The Abandoned House is the stand-alone sequel to The Dark School by Sandra J. Paul. I can already tell you that this book is just a little bit more exciting, scary and dark than its predecessor. So know what to expect. Sandra J. Paul manages to hold the reader's attention well by keeping the story very mysterious and she has a very big plot twist in store for you. Great book!

The sequel to The Dark School, structured in such a way that you can also read it separately. Even more exciting and regularly scarier than its predecessor. The whole book begins with a quiet build-up, until the main characters get stuck and the tension is palpable on every page. Recommended for young and old alike.

Thank you to the author for having responded to readers by writing this book ...
After "The Dark School," it was just waiting to get a sequel to the fantastic story. The wonderful thing about this book is especially the help Sandra gets from her sons in bringing about high-concept thriller on a juvenile level! This book is another killer of stature. Where you are sure to be on the edge of your seat until the end of the story. Because at every moment when you think you know how things work, the author manages to change that twist back. With an epilogue to warm you up at .... : "The Forgotten Garden" Coming out in Spring 2021.

The Abandoned House is the sequel to The Dark School. But you can also read it as a stand-alone. In the beginning of the book you get a review of what happened in the Dark School and you are immediately back in the story.
For me, this exciting book is also about friendship and what you can achieve when you work together and don't give up.
Sandra has co-written this book like the first volume with her sons so the suspense is perfect for the target audience yet exciting enough for a slightly older person like me.

Over a year ago, the children's book The Dark School appeared on the market. This surprisingly good book was received by readers with open arms. Sandra J. Paul, the author of this book, was asked by readers, if there would be a sequel to this successful story. Although she did not initially plan to do so, she gladly complied with the wishes of her fans.
The result is the once again successful children's book The Abandoned House. Together with her two youngest sons, she devised the gripping events that occur in the story. The book can be seen just fine as a stand-alone, but there are more than a few references to the previously published book The Dark School. If you really want to empathize with the characters (and really disappear into the story), I would still recommend starting by reading The Dark School first. Trust me, it will make reading this volume that much more enjoyable.
Much attention was paid to the design of the book, as with all Hamley Books publications. The hard cover with the mystical illustration will look beautiful on your bookshelf and perfectly matches the cover of The Dark School. Together they form a beautiful whole.
The story takes place in Kraaidorp, a town full of old houses. Quinten (one of the main characters from The Dark School) and his father used to live in one of these houses, but they inexplicably disappeared some time ago. Their house was empty for a long time after that, but recently a new family has moved in. Meike lives with her sister and their mother right across the street from this house. As a family, they quickly become friends with the newcomers. When their parents go to a party elsewhere in the village for an evening, the children stay behind together in the house. They make it a cozy movie night. But then suddenly all the lights go out....
The Abandoned House contains an exciting and a tad creepy story full of magic, witches and a dark monster. Sandra J. Paul's writing is detailed, cinematic almost. The words she uses are generally not that difficult, with the occasional exception. Both tough girls and boys appear in the story. Children ages eight and up, who love exciting stories, will no doubt appreciate this book. In combination with The Dark School definitely recommended!

The Abandoned House is a strong juvenile thriller that is well put together and flows very smoothly from its predecessor. Had I not known that this sequel was not planned and people had tried to make me believe that this was always going to be a sequel series, I would have believed it after reading this second part too. Not only is the suspense well built up in this second volume as well, where in volume 1 you could still attempt to predict the plot before the denouement began, even if you were wrong, in this second volume you pretty much don't have to try anymore, something that only adds to the suspense. Even through the characters' thoughts, the author hardly lets you see into her cards. Result: once the denouement begins, you are amazed at how well the puzzle pieces fall together and also connect excellently with those from the first book. The epilogue of the abandoned house then immediately paves the way for part 3, the forgotten garden, of which this last chapter in part 2 could just as well have been the prologue. I am therefore already counting down to this third book.