Wretched Waterpark

[cornerofmadness]

Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I got some serious Lemony Snicket meets Nancy Drew vibes from this middle-grade mystery/horror (light horror, more like a forboding sense of dread, nothing gruesome or questionable for the age of intended readers).

Theo and her twin, Alexander, along with the cell phone addicted older sister, Wil Sinister-Winterbottom have been sent to their Aunt Saffronia for the summer. They don’t know why. That’s a mystery in and of itself (and threads through the story) Theo is the risk taker of the crew, Wil thinks she should be in charge…when she looks away from her phone long enough to remember she has siblings and Alexander is the cautious worrier (especially about following rules and food safety). Saffronia abandons them at the Fathoms of Fun waterpark with the instructions of ‘find what’s been lost’ and only picks them up in the evening (getting to her house and once there seems incapable of imprinting on the twins brains).

The waterpark is run by a strange unfriendly woman and is what would happen if you let Tim Burton make a waterpark. It’s exceedingly gothic (right down to red velvet couches) and almost empty. There are a series of look alike young lady lifeguards and one young man who’s a nephew to the lady who runs the park (and instantly Wil’s newest interest). His uncle is missing and naturally the twins assume this is what Saffronia meant and they decide to help find the man.

They don’t immediately jump to this though, trying to act like things are normal. Wil goes off with the young man, Theo falls in love with the wild water slides, Alexander worries. As they are there day by day more things change, more people disappear and more weirdness occurs. Theo and Alexander (it flows between their points of view) are well drawn, engaging characters. Wil is much more a secondary character.

I really enjoyed the plot (very Scooby Dooish) and there is definitely a strange almost supernatural thread running through this. You get the idea they are being trained in some family tradition they know nothing about. It’s obviously going to be a series and I’m there for more of this.




View all my reviews