Curiosity House: The Screaming Statue (Book Two)

The Curiosity House #2

by Lauren Oliver, H C Chester

Four extraordinary children must avenge their friend's death, try to save their home, and unravel the secrets of their past . . . before their past unravels them.

Pippa, Sam, Thomas, and Max are happy to be out of harm's way now that the notorious villain Nicholas Rattigan is halfway across the country in Chicago. But unfortunately their home, Dumfreys's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, is in danger of closing its doors forever.

But their troubles only get worse. The four friends are shocked when their beloved friend, famous sculptor Siegfried Eckleberger, is murdered. As they investigate, they find clues that his death may be tied to the murder of a rich and powerful New York heiress, as well as to their own pasts.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Adventure

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

Lauren Oliver is an author, screenwriter, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of the upcoming novels THE GIRL IN THE LAKE (June 1, 2026) and its sequel, THE SLEEPWALKER (May 5, 2027). Her previous works include multiple New York Times bestselling novels for teens, including Before I Fall (which spent seventeen weeks on the list and was adapted into a feature film released by Open Road), the Delirium trilogy (a two-million-copy-selling dystopian series translated into thirty-five languages), and Panic, which she later adapted into the streaming TV show on Amazon Prime of the same name, for which she wrote every episode and served as Executive Producer. Along the way, Lauren founded the IP company StoryGiants and helped to package and edit nearly one hundred other novels. She is also the co-founder of Incantor AI, a self-scaling digital media engine built on a new and proprietary foundational model of artificial intelligence that respects copyright by providing both IP attribution and royalty shares to contributing sources. Raised in Westchester, New York, Lauren attended the University of Chicago and got her MFA from NYU. She now divides her time between Maryland and Los Angeles. Subscribe to my Substack! laurenoliverbooks.substack.com

Reviews

[Sara Saif · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is pretty fun, if a little unusual and having a sombre mood. The second book has the same plot pattern as the first; things are going bad in the beginning, murder happens, two or three suspicious threads have the kids running around in circles, they get lured into a trap and escape at the last moment. I enjoyed the mystery and how everything in the book projected a positively miserable and depressing atmosphere. It's kinda like a Tim Burton film, creepy and fascinating at the same time.

The four kids: Sam, Max, Pippa and Thomas go well together as a team. I like all of them but grammar-nazi Pippa and brainy bendy Thomas are my favorites. Pippa because obviously (she and I share the obnoxious habit of correcting grammar errors) and Thomas because he is adorable and smart.

There are deaths in this series, gruesome ones too despite the fact that it's meant for children. I'm not complaining since it made reading for the 22 year old me more fun.

There are two things that I don't compute, though:
1) I still don't know how Dumfrey recognized Max instantly after seeing her for the first time.
2) Superpowers stemming from inhumane experimentation makes sense when the powers in question are super-strength or mind-reading. But knife-throwing? I don't think so. And having a flexible body and/or genius-level intellect? Also no.
Final Verdict: GOOD.

[Saruuh Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as exciting and endearing as the first book.

I really enjoy the characters of this series - they make every book come to life. Sam is my favourite because he's so cute (despite his super strength and breaking things) but every character, even minor, has something that makes them stand out. No character blends into the background.

The murder mystery of this was fun - and kept me guessing. I did not see the murderer coming, although it seems pretty obvious now. The continued suspicion and mystery around Rattigan and the kids' creation added another level of suspense too. I enjoyed the story - it's not too dark, not too lighthearted, and it's thoroughly memorable.

Mystery, adventure, and characters you can't help but love. Another great installment.

[Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much. The cast is so good and I really hope these children get help from a therapist to deal with all the dead people they keep finding.

[Ira Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wah saya speechless setelah membaca buku ini. Mau langsung bikin reviewnya tapi sudah tak sabar pengin lanjut baca buku ketiganya, ehehe.

