day as I couldn't put it down. I have read quite a few MG novels set in graveyards and cemeteries, but this one focused quite a bit on the genealogy of the graves, how they were located, and how a family member could find someone whose grave didn't have a marker. All of this information was blended quite nicely within an interesting ghost story that would definitely appeal to readers of this age group.
Will is the main character in the story and he loves the fact his mother is the director of the Graceland Cemetery, a cemetery which actually exists in Chicago (and don't even get me started on the deep dive I did when I discovered that!!). However, he is also lonely, having only one true friends, and because one of his classmates is being bullied because his family owns a funeral home, Will is reluctant to let other kids know where his mother works until one fateful class trip. I really enjoyed Will's character development as he grew to trust other people in his class and opened himself up to new friendships while navigating the difficulties of his existing friendship as this was happening. The other characters were a lot of fun to get to know and I really liked how the author incorporated these new friendships into both Will's life and into the story. It felt real and genuine, making Will understand that the can share his passion for the cemetery with others and stand up for what he admires against those who tease him about it.
The story was a lot of fun as well. It did take a lot of time for the action to get going with regards to the ghost story, but I truly didn't mind as I was enjoying the interactions between the students and anticipating what was going to happen. I absolutely love cemeteries so I liked learning about this one. I've been to Chicago and honestly, if I had known this was there, I would have done a tour. While it was quite light on the supernatural and the 'frightening' compared to other middle grade novels I have read, and I also didn't feel the sense of tension and danger for these kids, what was happening was still a bit scary and heck, going into a cemetery at night is frightening no matter what. I also really enjoyed the little bits of lore that were thrown into the story as well. There were many themes to explore in this book; friendship, family, loyalty, secrets, rumours, vengeance, revenge, lying, sickness, and death.
X Marks the Haunt had a setting that pretty much set the whole tone of the book, a cemetery. I enjoyed the story and thought the character development was really good. The plot did take a while to get going, and because it's light on the scary side, would be a great book for those who are looking to dip their toes into the genre and don't want something too scary. For me, the friendship was the highlight of the book, but the writing style certainly kept me engaged and entertained. While it looks like a standalone, I am really hoping there will be a sequel featuring these characters (and this cemetery) as this was a lot of fun to read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Will is the main character in the story and he loves the fact his mother is the director of the Graceland Cemetery, a cemetery which actually exists in Chicago (and don't even get me started on the deep dive I did when I discovered that!!). However, he is also lonely, having only one true friends, and because one of his classmates is being bullied because his family owns a funeral home, Will is reluctant to let other kids know where his mother works until one fateful class trip. I really enjoyed Will's character development as he grew to trust other people in his class and opened himself up to new friendships while navigating the difficulties of his existing friendship as this was happening. The other characters were a lot of fun to get to know and I really liked how the author incorporated these new friendships into both Will's life and into the story. It felt real and genuine, making Will understand that the can share his passion for the cemetery with others and stand up for what he admires against those who tease him about it.
The story was a lot of fun as well. It did take a lot of time for the action to get going with regards to the ghost story, but I truly didn't mind as I was enjoying the interactions between the students and anticipating what was going to happen. I absolutely love cemeteries so I liked learning about this one. I've been to Chicago and honestly, if I had known this was there, I would have done a tour. While it was quite light on the supernatural and the 'frightening' compared to other middle grade novels I have read, and I also didn't feel the sense of tension and danger for these kids, what was happening was still a bit scary and heck, going into a cemetery at night is frightening no matter what. I also really enjoyed the little bits of lore that were thrown into the story as well. There were many themes to explore in this book; friendship, family, loyalty, secrets, rumours, vengeance, revenge, lying, sickness, and death.
