Exit Nowhere - by Juliana Brandt

About the Book

When Barret Eloise and her group project partners are locked in the haunted Raithfield Manor, the house transforms into a series of childhood games they must win to order to escape.

Book Synopsis

In this tense and twisty middle grade novel that's "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library but make it horror" (School Library Journal), four kids must beat a series of games to make it out of a haunted house.

The creepiest place in Barret Eloise's small town is the abandoned Raithfield Manor, a decrepit house surrounded by rumors of ghosts and kids going missing. So she certainly never planned on stepping foot inside. But when her history teacher gives her a group project to research a local landmark, the manor is the location her group chooses. Determined to ace the project and fix her awkward first impression on her assigned partners--which include her former friend Helena, smart and confident Wayne, and school basketball star Ridge--Barret Eloise isn't about to let some tall tales scare her off.

When the kids first enter the house, it seems to be nothing more than an empty building. But when the sun goes down, the doors and windows lock, sealing them inside. Even worse, the room they're in transforms into an all-too-real game of The Floor Is Lava. It doesn't take long for the group to realize the mansion is a maze of childhood games. Win the game and you keep moving forward, lose and you disappear. And complicating it all is a worrying revelation--they are not alone in the house.

If Barret Eloise wants to make it home, she and her dysfunctional group are going to have to become a real team...quickly.

Review Quotes

"A middle schooler gets trapped with classmates in a haunted manor where they must reckon with a vengeful ghost....The scares are safe for newbies, and the book will appeal to readers who enjoy ghost stories. Barret Eloise is a sympathetically struggling protagonist, someone who stumbles over her words, is focused on school almost to her own detriment, and sometimes misses social cues. Her relationship with Helena offers meaningful representation of fraught tween friendships, and the connections among the four classmates are special in their own right."--Kirkus Reviews "August 15, 2024"

"This is a fun horror novel with just the right amount of spooky for kids wanting to dip their toes into the genre. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, but make it horror; this title is sure to be a hit with middle grade readers."--School Library Journal "9/1/2024"

About the Author

Juliana Brandt is an author and elementary teacher with a passion for storytelling that guides her in both her jobs. She lives in Minnesota where she grew up, and her writing is heavily influenced by travels around the country and a decade living in the South. When not writing, she is usually exploring the great outdoors. Her books are written for middle grade readers, though anyone who's drawn to curious magic and eerie atmosphere will enjoy them.