HOW (NOT) TO RENOVATE A HAUNTED HOUSE

In this charming small-town romance with plenty of frights, a teen and her mother embark on a messy renovation project.

Amity Callaway’s parents have just finalized their divorce, and Amity’s mom has found a higher-paying job at Rehoboth College in the picturesque town of Harlow’s Rest, Massachusetts. This move upends “history nerd” Amity’s plan of staying in California and studying Colonial America at the small college where her mother worked—not to mention experiencing college life with her best friend, Taylor, who’ll be attending nearby UC Santa Barbara. Thanks to a YouTube channel run by an earnest, good-looking ghost hunter named Theo Hargrave, Amity discovers that their new house, the Harlow Homestead, is in disrepair thanks to its sinister history and reputation for being haunted. Theo’s contractor dad agrees to fix up the house, but things keep going wrong. Amity and Theo collaborate to research the mysterious deaths that occurred there back in the 1600s—and hopefully rid the house of its unwanted guests once and for all. Amity and Theo’s chemistry is palpable, and he patiently supports her through her inexperience with dating and intimacy. Amity’s heartbreaking anxiety stemming from past bullying for her weight and social awkwardness is assuaged when she befriends Matt, Theo’s fellow YouTube ghost hunter, and Arden, a nonbinary Rehoboth student with an interest in design. The book, which covers a breadth of serious topics, wraps up with a chilling and effective climax. The main characters present white.

A Summerween-esque romance to remember.