X Marks the Haunt had a setting that pretty much set the whole tone of the book, a cemetery. I enjoyed the story and thought the character development was really good. The plot did take a while to get going, and because it's light on the scary side, would be a great book for those who are looking to dip their toes into the genre and don't want something too scary. For me, the friendship was the highlight of the book, but the writing style certainly kept me engaged and entertained. While it looks like a standalone, I am really hoping there will be a sequel featuring these characters (and this cemetery) as this was a lot of fun to read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
September 1, 2025
Adding another title to her ever-growing list of scary books for middle grades, in X Marks the Haunt, 7th grader Will finds his hobby of genealogy research at Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum gets a little too real when an unsettled spirit makes its presence known with whispers, a mysterious strike against the trees and lake in the graveyard and a whole lot of blood.
Will has always felt at home in Graceland Cemetery and has reached the place when he hopes his hard work deciphering and studying the burial records from long ago will prove to his mom, the executive director at Graceland, that he is ready for more responsibility. But a dare goes bad in the worst possible way and now he must step up his research and figure out how to fix what could be a deadly mistake. Of course his best, and only, friend Sean/Stash is right beside him but surprisingly, so are Henry and Michelle. Can the four of them solve the mystery of an unmarked grave, who is there and why he/she is so upset?
As with all of Currie’s books, the action starts quickly with only a bit of backstory provided. That doesn’t mean the characters lack depth or their motivations left vague; plenty of character development is smoothly revealed as the creep and mystery unfold. Even supporting characters like Will’s mom, Graceland employees Addi and Art, and classmates Toby and Chris have plenty to add to the initial haunting and/or the de-ghosting. Mixed in with the expected spine tingles, Currie adds wonderful information about the very real Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum: the presence of coyotes, how the title of arboretum was added, the lore and legend of several sections and single gravesites in the cemetery and some history of Chicago in the 1800s. Fans of the author’s other titles will be hit with a bit of nostalgia when they happen on at least 3 “Easter eggs,” or, veiled references to several early works; for those who haven’t read them, the allusions will only seem like more Chicago history!
Highly recommended for libraries with high circulation in the horror/scary/mystery sections of their library and fans of Currie’s other titles, including her new puzzle-solving mystery series The Deltas. The absence of any profanity, sexual content or significant violence makes this a great fit for strong 4th grade readers all the way to grade 8. Representation: Will and his mom lost his dad in a car accident, Sean/Stash’s father was abusive and is no longer at home. Only Michelle has any real physical description, however brief, no ethnic heritage references made, and the cover does not show any of the book’s characters so race and physical characteristics are left up to the imagination of readers.
Thanks for the eARC, NetGalley and Edelweiss and publisher Delacorte Press/Random House Kids.
Will has always felt at home in Graceland Cemetery and has reached the place when he hopes his hard work deciphering and studying the burial records from long ago will prove to his mom, the executive director at Graceland, that he is ready for more responsibility. But a dare goes bad in the worst possible way and now he must step up his research and figure out how to fix what could be a deadly mistake. Of course his best, and only, friend Sean/Stash is right beside him but surprisingly, so are Henry and Michelle. Can the four of them solve the mystery of an unmarked grave, who is there and why he/she is so upset?
As with all of Currie’s books, the action starts quickly with only a bit of backstory provided. That doesn’t mean the characters lack depth or their motivations left vague; plenty of character development is smoothly revealed as the creep and mystery unfold. Even supporting characters like Will’s mom, Graceland employees Addi and Art, and classmates Toby and Chris have plenty to add to the initial haunting and/or the de-ghosting. Mixed in with the expected spine tingles, Currie adds wonderful information about the very real Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum: the presence of coyotes, how the title of arboretum was added, the lore and legend of several sections and single gravesites in the cemetery and some history of Chicago in the 1800s. Fans of the author’s other titles will be hit with a bit of nostalgia when they happen on at least 3 “Easter eggs,” or, veiled references to several early works; for those who haven’t read them, the allusions will only seem like more Chicago history!
