Books › The 12 Screams of Christmas
The 12 Screams of Christmas
192 pages
A festive, spooky romp where middle-school theater drama collides with a haunted house.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping onto a creaky, dimly lit stage where holiday cheer meets kid-friendly chills. It moves at a brisk, entertaining pace, perfectly capturing the high-stakes drama of school theater and the frustrating dynamics of middle-school rivalries. The atmosphere is a playful blend of festive excitement and eerie dread, wrapping the reader in the chilly ambiance of a haunted house rehearsal space. The prose is punchy and accessible, leaning into humorous observations before pivoting to spooky, adrenaline-pumping moments. It is an ideal read for young fans of mild horror who enjoy a good laugh alongside their scares, offering a delightfully spooky twist on the traditional holiday spirit.
- Mood
- eerie
- festive
- theatrical
- chilling
- Tone
- humorous
- playful
- spooky
- dramatic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- school rivalry · facing fears · holiday hauntings · theatrical ambition
- The writing
- Accessible and punchy, balancing lighthearted humor with kid-friendly scares.
- The arc
- Moves from the everyday frustrations of middle-school rivalry to the adrenaline-fueled chills of a holiday haunting.
- Who it's for
- Young readers who love a mix of holiday cheer, school drama, and spooky haunted house mysteries.
Content notes
- ghosts
- haunted houses
- mild scares
- peer rivalry
About the book
Kate Welles just wants the lead role in her school's Christmas play. Her annoying "friend" Courtney is constantly getting in the way of that. But Kate has to get along with her or neither of them will be allowed to take part in the production of The 12 Screams of Christmas.
Even worse, Kate and Courtney's teacher decides that they need to find a special place to rehearse. A certain house with a lot of history. The kind of place that Kate would normally be pretty frightened to go into. The kind of place that gives new meaning to the term "Christmas Spirit."
Description from Open Library.
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