Friday, September 29, 2023

Book review - Finch House

 

Title: Finch House

Author: Ciera Burch

Genre: mild horror

Similar books: This Appearing House by Ally Malinenko

                      Mine by Delilah S Dawson

Rating: 

the right level of spooky
 

Summary (provided by publisher): Eleven-year-old Micah has no interest in moving out of her grandfather’s house. She loves living with Poppop and their shared hobby of driving around rich neighborhoods to find treasures in others’ trash. To avoid packing, Micah goes for a bike ride and ends up at Finch House, the decrepit Victorian that Poppop says is Off Limits. Except when she gets there, it’s all fixed up and there’s a boy named Theo in the front yard. Surely that means Finch House isn’t Off Limits anymore? But when Poppop finds her there, Micah is only met with his disappointment.
By the next day, Poppop is nowhere to be found. After searching everywhere, Micah’s instincts lead her back to Finch House. But once Theo invites her inside, Micah realizes she can’t leave. And that, with its strange whispers and deep-dark shadows, Finch House isn’t just a house…it’s alive.
Can Micah find a way to convince the house to let her go? Or will she be forced to stay in Finch House forever? 

My opinion: Let's start spooky season a little early with this middle grade story of haunting and mysterious happenings. We are presented with the standard neighborhood weird house, the place where kids dare each other and children are said to disappear. The plot is solidly tense and built upon a complex twisting supernatural structure. It isn't without flaws. If you think about the details too hard it doesn't follow much logic. Still, the atmosphere is strong and it might be a nice lead into more frightening reads as we head towards Halloween.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

No comments:

Post a Comment