Highly recommended for libraries with high circulation in the horror/scary/mystery sections of their library and fans of Currie’s other titles, including her new puzzle-solving mystery series The Deltas. The absence of any profanity, sexual content or significant violence makes this a great fit for strong 4th grade readers all the way to grade 8. Representation: Will and his mom lost his dad in a car accident, Sean/Stash’s father was abusive and is no longer at home. Only Michelle has any real physical description, however brief, no ethnic heritage references made, and the cover does not show any of the book’s characters so race and physical characteristics are left up to the imagination of readers.
Thanks for the eARC, NetGalley and Edelweiss and publisher Delacorte Press/Random House Kids.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars
Lindsay Currie does it again! This book was so creepy.
We follow our main character Will. His mom works at Graceland Cemetery and he loves to help her search through records and find information for people looking for relatives and stuff like that. But when his class goes to the cemetery for a field trip, he thinks when people find out his mom works there and he spends a lot of his time there, he will get bullied. After the field trip, the biggest bully Chris convinces him to sneak him and his friend Henry into the graveyard so he can film a live video. After that night, weird things start to happen at the cemetery and Will wonders if he is being haunted.
I really liked Will. He has one best friend Stash, but he really wants more friends. He absolutely loves what he does at the cemetery, but is so scared that other people won't understand or make fun of him. Once he does open up to a few people about it (Henry and Michelle), they are very supportive of him which was great. This group of 4 really sticks together and works well together. No matter what scary thing happens, they don't want anyone to be trying to figure things out alone.
I also loved Will's mom. His dad died 2 years earlier in a car accident and she has been doing everything she can to raise Will and is doing a great job. There are also a few other workers at the cemetery that are great and Chris is a great villain/bully that adds another aspect to the story.
The plot of this book was really interesting but also kind of scary! The cemetery and the stories and graves and statues were all real which made the story really come alive. Everything connected in such a smart way. I loved how passionate Will was about what was going on in the cemetery and how much he wanted to figure things out no matter how scary things got. And there were a few parts where I was nervous I was going to get nightmares.
The intrigue of this book was high and the writing style was great. I was able to fly through it in 3 days which doesn't happen often.
If you are looking for a spooky middle grade, I definitely recommend this one or any of Lindsay's other books!
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacourte Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Lindsay Currie does it again! This book was so creepy.
We follow our main character Will. His mom works at Graceland Cemetery and he loves to help her search through records and find information for people looking for relatives and stuff like that. But when his class goes to the cemetery for a field trip, he thinks when people find out his mom works there and he spends a lot of his time there, he will get bullied. After the field trip, the biggest bully Chris convinces him to sneak him and his friend Henry into the graveyard so he can film a live video. After that night, weird things start to happen at the cemetery and Will wonders if he is being haunted.
I really liked Will. He has one best friend Stash, but he really wants more friends. He absolutely loves what he does at the cemetery, but is so scared that other people won't understand or make fun of him. Once he does open up to a few people about it (Henry and Michelle), they are very supportive of him which was great. This group of 4 really sticks together and works well together. No matter what scary thing happens, they don't want anyone to be trying to figure things out alone.
I also loved Will's mom. His dad died 2 years earlier in a car accident and she has been doing everything she can to raise Will and is doing a great job. There are also a few other workers at the cemetery that are great and Chris is a great villain/bully that adds another aspect to the story.
The plot of this book was really interesting but also kind of scary! The cemetery and the stories and graves and statues were all real which made the story really come alive. Everything connected in such a smart way. I loved how passionate Will was about what was going on in the cemetery and how much he wanted to figure things out no matter how scary things got. And there were a few parts where I was nervous I was going to get nightmares.
The intrigue of this book was high and the writing style was great. I was able to fly through it in 3 days which doesn't happen often.
If you are looking for a spooky middle grade, I definitely recommend this one or any of Lindsay's other books!
