Anyone else hear the “do-do-dew-do” Twilight-ish music when they look at that date? Phew. Glad I’m not alone.
If the walls could talk … Well, apparently the walls at Crossroad House hide all the secrets of the Carrefour Curse and there is something quite creepy about the house Jo just inherited from her grandmother. Horror fans, the day is your.
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE SPECULATIVE FICTION
Garnet (12) regrets that she doesn’t know her family. Her mother has done her best to keep it that way. When Garnet finally gets summoned to Crossroad House, the estate, it isn’t quite what she hoped for. Her relatives are strange and quarrelsome, each room is more dilapidated than the last, and she can’t keep straight where she can and cannot go. Then Garnet learns the family secret: their dying patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing power from others.
Katy @ A Library Mama – There’s plenty to appeal to lots of readers here, from the ancient house hiding secrets, to the wide spread of relatives ranging from decidedly creepy to caring, friendly, and cute, as well as Garnet’s journey to feeling like she is really part of the family. Readers interested in magic will appreciate the chapters named after crystals with their powers explained and the branches of the family (shown in a family tree), each specializing in a different earth element. The old house and buried secrets reminded me a little bit of Thirteens by Katherine Marshall, and the old house in Eden’s Everdark by Karen Strong also has plenty of secrets to hide.
Mark @ Mark My Words – The opening hook will grab young readers with its grossness. The plot keeps readers wondering about the identity of the actual antagonist. The plot unfolds like a mystery as Garnet tries to understand her family and the danger surrounding Jasper’s transition. This book is quite entertaining with the creepy house and energy-sucking patriarch at the center of the conflict. The blend of elemental magic with twists thrown in elevates the problems derived from broken family dynamics. I recommend you give it a shot.
Kristen @ Goodreads – A lot of punch in one book: unique magic, family secrets, mysterious disappearances and plenty of danger. I absolutely loved diving into this book and being thrown into this family and their problems and finding out even more as the story went on. Also, fantastic on audio.
YOUNG ADULT SPECULATIVE FICTION
Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands. Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.
The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. Why is Jo starting to believe the delusions her father used to talk about might be real? But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.
Rosemary @ Mom Read It – Ward’s pacing is excellent, building the suspense to allow readers time to grasp the book tighter as they progress, waiting for answers. An excellent gothic horror novel for teens that enjoy dark fantasy.
TheNextGenLibrarian @ Goodreads – A YA horror novel for those looking for a contemporary thriller. It starts off very spooky and definitely realistic fiction. You don’t get to the supernatural part until 2/3 of the way through. It was not my cup of tea. CW: gaslighting, toxic parent relationship, kidnapping, blood, gore, mental health misrepresented. There is an issue with the #novel being problematic with the representation of schizophrenia, but please read up on that before reading this one yourself.