Jadi, di buku kedua ini, koran-koran sedang heboh karena ada kasus pembunuhan wanita cantik. Tersangka pembunuh adalah suaminya sendiri. Di duga motif pembunuhannya adalah karena sang suami cemburu istrinya dekat dengan pria lain.

Mr. Dumpfrey menganggap kehebohan kasus ini bisa dimanfaatkan untuk ikut mendongkrak popularitas museum. Diorama lengkap yang menggambarkan adegan pembunuhan pun dibuat. Dengan bantuan dari pembuat patung lilin terbaik di kota.

Namun sayangnya, anggapan Mr. Dumpfrey meleset. Tak ada satu pengunjung pun yang tertarik. Museum sepi dan diambang kebangkrutan.

Masalah lain pun datang menyusul. Terjadi kecelakaan di berbagai atraksi penampil. Bahkan lemparan pisau Max pun meleset. Sam uring-uringan karena kehadiran penampil baru, seorang cowok berparas sempurna yang dapat memutar kepalanya 180 derajat. Dan si pembuat patung diorama ditemukan tewas terbunuh.

Anak-anak kembali melibatkan diri untuk mencari si pembunuh. Hum..hum..berhasilkah mereka? Silakan baca sendiri bukunya, hihihi.

IMO, di buku kedua ini misterinya lebih seru. Apalagi endingnya, wuih, bikin penasaran. Saya sampai malas menandai kutipan-kutipan favorit saking penasarannya sama ceritanya. At last, 4 dari 5 bintang untuk buku ini. I really liked it.

.

[Sofie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end was a tiny bit rushed imo buttt it still was verry good!! And some of the riddles where so hard to figure out 🥴

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was even more mysterious, creepy, gothic, unusual, & atmospheric than even the first book. Loved this one so much as well. There’s a new murder of someone close to them they are trying to solve, plus something they learned in the 1st book they are trying to come to terms with, & is still being dealt with. Plus they have new troubles at the museum & are having to worry about their home as well. The writing was just as engrossing & engaging in here, so atmospheric, fast-paced, with these extraordinary characters that I just adore. Highly recommend. Another STUNNING cover by Benjamin Lacombe as well, with stunning illustrations sprinkled throughout too.💜

[Parker Paniagua · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this fictional and mysterious book is Curiosity House: The Screaming Statue. This is the second book in the new Curiosity House series by authors Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester. The book follows the four children from the last book, Max, Sam, Pippa, and Thomas. After escaping the hands of the last antagonist, Professor Rattigan, the children believe that their troubles are over. But, soon a good friend of theirs by the name Siegfried Eckelberger is murdered. As the children look for clues, they face both the mystery of Eckelberger's murder and its ties to the murder of a famous heiress, and the chance that their home, Dumfreys's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, may be shut down forever. I think that this sequel to the first book was fantastic. It provided further development of each of the children and their importance to one another, gave excellent teasers and clues to the mystery of the murder of their friend, and it showed how these children are able to handle their own home being closed down forever.

I really loved this book and almost everything about it. One thing was how the four children managed to stick together no matter what, even when at one point they were divided due to the museum possibly closing down. Pippa and Max couldn't get along and they constantly judged each other. Max and Sam fought because Sam didn't like that Max was hanging out with another boy named Howie at the museum. And Thomas couldn't really get anyone to help him focus on the mystery at hand. Still, the kids ended up helping each other solve the mystery, since they are really the only people they can truly trust. I also liked how suddenly events happened and reading how the kids handled. In one point in the story, Sam, Max, Pippa, and Thomas attacked by a group of street kids and they manage to defeat them with their abilities, such as Sam using his super strength to hurt the kids, which he did just by tapping them.

