Katherine Bateson, her sister, her brother, and a family friend are forced to flee London as the bombings of World War II worsen. Their families send them to the mysterious Rookskill Castle, run by Lady Eleanor who is much stranger than she appears. As the mysteries and scares of the castle deepen, the children begin to suspect that Eleanor is harboring a Nazi spy…or more.

THE CHARMED CHILDREN OF ROOKSKILL CASTLE is an engrossing and powerful read. Janet Fox masters the setting of an eerie castle and crafts an even eerier head of the castle, Lady Eleanor. The descriptions of the castle are just enough to give excellent visuals while also leaving enough open for the reader to add their own imagination. The story toes the line between suspense and horror, and readers should be well prepared for some spine chilling moments. However, underneath the scary parts lies a truly sad and unexpected background of the castle that plucks at more than a few heart strings.

The cast of characters shines, especially Kat. Each child must face their own fears as they discover more clues about the castle, and readers will root for them the entire time. The other classmates that Kat meets are easily distinctive, and Fox does a fantastic job of not throwing too many characters at the reader at once. Though all the children have different (and often conflicting) personalities, teamwork emerges as a crucial method of survival while at the castle.

Readers looking for an atmospheric novel of intrigue, danger, and a haunting chill will devour THE CHARMED CHILDREN OF ROOKSKILL CASTLE.

Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kbc-home/latest-kids-indie?url=preview/id:19464:the-charmed-children-of-rookskill-castle