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacourte Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Happy book birthday to X Marks the Haunt. I am a huge fan of Lindsay Currie’s middle grade, horror stories. They are the perfect mix of heartwarming characters, spooky, paranormal activity and so many historical facts!
I adored the main character, Will in this story. He’s a twelve-year-old kid who loves graveyards and respects the history and stories that they hold. His mom runs the Graceland Cemetery located in Chicago. Will enjoys genealogy and spends his time researching the records of those laid to rest at the cemetery. He especially likes finding odd descriptions on how a person died long ago - especially since doctors didn’t fully understand many causes back then. Will gets caught up in a captivating ghost haunting after his school takes a field trip to visit the historic markers in Graceland . It involves peer pressure, a lost crypt key, roaming coyotes, withering trees and unmarked graves.
This isn’t the first story that Currie has used Graceland Cemetery as a backdrop for a haunting and I hope it won’t be the last. I can’t tell you the number of times I paused reading to quickly search the actual monuments described in this book. It becomes an interactive experience when you can actually see the eerie stare of the Eternal Silence or watch Currie herself try knocking on the Wolff Family mausoleum. I was introduced to a columbarium vault and enjoyed watching the behind the scenes operations of running a popular cemetery too.
The supernatural activity is age appropriate and quickly draws you in to the story. I love that Will and his friends - Stash, Henry and Michelle set out to try to discover the reasoning that a ghost is attempting to communicate with them. Their research unlocks even more historical facts related to the improper understandings of tuberculosis. It was incredibly endearing to see how respectful this young cast was of their surroundings. I hope it inspires other readers to not be fearful of cemeteries and may even spark their interest in genealogy.
This earned an easy five star rating!! Please add this one to your list and check out Currie’s previous books. I promise you will enjoy them.
I received an ARC from @netgalley and @randomhousekids - all opinions are my own.
I adored the main character, Will in this story. He’s a twelve-year-old kid who loves graveyards and respects the history and stories that they hold. His mom runs the Graceland Cemetery located in Chicago. Will enjoys genealogy and spends his time researching the records of those laid to rest at the cemetery. He especially likes finding odd descriptions on how a person died long ago - especially since doctors didn’t fully understand many causes back then. Will gets caught up in a captivating ghost haunting after his school takes a field trip to visit the historic markers in Graceland . It involves peer pressure, a lost crypt key, roaming coyotes, withering trees and unmarked graves.
This isn’t the first story that Currie has used Graceland Cemetery as a backdrop for a haunting and I hope it won’t be the last. I can’t tell you the number of times I paused reading to quickly search the actual monuments described in this book. It becomes an interactive experience when you can actually see the eerie stare of the Eternal Silence or watch Currie herself try knocking on the Wolff Family mausoleum. I was introduced to a columbarium vault and enjoyed watching the behind the scenes operations of running a popular cemetery too.
The supernatural activity is age appropriate and quickly draws you in to the story. I love that Will and his friends - Stash, Henry and Michelle set out to try to discover the reasoning that a ghost is attempting to communicate with them. Their research unlocks even more historical facts related to the improper understandings of tuberculosis. It was incredibly endearing to see how respectful this young cast was of their surroundings. I hope it inspires other readers to not be fearful of cemeteries and may even spark their interest in genealogy.
This earned an easy five star rating!! Please add this one to your list and check out Currie’s previous books. I promise you will enjoy them.
I received an ARC from @netgalley and @randomhousekids - all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm going to say something you don't usually expect to hear about a horror book, but what fun! Being an MG book, you might imagine a rather sedate mystery, but with this book you get something much more involved than that. Our MC is a 12-year old boy, Will Stone, with a best friend called Stash. Will's mother has worked at a local graveyard for many years and Will is fascinated with everything they do there. He and Stash know the graveyard like the backs of their hands, and Will is even becoming quite the miniature genealogist. When a centuries old crypt key is lost, that's just the beginning of what will turn out to be a large, involved mystery that Will has to solve without his mother finding out because she's just starting to trust him with more responsibility at the cemetery and he doesn't want to disappoint her, but it will take more than just Will and Stash to do so. They expand their friend's circle when they bring Michelle and Henry on board, but even then it seems like for every step they take forward, they're knocked back two. Will they be able to solve this mystery before it causes irreparable harm to the once peaceful cemetery?
