The Secret of Grim Hill is just gently spooky enough to be fun without being overly scary. It's a straightforward, fast-paced story and an easy read that's perfect for tween reluctant readers. Read my entire review.
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Cat and her younger sister, Sookie, have just moved to a new town with their mother, and Cat is not enjoying Darkmont High at all. Soccer-playing Cat soon finds out about soccer scholarships to the nearby private Grimoire school that are earned by the winning team of a Halloween match. Despite continually hearing from Sookie and their neighbour, Jasper, that something just isn't right about Grimoire, Cat goes ahead with her daily team practices until the bizarre events of an early Halloween party change her priorities.

I was spurred to read The Secret of Grim Hill by a new student who wondered if the library had the sequels because he enjoyed this book so much. He reads a lot and very quickly, so I thought if he liked it then it must be pretty good. Happily, it is.

Cat is a realistic tween protagonist: she is easily annoyed by her younger sister, very aware of her school's social hierarchy and endeavours to climb it, fulfills her household responsibilities despite wishing she didn't have to, and is quintessentially likable. When push comes to shove, Cat's priorities are in order (soccer and family at the top with homework dead last). Sookie is as much or even more compelling as a precocious, Monopoly-loving little girl who is generally as seemingly as annoyed with Cat as Cat is with her.

The atmosphere of Grim Hill is generally light with escalating indications to the reader that something dark is afoot. DeMeulemeester's incorporation and explanations of Celtic mythology and traditions are seamlessly done, and the tension builds to a peak that is exhilarating and urgent but not full-on scary. I look forward to reading one or more of the sequels (loaned from another school library for the student mentioned earlier) to see if the Celtic theme is maintained or if other mythologies are incorporated into the series.

Overall, a solid beginning to a middle-grade fantasy series. ( )

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

After an awful first day at her new school, Cat Peters decides that she will do anything to escape from Darkmont High. When she hears that Grimoire--the private school that sits alone on a forest-covered hill--is offering full tuition to the winners of a soccer competition to be held on Halloween, she makes up her mind to put all of her energy into it. She's ecstatic when she makes one of the two teams--the Witches--and suddenly, her life begins to shape up. Everyone now wants to be her friend, teachers let her leave class early for soccer practice, and the entire town is cheering her on to win the game.

The only two people who do not seem to so excited about it are Cat's little sister, Sookie, and their nerdy neighbor, Jasper. Cat can't help that she doesn't have time to do things with Sookie now that she has so much soccer practice, and she doesn't need a nerd for a friend now that she's finally fitting in at school. But is Cat's acceptance by her peers, and the rest of this town, really normal, or has soccer really taken over? And why is it that, when something seems to conflict with the game or practice, it seems to be eliminated in the worst way?

I must say that the ending of this book surprised me by not going in the direction I expected it. Instead, it appealed to a topic that I find fascinating, and I enjoyed seeing this author's take. A fun fantasy mystery for the younger reader. ( )

http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2009/04/fun-fantasy-series.html ( )

Great fun reading this one with the kids! ( )