Exit Nowhere by Juliana Brandt

What worked:

Barret Eloise has a low self-image despite being the smartest girl in the seventh grade. She has difficulty knowing what to say to others which explains why she doesn’t have any friends. She used to be friends with Helena until something happened in the fourth grade but Barret Eloise doesn’t remember what she did. The pair are assigned a group project with Wayne, another smart student, and Ridge, an outstanding basketball player. Ridge isn’t shy about sharing his thoughts which creates tension with Barret Eloise. On the other hand, introverted Barret Eloise slowly realizes she has a crush on Wayne which causes its own form of anxiety.

The author masterfully crafts her words to create a creepy, eerie atmosphere. The book opens by saying Raithfield Manor looks exactly like a rotting skull, plants hanging from the roof are like moss covering bones, and there’s a blackened hole in the center of the mansion’s face. The haunted house is surrounded by bushes with “little scratchy fingers that clawed skin and snagged hair.” The inside of the abandoned house has the expected dark, dusty rooms with creepy, creaky floors although it holds unexpected surprises. The kids know a boy named Eugene disappeared in the house decades earlier, he was the boyfriend of Ridge’s grandmother, so they hope to uncover the mystery of what happened to him. They quickly realize they’re in trouble when they see words scratched into the “feathery ice that slicked the walls.” YOU. WEREN’T. SUPPOSED. TO WIN.

The most entertaining part of the story is the spirit haunting the house and the challenges it presents. The identity of it isn’t what the characters expect but some readers might anticipate the truth. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I won’t say more about that. The first obstacle is a floor of lava that most young readers will have played. They won’t have experienced the flames and intense heat that make this a life-threatening problem for the kids. Additional encounters are equally dangerous but they’re unpredictable due to the ghost’s past. The ghost doesn’t like to lose. The characters will need to learn the ghost's motivation and uncover its mysteries to stay alive and escape Raithfield Manor.

What didn’t work as well:

It’s unclear what happens to other people who’ve lost the ghost’s games in the past. The public should have known more about the house based on what readers learn about their demises. This next thing is petty on my part but I agree with Ridge that Barret Eloise’s name has too many syllables. It would work better if she hadn’t been the main character and her name didn’t appear as often.

The final verdict:

Barret Eloise’s journey to self-discovery is the main thread throughout the plot. She doesn’t truly understand how to be a friend until Helena helps her reflect on her past. The overall story is spooky without being over the top and I recommend you give it a shot.