This would be such a good book to introduce middle schoolers to the horror genre. It's engaging without being overwhelming or overly scary. It's very well written, which makes the story flow naturally, and it is therefore a fairly quick read. The characters are likeable and engaging and the mystery is spot on. The setting is described perfectly and makes you feel even more involved in the story. The ending is quite satisfying, as well.
All in all, this was a well written mystery horror story that would be excellent for introducing middle schoolers to the horror genre.
I was very impressed with this book and highly recommend it for all of the reasons listed above.
5/5 stars
*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, and Lindsay Currie for the opportunity to read and review X Marks the Haunt.
This would be such a good book to introduce middle schoolers to the horror genre. It's engaging without being overwhelming or overly scary. It's very well written, which makes the story flow naturally, and it is therefore a fairly quick read. The characters are likeable and engaging and the mystery is spot on. The setting is described perfectly and makes you feel even more involved in the story. The ending is quite satisfying, as well.
All in all, this was a well written mystery horror story that would be excellent for introducing middle schoolers to the horror genre.
I was very impressed with this book and highly recommend it for all of the reasons listed above.
5/5 stars
*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, and Lindsay Currie for the opportunity to read and review X Marks the Haunt.
December 2, 2025
Growing up in a graveyard is not typical of most people, but it is perfectly normal to twelve-year-old Will. Despite the fact that the graveyard is filled with dead bodies, though, Will rather enjoys the graveyard and all the history it holds, even if he finds it difficult to admit that his mother works there. When a school field trip unearths Will’s secret and the class bully coerces Will into stealing a mausoleum key, Will believes that this one act will be enough to assuage the bully. But when spooky and inexplicable things begin occurring in Will’s vicinity, he must determine exactly what is happening—and how to fix it—before it is too late. This spooky middle grade novel is a satisfyingly frightening adventure for young readers. Will and his friends are at the center of the story, and while adults exist around them, the youth are frequently solving problems on their own. The sense of calm readers feel at the beginning of the novel is markedly shaken when the frightening elements are introduced, much like how Will’s own understanding of the world is shattered by the possibility of ghosts in his midst. Several spine-chilling moments in the narrative will resonate with young readers, and the fast-paced design of the story keeps the momentum of the tale moving relentlessly forward. Each brief chapter reveals a new element of the story, and readers are encouraged to solve the mystery alongside Will and his companions. Themes of friendship and belonging are wrapped inside a thoroughly frightening set of circumstances to create a narrative that is at once chilling and heartfelt. Well-suited to confident middle grade readers, this novel is one that will appeal to those with an appreciation for spooky storytelling.
January 6, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.
📝 Short Summary
X Marks the Haunt follows a middle schooler who finds herself in the middle of a spooky small town mystery that shimmers with friendship, humor, and just enough supernatural energy to keep you fully invested. This book blends middle school reality with actual haunting vibes and manages to balance laughter with heart in a way that feels effortlessly charming and perfectly paced.
💭 Full Review
I was so into this book from the start. It delivered that perfect middle school read energy with just the right amount of quirk, humor, and actual stakes. The characters felt real and fun to hang out with. I loved how the story balanced spooky moments with warmth and laughter in a way that felt effortless. The pacing pulled me in and kept me there because I genuinely wanted to know what would happen next. It made me feel like I was right there with the main character, navigating school drama and eerie clues at the same time. The voice is confident and playful and completely appropriate for the middle school level while still being deeply enjoyable for an adult reader. I care about these characters, and I laughed at moments that hit with exactly the right tone. The mystery and the way the haunting elements were woven into the story kept me engaged without overpowering the human experiences at its center. I finished the ebook feeling delighted. This is the kind of book that sticks with you long enough to make you smile again later.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, absolutely. This is a fantastic read for middle grade lovers and anyone who wants a story that balances humor, heart, and a touch of spooky fun. It is the kind of book that invites you in and makes you glad you stayed.
