Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall (review)

Eleanor has just moved to the small town of Eden Eld to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother burned their house down; now, in addition to worrying about fitting in, Eleanor sees things other people don't, like a dog with red eyes and a clock in her aunt's kooky house that ticks counterclockwise. She meets Otto, a boy in her grade, and Pip, the daughter of the headmistress, and together the three unveil the reason the town is prosperous year-round without any industries: every thirteen years, three kids who turn thirteen on Halloween are given to Mr. January, a mythical figure appeased by a group called the January Society, and Eleanor, Otto, and Pip are next. This novel is delightfully creepy in all the best Halloween ways, depicting its small town with a wicked history through clues, palindromes, hidden rooms, and things the kids can only see out of the corner of their eyes as they deduce the events around them. Big reveals and ancient talking cats add appeal to this story that will scratch any young horror fan's itch for a riveting and spooky tale.