Peril at Price Manor

Playing lightly on the tropes of classic B-movie horror, Parnum's imaginative and satisfying debut is packed with high-spirited hijinks. Playful energy propels a laugh-out-loud scary story that doesn't tread too far into truly terrifying territory.

In this good-humored romp, horror film mega fan Halle Thompson, 12, leaps at the chance to deliver flowers to the lavish home of Maximus Price, creator of one of her favorite movies, The Manic Marmoset Invasion. Meanwhile, on the morning before their 13th birthday, Price's twin children Argyle and Paisley abruptly awaken to find their usually orderly estate in shambles. Upon investigation, they discover that the heads of the mansion's adult caretakers have become encased in slimy, squidlike creatures; these appear to be controlling the adults, and they spontaneously replicate when they sense a new host. Initially believing their trickster father was pulling a prank, the twins are ill-prepared to handle the mayhem, until they meet Halle, who teaches them the rules for surviving "Dire Circumstances" ("Number one rule: Avoid Peril at All Costs"). By combining Argyle's vast knowledge of animal behaviors, Paisley's acrobatic prowess, and Halle's expertise on all things horror, the trio works together to defeat the multiplying invaders. Debut author Parnum keeps the scares gentle but gooey via lively prose that conveys a vibrant setting. Quick-moving chapters and alternating perspectives that showcase the characters' dawning agency make for a propulsive creature feature. Characters default to white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Kaitlyn Johnson, Belcastro Agency. (Aug.)

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"Price Manor is perfectly mysterious. With just the right amount of chills and thrills, I was hooked from page one!" — Lindsay Currie, author of Scritch Scratch and The Girl in White

"It's Alien in a spooky mansion. Nonstop action, tentacles, and slime. So much fun." — J.W. Ocker, author of The Smashed Man of Dread End

"Halle's vast knowledge of horror tropes combines with the idiosyncratic skill sets of the long-cloistered Price offspring, and between a roller-skating disco, sousaphone practice, and a horrifying foray into a stinky cheese cellar, they tackle the tickly nemeses and prove themselves resourceful and brave in the process. Playing lightly on the tropes of classic B-movie horror, Parnum's imaginative and satisfying debut is packed with high-spirited hijinks. Playful energy propels a laugh-out-loud scary story that doesn't tread too far into truly terrifying territory." — Kirkus Reviews

"[A] good-humored romp. Debut author Parnum keeps the scares gentle but gooey via lively prose that conveys a vibrant setting. Quick-moving chapters and alternating perspectives that showcase the characters' dawning agency make for a propulsive creature feature."
— Publishers Weekly

"Parnum's whip-smart narrative pokes fun at its own genre with a classic middle-grade cheekiness, giving each character depth beyond their archetypes. The three main characters have a delightful combination of bizarre talents. A playful acknowledgement that overbearing parents stop their kids from fully experiencing the world, this is a fantastic combination of mild locked-room horror and heroes who manifest in unlikely and hilarious ways." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books