📝 Short Summary
X Marks the Haunt follows a middle schooler who finds herself in the middle of a spooky small town mystery that shimmers with friendship, humor, and just enough supernatural energy to keep you fully invested. This book blends middle school reality with actual haunting vibes and manages to balance laughter with heart in a way that feels effortlessly charming and perfectly paced.
💭 Full Review
I was so into this book from the start. It delivered that perfect middle school read energy with just the right amount of quirk, humor, and actual stakes. The characters felt real and fun to hang out with. I loved how the story balanced spooky moments with warmth and laughter in a way that felt effortless. The pacing pulled me in and kept me there because I genuinely wanted to know what would happen next. It made me feel like I was right there with the main character, navigating school drama and eerie clues at the same time. The voice is confident and playful and completely appropriate for the middle school level while still being deeply enjoyable for an adult reader. I care about these characters, and I laughed at moments that hit with exactly the right tone. The mystery and the way the haunting elements were woven into the story kept me engaged without overpowering the human experiences at its center. I finished the ebook feeling delighted. This is the kind of book that sticks with you long enough to make you smile again later.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, absolutely. This is a fantastic read for middle grade lovers and anyone who wants a story that balances humor, heart, and a touch of spooky fun. It is the kind of book that invites you in and makes you glad you stayed.
January 19, 2026
X Marks the Haunt by Lindsay Currie is exactly the kind of book I wish existed when I was in middle grade, and it was a ton of fun - and a little scary! - as an adult.
Will’s mom is the cemeterian, or, as Will says, the “everything”, at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, and Will enjoys helping her, especially when he can investigate, like when someone needs help finding a specific grave.
When his class takes a field trip to the cemetery- thanks to its historical significance and recent designation as an arboretum- Will is afraid his classmates will find out his mom runs it and tease him the way they do Toby “Body Boy” whose parents own a funeral parlor.
Instead, thanks to a class bully and some new friends, he ends up on the biggest investigation of his life - identifying the ghost who is haunting him and put it to rest.
X Marks the Haunt doesn’t condescend to its young intended audience in language or style. When a word or concept is likely to be unfamiliar to a reader, Currie expertly defines it in context or through a character’s dialogue in a way that’s natural to the story - and to the way 12 year olds talk - to which I can attest thanks to my middle grade aged nephews.
X Marks the Haunt is a perfect horror for a young reader; it has some truly creepy moments that will chill - maybe even cause a nightmare or two, like the best ones do when you’re a kid, but it’s also educational, especially around cemetery and funeral work. It can even teach a child about grief as Will and his mom are mourning his father’s death a year earlier, and Currie has Will take the time to talk about his feelings about that in the narrative.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the advance copy for my unbiased review.
August 26, 2025
ARC provided by NetGalley
Will’s mom has a pretty unusual job—she’s the executive director of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Will often spends his time paging through old handwritten files, helping people track down relatives and uncovering bits of history along the way. Following in his mom’s footsteps, he’s fascinated by mysteries and the thrill of the search.
Like many kids his age, Will also just wants to expand his friend group. That chance comes when he’s paired with his best friend Stash, along with Michelle and Henry, for a scavenger hunt through Graceland as part of a Chicago history project. But trouble isn’t far behind. Chris, the resident bully, discovers where Will’s mom works and starts tormenting him. The only way Chris will back off is if Will sneaks out a mausoleum key so Chris can livestream from inside a vault. Things take a darker turn when their nighttime adventure is interrupted by a groundskeeper, and Chris buries the key. Now Will has to return to find it—and what follows is the stuff of nightmares.
