There is something going on in Suds, and it is up to Poppy and (sadly) Erasmus to find out what is happening and to stop it.

I have been on and off trying to write a review for this book, but I just can’t seem to get things right, so I will be writing a good/not so good review instead. I am sure I can do that.

Good:
-The town of Suds. It seemed like such a quaint little town but there is something much darker and sinister going on. I loved how the author described the town, the little shops, the woods, and other details.
-The Peggs, who they were and what they were and what they were doing. I had a suspicion early on about what was going on in the mill, but still it was quite shocking to find out for real what was going on. Hot dang. They were a creepy bunch of characters with a great backstory which we read nearing the end. Learning what the Peggs do to kids that disappear/get drained, well, I guess that is one detail NO ONE ever wants to know.
-Grandma’s rules and why she has them. Slowly, bit by bit, we find out why she has this set of rules and how they have protected her house (and her and Poppy) for so long).
-I loved that next to horror/mystery we also have the loss of Poppy’s mom and how she and her dad is handling that. Sure, I wasn’t too happy how he handled things, dumping your daughter for months is just a no-no. Talk to her, tell her things, don’t leave her with someone else in this time.
-Then there is Erasmus and his mother, his often drunk and embarrassing mom. Yep, the author managed to write these realistic things and combine them with magic, horror, and mystery.
-How everything just clicked together in the end.
-The twist near the end regarding Poppy’s mom. Holy WOW, I didn’t see that one coming. I guess I could have, there were some hints here and there regarding Poppy’s mom, but still, I was just so into the book that I missed it all.
-I really loved grandma. She was a sweet old lady and I loved, just LOVED that she could sew so amazingly. I wouldn’t have minded seeing some of her work. Plus, it was pretty awesome that, despite things that happen in this book, she keeps on sewing, keeps on creating.
-I adored Poppy, she was strong, interesting, fun, and I loved how she kept an open mind to people.
-Mitsy was pretty sweet, I loved how much she read. Sure, at times it was a bit too much that she went so far for Erasmus, but I guess it is also kind of cute.
-That cover! So beautiful and spooky!
-The tiny little book that Poppy found and how it connected to everything.
-Marley! He was so much like Hagrid (with his speech, how big he was, that he always seemed to get into something without meaning to) and I just wanted to give him a big hug. I am glad that he got some of the spotlight and that we learn more about him and how he ended up the way he did.
-The illustrations! I just love it when books add illustrations to the mix. And I just adore the style of these they fitted so well with the story.

Not so good:
-Erasmus. Erasmus is actually the sole reason why I rated this book a 4.5 instead of a 5 stars. He was annoying, he was mean, he was rude, he kept making smartypants remarks (like when Poppy comments on it being one o clock when he calls her and he corrects her that it is only 12.57), he keeps acting like he is all superior (when he isn’t). Really, I am normally a kind person, and I can see that Erasmus had his good sides, but if this was me? I wouldn’t have befriended this person. I am sorry, I don’t mind if my friends make a comment here and there, but all the time? Act all bitchy about anything and everything? No, thank you. And yes, it sucks that his mom is like that, but that doesn’t excuse his behaviour.
-Oh yes, and, given the blurb, I had thought more disappearances, more missing kids, but instead not much of that happens. 😛 We do learn of kids that are turning, but disappearing? Not really.

All in all, a mysterious dark book with great characters (well for most), great villains, and some reality added to the mix that works perfectly. I would definitely recommend this one to everyone.