GARGOYLE HALL: AN ARAMINTA SPOOKIE ADVENTURE - Angie Sage

Having read and liked the first in this series, My Haunted House, when receiving an ARC of this title I was curious to see how the series had perhaps grown or changed in the books since.  While I did like the first book, it also felt like the author was still trying to grow into her characters and setting ... and happily, with Gargoyle Hall, author Angie Sage seems to have embraced the Spookie world indeed.  Here Araminta is in full "detective mode," trying to figure out the recent strange behavior of her Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drac - not to mention Drac's bats - and in trying to investigate with her sidekick/best friend Wanda (one of the most lovable ditzes in kids' literature) gets herself into enough trouble that visiting great-Aunt Emilene actually talks Tabby and Drac into shipping her off to boarding school.  But upon her arrival at Gargoyle Hall, Araminta finds even bigger mysteries to solve; can she and stowaway Wanda learn the secrets behind the Beast of Gargoyle Hall in time to save the school?  I LOVED this book, Araminta and Wanda are a great duo kids and adults alike can embrace, the spookiness not scary enough to frighten younger readers but nicely dark and mysterious for kids.  Touches of humor make it enjoyable even for the "big kids" reading it as well, but most of all it's great to see that Sage has really grown into this world and her characters; I liked Araminta after the first book, but with this one I just think she and Wanda both are nothing short of awesome.  ****1/2

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.