What I love most about this book is its perfect balance: it’s mysterious and spooky, but never too scary for upper-elementary or middle-grade readers. The story also weaves in real-life themes of friendship, family, and peer pressure, with just the right touch of humor to lighten the tension. And the historical details sprinkled throughout give the book an extra layer that will leave readers curious to learn more about the real history behind the setting.
Will’s mom has a pretty unusual job—she’s the executive director of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Will often spends his time paging through old handwritten files, helping people track down relatives and uncovering bits of history along the way. Following in his mom’s footsteps, he’s fascinated by mysteries and the thrill of the search.
Like many kids his age, Will also just wants to expand his friend group. That chance comes when he’s paired with his best friend Stash, along with Michelle and Henry, for a scavenger hunt through Graceland as part of a Chicago history project. But trouble isn’t far behind. Chris, the resident bully, discovers where Will’s mom works and starts tormenting him. The only way Chris will back off is if Will sneaks out a mausoleum key so Chris can livestream from inside a vault. Things take a darker turn when their nighttime adventure is interrupted by a groundskeeper, and Chris buries the key. Now Will has to return to find it—and what follows is the stuff of nightmares.
What I love most about this book is its perfect balance: it’s mysterious and spooky, but never too scary for upper-elementary or middle-grade readers. The story also weaves in real-life themes of friendship, family, and peer pressure, with just the right touch of humor to lighten the tension. And the historical details sprinkled throughout give the book an extra layer that will leave readers curious to learn more about the real history behind the setting.
January 8, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was such a fun, creepy, and surprisingly heartfelt middle-grade read. From the very beginning, the setting pulled me in — a kid who practically grows up in a cemetery because his mom is the local crypt keeper? Instantly intriguing.
Will Stone is such a likable main character. Thanks to his mom’s job, he has these wonderfully unusual skills — understanding burial vaults, decoding old records, and genealogy — and I loved how those talents actually mattered to the story instead of just being quirky details. When a centuries-old crypt key goes missing, the cemetery starts to change in unsettling ways: dying trees, a lake covered in eerie green slime, and the sense that something dark has been unleashed. The tension builds in a way that’s spooky without being too much for younger readers.
What really stood out to me was the balance. This book delivers genuine chills, but it also has a lot of heart. The friendships between Will, Stash, Michelle, and Henry feel real, and I appreciated how the story weaves in themes of belonging, bravery, and standing up for yourself. Even the mystery itself kept me guessing — the clues were clever, and the payoff was satisfying.
If your child (or you!) enjoys spooky mysteries with strong friendships, a unique setting, and just the right amount of creepiness, this one is a great pick. I can absolutely see why Lindsay Currie is such a favorite in middle-grade horror — this book was a spookily good time from start to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a fun, creepy, and surprisingly heartfelt middle-grade read. From the very beginning, the setting pulled me in — a kid who practically grows up in a cemetery because his mom is the local crypt keeper? Instantly intriguing.
Will Stone is such a likable main character. Thanks to his mom’s job, he has these wonderfully unusual skills — understanding burial vaults, decoding old records, and genealogy — and I loved how those talents actually mattered to the story instead of just being quirky details. When a centuries-old crypt key goes missing, the cemetery starts to change in unsettling ways: dying trees, a lake covered in eerie green slime, and the sense that something dark has been unleashed. The tension builds in a way that’s spooky without being too much for younger readers.
What really stood out to me was the balance. This book delivers genuine chills, but it also has a lot of heart. The friendships between Will, Stash, Michelle, and Henry feel real, and I appreciated how the story weaves in themes of belonging, bravery, and standing up for yourself. Even the mystery itself kept me guessing — the clues were clever, and the payoff was satisfying.
