This was a bedtime story book I read aloud to my sons, ages 14 and 11. I wanted to like this much more than I did. In fact, I loved it in the beginning! The introduction and descriptions of Victoria, Lawrence, and their parents and school mates were captivating, clever, and well-written. I was intrigued, and looked forward to seeing where things went. 
 It was right about when things started getting weird, close to chapter 4, that the tone of the book changed for me, and I slowly lost interest. I should have known it was coming, certainly. Still, the stranger things got, the less I liked it. I started losing track of the characters, and what happened when...? I don't mind creepy books. I liked Coraline, though I am a fan of Neil Gaiman. 
 The ending fit fine, though (view spoiler)[ I was a bit surprised that the main characters were many years older. I expected a set-up for a sequel, WITH Victoria and Lawrence. The epilogue does allude to a sequel, though perhaps with different children. (hide spoiler)] 
 My 11 year old would also give this 3 stars. I think it was a bit too gross and creepy for him. Legrand writes well, however, and that's why I didn't give up, and why I gave it 3 stars.