I really hope this new series is carried on with lots of more books. I just loved how it showed that even children can solve some of the greatest crimes and mysteries that threaten to come into place. Their powers and skills help them overcome how different they are from everyone else and that they have their own family, just like regular citizens. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read fantasy or mystery books and loves a good bond between family.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series has the children desperately trying to save their beloved museum, and also fearful that someone will discover their secret.
There’s a murder case that could be the answer to the museum’s poor sales, but it needs the help of their friend the renowned sculptor. Unfortunately, he ends up dead and we see that there is more to this situation than anyone has worked out.
The children try their best to investigate, while dealing with the fears that infamous criminal Rattigan is on the loose.
Everything ends up a little closer to home than they feared, but this is well-paced and hugely entertaining.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

compared to the first volume this was much simpler. in the first volume beside the murders, we had Rattigan and his relationship with the children and the children issues with each other but because this volume and the next were only focused on murders they were less interesting. also the point that children trusted Spode so easily left me shocked. when you know a crazy scientist is following you around you would never trust someone and go meet them in an abandoned factory. not much to say really, not a bad book but not really an amazing book either.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has the same feel as the first book, and I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion to this series. The mystery is intriguing, and the resolution was mildly surprising. I had parts of it figured out already. Also, the main characters were still likeable. Although, they were moodier in this book.

[Dana Salman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't even finished the first book yet but I already know I want to read the next one. This seems like a promising new series!

[Amita · Rating 3 out of 5]

even though these books were published years ago, I still think the author found out that sam is my least favorite character and max is my second least favorite and decided to give me a second book focusing almost entirely on their stupid little relationship drama instead of the plot... but I'm a tiny bit grateful because it let me check off the love triangle reading challenge entry. we all know I don't get many chances to do that.

middle book syndrome hit this one hard. forgettable plot, and I guessed most of the mystery again, this time in a bad way! but the final showdown scene was undeniably fire. best one of the series for sure

2023 popsugar reading challenge: A book with a love triangle

[Zachary Flye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review:

Protagonists: After discovering their troubling roots Pippa, Max, Sam, and Thomas just want things to go back to normal at Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, but tickets aren't selling well and their only hope seems to be a new exhibit featuring the murder of a prominent New York socialite who seems by all accounts to have been killed by her husband in a jealous rage. However, before they know it their dear friend, Siegfried Eckleberger, is murdered and it seems to be connected in some way to their new exhibit. As they look deeper into this mystery everything is not quite what it appears. I have to say I really love these characters. It's very easy to get a grasp on these characters and see where they're going. Pippa's gifts are growing and yet it happens very gradually, there's no great surge of sudden power, but fleeting feelings and moments. Max becomes a bit distracted by a new member of the Dumfrey's Dime Museum family who isn't all well liked by the others. Sam, still unable to fully control his strength is full of angst, just wanting to be like everyone else, to have a pet or even open a door without risking pulling it off its hinges. Then there's Thomas, as curious as ever and in many ways the tie that binds this group. I loved seeing these characters grow and face challenges that while a bit different can still resonate with the reader.

Romance: As with the first book in this series, there isn't a lot of romance, in fact, I'm skeptical to even call some of the stuff in this book romance. That being said, though, there are some romantic feelings floating around this cast of characters. It's all very innocent stuff that wouldn't make me hesitant to use the word "crush." There's a bit of a Middle-Grade love triangle in this book as well, but it's done in such a way that makes it obvious where things may eventually go. I really enjoyed the small spatterings of romance through this story. It never detracts from the story and as I said before it's all very innocent blushes of new feelings for the kids involved and so I'm not sure where it'll go or if it will even come to anything before the series comes to a close, but either way it's so far been spectacularly done.

World Building: So I looked back at my review for the first installment in this series and I have no idea what I was thinking. In that review I said there wasn't a lot of world building, however, there's a whole lot of it in both that book and this one. I think where my mind was, was that the author wrote a fantastic 1950's-ish setting but there wasn't a lot of this unique part of this world expanded upon. The origin story of the children is a bit muddy (from what I can remember) and while the makeshift family in the Curiosity House is fantastic, it comes off a bit underwhelming. In this book a lot of those problems are still there, although the world is expanded upon, it feels very isolated to this one installment. It's been a while since I read the previous installment, so maybe there's some mention of the events and people that seem to be introduced in this installment, and if they are I take back what I am going to say, but there's a lot introduced in this book that feels like it deserves some sort of, at the very least casual, mention in the previous installment, otherwise the two stories have a weird unseen division between them. I found the further world building a bit underwhelming for the second book in a trilogy. I was expecting big surprises and twisted revelations but while there were some great twists, which I'll get to in a moment, there wasn't a whole lot of meat to this story. Don't get me wrong it's extremely entertaining, but it just feels lacking as a prominent fixture in this trilogy.

Predictability: As I said above this book does a good job to throw twists in the way of the story. There are a lot of moving parts to this story and because of that, there's a lot of possibilities for where the story can go and what the possible twists could be. That being said there's one twist that while incredibly well concealed, was a tad underwhelming. I was hoping for something more elaborate and again, while the author did do a great job at covering her tracks so the surprise would be a good one, I just wish there was something a bit more complex going on. I know this is a middle-grade book, but even so, there could have been some other facet of the story, some greater plan that could have still been accessible to a younger reading group.

Ending: As seems to be the theme of this story there's a lot to the ending that feels underwhelming, that being said though as the story comes to a close there are some fantastic little surprises that genuinely caught me off guard and helped round out this book just a tad more. The final climax of the story was very well done and had a very cinematic feel to that defining climactic moment, and the cooldown period is where things start to come together again. With a lot of the moving parts to this story out of play, things become clearer and some really interesting red herrings come to light. I did truly like how this story ended in a way that settles things down for a while and there isn't some over the top crazy cliffhanger to make readers go crazy for nearly a year.

Rating:

I did really enjoy this story, it's a wonderfully written and nicely paced mystery, I just wish it wowed me more and felt a bit more cohesive. It's still a great addition to this trilogy and I'm excited to see where the story will go in the grand finale.

[Basia · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some minor continuity issues between this and the first one, but not huge enough to really notice. I think I only did because I listened to them back-to-back. Man, I love these kids.

[Fatinamudz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely love this second series of Curiosity House! Full review coming up on my blog

[Stef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come

[Janelle Youngstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. I read it without my kids, but would certainly recommend it to middle grade readers. The whole series is well written. I love the mystery and the fun of the unique characters.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still an enjoyable read but felt a bit same-same without adding anything new.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Oliver is back, with another adorable and mysterious entry in the Curiosity House series. If you'll recall, I was pretty head over heels for the first book in this series. The fact that this is a Depression era mystery, set up for Middle Grade readers, never ceases to impress me. However it's really the characters themselves that keep me coming back. Sam, Pippa, Max, and Thomas are just the cutest little ragtag group of detectives that there ever was. I don't care how many books there end up being in this series. I'll read them all.

I admit that The Screaming Statue was perhaps a smidgen less exciting than the first book. Mainly, this was because there's a lot more introspection into our characters and so not quite as much action. Honestly though, that ended up being a wonderful thing. I learned so much about their hopes, their dreams, and their fears. Lauren Oliver does a wonderful job of addressing the fact that a family doesn't necessarily need to be blood. The bonds built between these characters were strong, and the ending of the story only brought them closer together. I couldn't help but sigh a bit, for the happiness of it all.

Since I was a young reader, I've always loved stories that aren't afraid to tackle how scary the world can be sometimes. I think Lauren Oliver has perfected the art of doing just that. Her characters are wonderfully vivid and full of personality. However, at the end of the day, they're also just human. They may have amazing abilities, but they're still just kids who are scared sometimes and hurt sometimes. They're mortal. I love that, and I love these books! I'm eager for more.