If your child (or you!) enjoys spooky mysteries with strong friendships, a unique setting, and just the right amount of creepiness, this one is a great pick. I can absolutely see why Lindsay Currie is such a favorite in middle-grade horror — this book was a spookily good time from start to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2025
Will loves working with his mom at the historic Graceland Cemetery. He helps track things down for family members in the ancient records. He tries to solve some mysteries of genealogy and location within the cemetery. He has developed a knack for reading the old timey cursive that they used to write with. So he should be very excited to be joining his classmates on an upcoming field trip to the cemetery, but he's not. He's worried about being connected to the cemetery through his mother after a school bully gave a mean nickname to a classmate, the local embalmer's son.
At the field trip, he gets grouped with his best friend Stash and two other classmates. He quickly learns that he doesn't have to be embarrassed about all of his knowledge, but to use it to help them complete the scavenger hunt. He is surprised to see that his groupmates are impressed and find the information interesting. Could these be potential friends?
Unfortunately, Will agrees to help the mean kid sneak back into the cemetery after dark. This event sets off a string of creepy situations that make Will think they've angered a spirit. Will and his friends are determined to solve they mystery of the unrested spirit to help set things right and get the cemetery back to its peaceful retreat.
Once again Lindsay Currie creates a suspenseful and creepy story that is sure to delight middle grade readers. She honors history and those who have come before us by making them part of the mystery. I will be happy to add this alongside my growing Lindsay Currie section in my classroom library.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
At the field trip, he gets grouped with his best friend Stash and two other classmates. He quickly learns that he doesn't have to be embarrassed about all of his knowledge, but to use it to help them complete the scavenger hunt. He is surprised to see that his groupmates are impressed and find the information interesting. Could these be potential friends?
Unfortunately, Will agrees to help the mean kid sneak back into the cemetery after dark. This event sets off a string of creepy situations that make Will think they've angered a spirit. Will and his friends are determined to solve they mystery of the unrested spirit to help set things right and get the cemetery back to its peaceful retreat.
Once again Lindsay Currie creates a suspenseful and creepy story that is sure to delight middle grade readers. She honors history and those who have come before us by making them part of the mystery. I will be happy to add this alongside my growing Lindsay Currie section in my classroom library.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2025
Will Stone is a twelve year old who helps his mother out at the Cemetery she is in charge of. He is able to read cursive, (I did laugh at that) so he is a good help to his mom with genealogy research when people are looking for relatives long gone and buried there and most old records are handwritten.
He makes a mistake in allowing himself to be bullied into taking someone into the cemetery at night and giving them a key to an old crypt. Some other school (maybe) friends also come. He lets this bully take this key because he knows he will never be able to figure out how to open the crypt. Things go awry and they all end up running out of there and disaster seems to have struck. After that, a lot of scary and odd things start happening to Will and to the cemetery. Will and his new friends start working on trying to solve a mystery of who is now haunting and why.
I had forgotten when I originally requested this book that it was a young adult book. It didn't matter. I loved it! I can say that this group of young people are certainly much braver than I would probably be. Alliances are formed, bullies removed and mysteries solved. I think lessons were also learned. This book also spoke in many ways about how friendships can be formed and how important honesty is. I highly recommend this for all ages 8 to 88.
I would like to thank Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
He makes a mistake in allowing himself to be bullied into taking someone into the cemetery at night and giving them a key to an old crypt. Some other school (maybe) friends also come. He lets this bully take this key because he knows he will never be able to figure out how to open the crypt. Things go awry and they all end up running out of there and disaster seems to have struck. After that, a lot of scary and odd things start happening to Will and to the cemetery. Will and his new friends start working on trying to solve a mystery of who is now haunting and why.
I had forgotten when I originally requested this book that it was a young adult book. It didn't matter. I loved it! I can say that this group of young people are certainly much braver than I would probably be. Alliances are formed, bullies removed and mysteries solved. I think lessons were also learned. This book also spoke in many ways about how friendships can be formed and how important honesty is. I highly recommend this for all ages 8 to 88.
I would like to thank Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews