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I’ve been thinking an awful lot about what it is that has really drawn me to middle grade horror lately. And I think I might have some ideas.

I think for me, even though I’m reading some absolutely bleak & brutal adult horror, sometimes it’s like…I need a little reprieve? Something that feels a tiny bit cozier & safer, maybe. And don’t get me wrong, in my very short time as a middle grade horror fan, there is no shortage of scary moments & upsetting things happening. But there does seem to be some limits in place. Some things that it’s just understood you won’t be subjecting yourself to.

Another thing I’ve been considering lately is why I’ve been more drawn to middle grade horror over YA horror (or any YA) of late. And I think it’s something to do with the seemingly-required romantic subplot in pretty much every YA book I’ve picked up. I feel like I’m making a sweeping generalization about YA, which is something I try not to do. But speaking from my experience, it does feel like there’s an element of romance in just about every YA book I’ve read (including the many Star Wars YA books I’ve read). 

And this is not a dig at romance! I like it. I’ll read the occasional romcom. One of my favorite books of all time is Nita Tyndall’s WHO I WAS WITH HER, the most soul-shattering & romantic YA book I’m likely to ever read. 

But there are times where I’m just not interested in reading romance, and I think that’s been a big part of why the small handful of MG horror novels I’ve read have really worked for me. There just doesn’t seem to be that requisite romance. 

ANYWAY! 

I first became aware of Lora Senf’s THE CLACKITY a few years back, before I would have really considered picking up a middle grade horror novel. I think Chuck Wendig might have been an early champion of the book, though I could be remembering it wrong. I certainly recall seeing that epic & spooky cover from time to time! 

I feel like as a reader, there’s really no better feeling than getting through the first chapter or two of a book & knowing this is exactly what you were looking for. THIS IS THE VIBE. And that’s precisely what happened to me with THE CLACKITY! I loved this one so much, from the first page to the last! 

Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor, the seventh most haunted town in America (per capita). She moves there after the mysterious disappearance of her parents, and she lives with her Aunt Desdemona, the local expert in all things paranormal. Right away, the household dynamic between Evie & Des is so captivating & fun, and there is an intense amount of love between them. 

Des gives Evie a lot of freedom & flexibility, and treats her like a grown-up in a lot of ways. And Evie is bookish & very responsible. She volunteers at the library & doesn’t give Des much in the way of trouble. 

There is one big rule, though: do NOT go exploring in the abandoned slaughterhouse on the outskirts of the town. 

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!!!

So OF COURSE Des goes to the slaughterhouse to investigate, and OF COURSE Evie follows her, desperate to help her, to make sure Des is safe. And to learn more about this forbidden spot in town. 

But Evie finds more than she bargains for inside this creepy old abattoir, in the shape of The Clackity, a strange & shadowy creature who wants to make a deal with Evie: The Clackity wants the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who was VERY active in Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. He sends Evie into a strange realm to recover the spirit of Pope in exchange for the safe return of Des. 

The creepy/spooky vibes in THE CLACKITY are off the charts! There’s almost a portal fantasy element at work here, but I would definitely shelve this one under middle grade horror. There’s some really creepy and unsettling moments here!

There’s also tremendously important mental health representation in THE CLACKITY, something I think would be beneficial to a lot of kids (and adults) who pick up this book. Evie struggles with a lot of anxiety & I felt like Senf’s descriptions of these difficult moments for Evie felt so authentic. And it also really serves to highlight Evie’s bravery in the face of a variety of scary challenges.

I got the chance to meet Lora Senf the other day at the Spooktastic Book Fair & she couldn’t have been kinder or more welcoming to me. I was way out of my element at the Fair & she was so generous with her time & we chatted a little about the audiobook for THE CLACKITY (which is outstanding!), and I was also able to buy her upcoming book, PENNIES (a prequel to the BLIGHT HARBOR trilogy).

I really adored THE CLACKITY so much. This book captured perfectly the spooky-but-also-kinda-cozy atmosphere that I was looking for at the time, and I’m so looking forward to catching up with the rest of the trilogy!