CAMP CREEPY

The third stop on the Sinister-Winterbottoms’ summer tour of weird attractions is Camp Creepy—only it’s masquerading as completely normal Camp Creek.

Everyone is so happy at Camp Creek! Every counselor and camper is content to do every activity, never mind their personalities or preferences. Theo uncovers the reason why: The camp director is brainwashing everyone to be “normal.” But why? Theo’s chronically anxious twin, Alexander, has succumbed. He’s stopped worrying about things such as waterborne bacteria and is jumping into the lake! Their older sister, Wil, has stopped hunching over her cellphone and is socializing and laughing! Once Theo undoes the process, the trio can once again work as a team to figure out why their parents have disappeared, leaving them with Aunt Saffronia, who keeps dropping them off at various destinations with vague instructions to find things. The scenarios are clever, and events are Scooby-Doo–level scary. The siblings’ personalities crystallize in this volume alongside positive messages about acceptance. With the convergence at Camp Creek of characters from the previous two books plus the addition of new ones, a pattern emerges linking the young campers and their families through a common thread involving the villainous Edgaren’t. Next stop: Stein Manor science camp.

This slightly sinister—and very satisfying—interconnected series continues.