[Emily Andrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep, these four awesomely extraordinary kids are at it again. The second book in the series added some further depth to the characters, keeping the reader invested in the story. For instance, turns out Max does have some heart. We continue to delve into their mysterious past and Rattigan is as terrifying as ever. Which, I'm not going to lie, (spoiler alert!) I was a bit upset at the end because of him—a good upset, you know, like a I-need-the-next-book-now-please upset.

Which brings me to the story itself. This one was a bit tidier than the first—not so many murders and clues thrown at you—but I sure got depressed by the continuing tragic saga of whether or not Dumfrey's museum would have the funds to survive. Plus the drama between the residents...it all created a rather stressful subplot. A minor, personal-preference complaint, really. Overall, a fantastic follow up to book one. I'd definitely recommend the series thus far.

[Scarlet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest, this was a difficult read. I couldn't get this plot into my head space at all. The writing style just didn't appeal much to me. It seem all over the place at times then it was repetitive at other times. There's a blend of thriller and perhaps mildly horror (apparently these kids went through some unethical genetic alteration in the first book) with the middle grade backdrop. Though I had a high expectation, I didn't enjoy it much and the lack of plot development just made it worse for me. Perhaps I should have gotten the first book, I am not sure if I was missing a major key part of the character development. Overall, I probably wont be reading rest of the books in this series. At least not until I check out the first book.

[Fi's Journey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this one was less fun than the first book and not sure If I want to read the third one, The Fearsome Firebird (The Curiosity House #3).

I particular wasn't very fond of the writing and the characters didn't stand out like in the first book.

This more between 2.5 - 3* Stars.

[Zahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a screaming mystery! As amazing as the last book. Extraordinary characters with plenty of twists and turns.

[Amends · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤❤❤
Une nouvelle aventure amplie de meurtres, d'enquêtes et de mystères par nos attachants freaks 😊

[Putri Hatmi Sari · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖Curiosity House Screaming Statue
📖 Lauren Oliver dan H.C. Chester
📖 Mizan Fantasi
📖 ISBN/ 978-602-385-480-6
📖332
📖5/5🌟
Kepala mengerut sudah berlalu. Patung menjerit kini memasuki museum dan akan membuat pengunjung terpaku. Diorama lengkap TKP pembunuhan yang mencekam. Seorang wanita digetok oleh suaminya sampai mati. Dumfrey yakin ini ide brilian. Tapi nyatanya tidak. Pengunjung semakin sedikit dan museum terancam ditutup. Kasus demi kasus kejahatan mulai merebak. Sam, Phipa, Max dan Thomas harus melakukan sesuatu. Tapi mengapa mereka merinding seolah diawasi? Apakah Rattingan pencipta mereka telah kembali?
📖
Dalam buku ini masalah semakin kompleks. Lebih menguras emosi. Karena disini mereka harus berhadapan dg kasus kejahatan dan menemukan benang merah kasus kasus rumit yang tak pernah mereka bayangkan. Dan kasusnya lebih mengerikan daripada buku pertama. Disini juga persahabatan mereka diuji, persahabatan mereka mulai merenggang. mereka harus merelakan orang-orang yg mereka sayangi. Belum lagi masalah museum kesayangan mereka yg terancam bangkrut dan tutup. Aku ikut merasakan putus asa dan baper baca ini😢😢 tapi beginilah cara memperkuat hubungan mereka. Mereka kadang terlihat cuek, egois, tapi ternyata solid. hubungan kekeluargaan antar penghuni museum di buku ini kental sekali. SUKA. Ah ya, ada sedikit romance disini yg mulai so sweet gt, Max dan Sam😍 memang gak terlalu kentara. cuma sedikit, tp sweet. aku ngeship mereka berdua😚 intinya aku suka sama buku ke 2 ini lebih dr yg pertama.
#curiosityhouse #mizanfantasi

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was well written and kept my interest. Best of all, I could figure out what was happening, even though I never read book #1. My one complaint is that, other than a statue breaking, where was the "screaming" statue? Curiosity House is a part museum and part live theater where the unusual occupants (I dislike the word "freaks") put on shows for paying guests. I'm not sure when this book was set. Maybe the 1950s?

