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Nowhere House
A cursed house. A decades-old mystery. A brother and sister on the edge. Nate is furious that he’s had to leave his school, break up his band and move to the middle of nowhere with his family. But he never imagined he’d be moving into an old farmhouse that’s been left for dead. From the moment Nate’s family arrives, he’s sure someone is watching them and a series of creepy discoveries leads him straight to danger.
Soon, Nate and his little sister, Mila, uncover a chilling secret: the previous owner’s children vanished without a trace. But someone is desperate to keep the house’s secrets hidden. And if Nate can’t solve the mystery of the missing kids in time … maybe he and his sister will be next.
A gripping twisty thriller that will keep readers guessing till the end.
Soon, Nate and his little sister, Mila, uncover a chilling secret: the previous owner’s children vanished without a trace. But someone is desperate to keep the house’s secrets hidden. And if Nate can’t solve the mystery of the missing kids in time … maybe he and his sister will be next.
A gripping twisty thriller that will keep readers guessing till the end.
- GenresYoung Adult
204 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 23, 2026
I read this so fast, and it definitely kept me entertained. The first chunk of it was really good, as there were constantly new things being discovered, and new events happening. However, it did slightly drop off at the end, where the plot was revealed. I definitely think that the ending had so much more potential.
That being said, this was definitely a book aimed at younger teen readers, so the way that I pictured it ending could have been a bit too scary. This book did feel quite middle-grade, which I didn't love. I'd get to a sentence and cringe sometimes, which wasn't great.
I did like how the characters ended up though, especially Ronnie, and her whole plotline.
Overall, I liked this book,and would recommend it to any young teens who are interested in it. Also, the cover is amazing!
That being said, this was definitely a book aimed at younger teen readers, so the way that I pictured it ending could have been a bit too scary. This book did feel quite middle-grade, which I didn't love. I'd get to a sentence and cringe sometimes, which wasn't great.
I did like how the characters ended up though, especially Ronnie, and her whole plotline.
Overall, I liked this book,and would recommend it to any young teens who are interested in it. Also, the cover is amazing!
October 19, 2026
A great book, found the first half quite directed at middle-schoolers and found the last 70 pages extremely engaging, binged it so hard in 2 sittings.
Definitely recommend for someone who wants a simple thrill.
Definitely recommend for someone who wants a simple thrill.
September 20, 2026
3.5/5
I saw this book in the shops and grabbed it because of the cover (yes I do judge books by their covers). I knew that this book was ya but I wasn’t prepared for how young they were. But other then that I had a fun time reading it. I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I was needing to know what happened to the missing kids.
I saw this book in the shops and grabbed it because of the cover (yes I do judge books by their covers). I knew that this book was ya but I wasn’t prepared for how young they were. But other then that I had a fun time reading it. I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I was needing to know what happened to the missing kids.
October 5, 2026
This was my first Adrian Beck book and, surprisingly, my first real step into mystery too! Now that I’m teaching more in the senior primary space, I’ve been trying out authors and books that are new to me - and funnily enough, I picked this one up because one of Adrian’s Instagram reels made me laugh.
I was drawn in immediately. Nowhere House had me questioning what was really going on the whole way through, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns that kept me wanting to read just one more chapter.
Nate really spoke to me and was one of my favourite parts of the story. He felt real, a little rough around the edges, sometimes frustrated and unsure, but also a genuinely great big brother when it mattered.
A really fun and engaging mystery with a great plot, creepy moments and plenty to keep you guessing. Definitely not my last Adrian Beck book!
I was drawn in immediately. Nowhere House had me questioning what was really going on the whole way through, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns that kept me wanting to read just one more chapter.
Nate really spoke to me and was one of my favourite parts of the story. He felt real, a little rough around the edges, sometimes frustrated and unsure, but also a genuinely great big brother when it mattered.
A really fun and engaging mystery with a great plot, creepy moments and plenty to keep you guessing. Definitely not my last Adrian Beck book!
August 19, 2026
‘I’m starting to worry I’m the only one who can tell we’re in danger here.’
MGM Review 64 - Nowhere House - @adrianbeckbooks - @scholastic_au
In the lead up to this book it’s been really interesting listening to Adrian talk about crafting books that readers won’t want to put down and the techniques he used to achieve this in ‘Nowhere House’. I was eager to see how he went and wasn’t disappointed.
Nate is devastated when he has to leave Melbourne and move to the middle of nowhere. He’s lost his school, his friends and his band. To make matters worse, his parents have bought a house that no one else wanted. It’s old, it’s huge and it’s a little spooky. The minute they get there, Nate is sure something is up and someone is watching them. The more he discovers about this house, the freakier it gets and the more questions he has. When he starts asking too many questions though, he and his sister discover a chilling secret. One that puts their lives in danger. Will he be able to uncover the secrets that live within the house or will they be the next victims of this mysterious mansion?
Well, Adrian really nailed this one. It’s not easy to achieve substance in a book 200 pages long, but he has managed that and more. From the get go, he draws you in and already has you hooked. It only takes you 6 pages and you are locked in. The longer you read on, the more questions that surface, as the pressure builds and our main character Nate becomes more and more paranoid. Adrian drops clue after clue that doesn’t feel right and paints a grim picture for the family. But it was the second half of the book that won it for me. In a flash, my heart rate was racing and I was genuinely scared for Nate and Mila. With a freaky setting, numerous unanswered questions and some jaw dropping moments, this book will surely draw in the most reluctant of readers.
It was a pleasure to read and an absolute winner from Adrian. Short, fast-paced and a little frightening.
#loveozmg #middlegradereads #middlegradebooks #mgreads #mgbooks
MGM Review 64 - Nowhere House - @adrianbeckbooks - @scholastic_au
In the lead up to this book it’s been really interesting listening to Adrian talk about crafting books that readers won’t want to put down and the techniques he used to achieve this in ‘Nowhere House’. I was eager to see how he went and wasn’t disappointed.
Nate is devastated when he has to leave Melbourne and move to the middle of nowhere. He’s lost his school, his friends and his band. To make matters worse, his parents have bought a house that no one else wanted. It’s old, it’s huge and it’s a little spooky. The minute they get there, Nate is sure something is up and someone is watching them. The more he discovers about this house, the freakier it gets and the more questions he has. When he starts asking too many questions though, he and his sister discover a chilling secret. One that puts their lives in danger. Will he be able to uncover the secrets that live within the house or will they be the next victims of this mysterious mansion?
Well, Adrian really nailed this one. It’s not easy to achieve substance in a book 200 pages long, but he has managed that and more. From the get go, he draws you in and already has you hooked. It only takes you 6 pages and you are locked in. The longer you read on, the more questions that surface, as the pressure builds and our main character Nate becomes more and more paranoid. Adrian drops clue after clue that doesn’t feel right and paints a grim picture for the family. But it was the second half of the book that won it for me. In a flash, my heart rate was racing and I was genuinely scared for Nate and Mila. With a freaky setting, numerous unanswered questions and some jaw dropping moments, this book will surely draw in the most reluctant of readers.
It was a pleasure to read and an absolute winner from Adrian. Short, fast-paced and a little frightening.
#loveozmg #middlegradereads #middlegradebooks #mgreads #mgbooks
August 20, 2026
That was a really fun read! Aimed mainly for middle grade, this thrilling mystery is right up your alley if you want short suspenseful chapters with a healthy smattering of youthful self-doubt. Mum's character was definitely a highlight for me, and the introspection the MMC shares at the end felt fitting. I liked that there was a subtle Australian influence but kept ambiguous enough that it could have been any "middle of nowhere" house.
August 7, 2026
I didnt want to put the book down, was such a good read!
August 23, 2026
Loved this so much and my kids devoured it immediately!! It’s a fantastic mystery with some surprising twists and turns!!
August 29, 2026
3/5 stars (28.08.2026-30.08.2026). Notes:
- Inspo to read this book: Reading the Villain Duology and enjoying it. I wanted to read other books that Beck has written that was available at my local library
- This book is pretty complicated (themes of step families and violence though young kids can understand these themes, the way it is explained in this book is a bit hard to understand even for me an adult 😅) and scary at times for its target audience (junior fiction; young kids)
- I didn't really like Mila (the main character's younger sister) and that alone made this book difficult to read as she is a very annoying character for at least the first half of the book with all her antics. She has zero survival instinct, always turning up and annoying the main character and blindly trusting complete strangers; which in normal horror books could result in her getting killed first. She is pretty smart though.
- Nobody actually dies in this book
- Inspo to read this book: Reading the Villain Duology and enjoying it. I wanted to read other books that Beck has written that was available at my local library
- This book is pretty complicated (themes of step families and violence though young kids can understand these themes, the way it is explained in this book is a bit hard to understand even for me an adult 😅) and scary at times for its target audience (junior fiction; young kids)
- I didn't really like Mila (the main character's younger sister) and that alone made this book difficult to read as she is a very annoying character for at least the first half of the book with all her antics. She has zero survival instinct, always turning up and annoying the main character and blindly trusting complete strangers; which in normal horror books could result in her getting killed first. She is pretty smart though.
- Nobody actually dies in this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2026
It was an interesting read. Slow halfway through the book but the ending was quick with bringing back two characters without explaining where they had been.
September 14, 2026
This book was good. Had some suspense and was an enjoyable read
October 3, 2026
A good, short horror for upper MG/lower YA readers
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews