Exit Nowhere

(Paperback, Reprint)

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Description

In this tense and twisty middle grade novel thats Escape from Mr. Lemoncellos Library but make it horror (School Library Journal), four kids must beat a series of games to make it out of a haunted house.

The creepiest place in Barret Eloises small town is the abandoned Raithfield Manor, a decrepit house surrounded by rumors of ghosts and kids going missing. So she certainly never planned on stepping foot inside. But when her history teacher gives her a group project to research a local landmark, the manor is the location her group chooses. Determined to ace the project and fix her awkward first impression on her assigned partnerswhich include her former friend Helena, smart and confident Wayne, and school basketball star RidgeBarret Eloise isnt about to let some tall tales scare her off.

When the kids first enter the house, it seems to be nothing more than an empty building. But when the sun goes down, the doors and windows lock, sealing them inside. Even worse, the room theyre in transforms into an all-too-real game of The Floor Is Lava. It doesnt take long for the group to realize the mansion is a maze of childhood games. Win the game and you keep moving forward, lose and you disappear. And complicating it all is a worrying revelationthey are not alone in the house.

If Barret Eloise wants to make it home, she and her dysfunctional group are going to have to become a real teamquickly.

Reviews

"A middle schooler gets trapped with classmates in a haunted manor where they must reckon with a vengeful ghost....The scares are safe for newbies, and the book will appeal to readers who enjoy ghost stories. Barret Eloise is a sympathetically struggling protagonist, someone who stumbles over her words, is focused on school almost to her own detriment, and sometimes misses social cues. Her relationship with Helena offers meaningful representation of fraught tween friendships, and the connections among the four classmates are special in their own right." -- Kirkus Reviews * August 15, 2024 *
"This is a fun horror novel with just the right amount of spooky for kids wanting to dip their toes into the genre. Escape from Mr. Lemoncellos Library, but make it horror; this title is sure to be a hit with middle grade readers." -- School Library Journal * 9/1/2024 *

Author Bio

Juliana Brandt is an author and kindergarten teacher with a passion for storytelling that guides her in both of her jobs. She lives in her home state of Minnesota, and her writing is heavily influenced by travels around the country and a decade living in the south. When not working, she is usually exploring the great outdoors. Her middle grade novels includeThe Wolf of Cape Fen,A Wilder Magic,Monsters in the Mist, andExit Nowhere.