The main 4 children who live here are Sam, Thomas, Pippa, and Max. The children have murky beginnings where they were shaped by a madman named Rattigan. Apparently, they escaped him in book #1, but are they really free? The children were given various "gifts" in a laboratory. Sam is abnormally strong, Thomas can squeeze through the smallest pipes, Pippa can read minds, and Max is a whiz at throwing knives.

There are several themes in this book. For one, the museum is in severe financial trouble and in danger of closing. Unpaid performers are leaving. Then an old man friend of theirs, a sculptor they call Freckles, is murdered. It all seems to connect with the murder of a woman in the news and her husband, accused of the crime. Also, is Rattigan loose and still after the kids? Well, you need to read the book to find out!

[Ratih Cahaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gara-gara terpukau dengan buku pertama, setelah tamat langsung lanjut ke buku kedua. Di buku kedua, tema besarnya masih sama, kasus pembunuhan. Ditambah masalah Museum Aneh tapi Nyata Dumfrey yang nyaris bangkrut karena sepi pengunjung. Belum lagi keempat tokoh utama, Pippa, Thomas, Max, dan Sam masih dibayang-bayangi ketakutan akan kehadiran ilmuwan gila Rattigan yang mengincar mereka.

Entah kenapa, pas baca buku kedua, feel keterikatan dengan para tokoh agak berkurang. kejadian-kejadian pembunuhan juga kurang greget gimana gitu. Yang paling menyentuh dan oke pas bagian Eckleberger doang. Saat akhirnya ketahuan misteri pembunuhan itu juga kayak, hmm..., gimana ya, nggak se-wow buku pertama.

Mungkin karena aku begitu terpukau dengan buku pertama, jadi punya ekspektasi tinggi dengan buku kedua. Padahal, kalau dipikir-pikir lagi, formula alur cerita dan rasa bikin penasarannya hampir sama.

Well, karena sudah baca buku kedua, tanggung kalau nggak baca buku ketiga. masih penasaran dengan nasib keempat tokoh utama dan Museum Aneh tapi Nyata Dumfrey, dan tentu saja Mr. Rattigan.

[Paris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Curiosity House series. I would advise you read the first one before reading this review.

After falling in love with the first book, I was eager to read this one, and I was not disappointed.
This book follows, Max, Philippa, Thomas and Sam, 4 extraordinary children living and working for Mr Dumfrey's Dime museum of freaks, oddities and wonders. These four children have extraordinary gifts, such as super strength and being able to read minds, well pockets, which we learn in the first book, are due to the results of experiments carried out on them by the notorious evil criminal Rattigan.

This book follows the children as they try to work out who is responsible for the murder of one of their oldest friends: Freckles. With everything on the line, the children need to stick together to succeed, but with disaster around every corner, will they managed to find the killer in time, or will the museum be forced to shut before the case is resolved?

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anybody who knows me knows that I have a very strange curiosity towards carnies and the carnie life. This book isn't exactly about carnies but about a strange house filled with many people that make it feel like an inside Circus show. This is the second book in The Curiosity House series by Lauren Oliver. There are many young characters that you immediately become connected with as they are trying to help solve the mystery of the Screaming Statue and who stole it and why are so many people getting murdered. I feel like it is more of cozy mystery not scary. I would recommend for any young adult who likes this genre of reading.

[Christine Ditzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story to be much stronger and more enjoyable to its predecessor, The Shrunken Head. It had an easier time holding my attention, and when I put it down I wanted to return to it. The addition of new characters to the series, including Chubby and Lash, was incredibly well done as were scenes involving characters who had much smaller roles in the first book. The world is certainly growing as are Oliver's and Chester's strength and confidence as writers of this series. I look forward to reading the third book!