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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In The Frightful Tales of Louis & Lovely by Noelle Strommen, on Halloween night, four friends stumble upon a scary book, The Frightful Tales, in a treehouse. As they settle into its stories, discomfort grows, especially as Louis and Lovely begin to connect the dots between some aspects of the eerie tales and their real lives, their surroundings, a haunted mansion, the furry Mr. Jinx, and even a scarecrow. As they learn about the book's dangerous influence and their family's dark history, they realize they must confront the supernatural forces unleashed by its pages. Armed with protective measures and guided by other loved ones who seem to know what is going on, they prepare for a journey to close a portal and confront the terrifying entities lurking within the haunted woods, facing a looming threat with as much courage and determination as they can muster.
Noelle Strommen gives the next generation of mid-grade readers a fresh new story-within-a-story plot concept in The Frightful Tales of Louis & Lovely. Strommen does an excellent job of allowing us to get to know siblings Louis and Lovely, who are both exceedingly well-developed with distinct personalities and motivations. I particularly appreciate that Strommen puts the pair on equal footing and avoids gender tropes. Louis offers Lovely comfort when she's scared, and Lovely's stubbornness and determination frequently shine through. The same treatment is given to ancillary characters, especially Mom and Aunty. The settings are atmospheric, whether it's the levity of a car ride with ice cream or the heavy, almost claustrophobic walls of a mansion, replete with rainy afternoons, flickering lights, and a creepy hallway. The writing is clean, the stages are immersive, and I can see this adventure, which promises to continue, being a hit with fans of books like Van Allsburg's Jumanji and Ende's The Neverending Story.
