I really enjoyed the beginning of this story. It was a little creepy and very intriguing while everything was still shrouded by mystery. Not even a third of the way through the book, however the mystery is unfolded to reveal a not very interesting, unoriginal, and definitely not scary story. It also didn't help that I found the main character increasingly more annoying as the book went on. The "ending" or lack there of, was the final deciding factor that this book was undeserving of the hype surrounding it, and simply, not a great read.

That being said, this is a book for children, and 10-year-old me would have loved this book and immediately read its sequels. It doesn't shy away from things that might be too scary or depressing for young children. Which is exactly the type of book I sought out as a child, and ultimately why I rated it three stars instead of two.