Author: Victoria Schwab
Genre: fantasy/horror
Similar books: The Cursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles by Haiko Hornig
The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?
My opinion: I certainly applaud the combination of fantasy and horror. Many scenarios that are presented as magical and ideal could be terrifying if viewed through a different lens. This book starts with a fairly standard scenario: an orphan in a dreary and hopeless living situation is claimed by long lost family and whisked away to the family estate. It's upon her arrival at the house that Olivia's story takes a darker turn. It becomes clear early on that something is very wrong at Gallant. Her efforts to unearth secrets put the whole household in danger. This can be very interesting and the book is strongly atmospheric. The writing can be dense, though, so heavy with details that you can lose track of what is going on if you don't read closely. That might make it a hard sell for the middle grade set.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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