Deftly blends classic gothic style with a contemporary sensibility.
A social outsider faces a weekend of nightmares, hoping to return to the school and life she yearns for.
English teen Meg eagerly accepts an invitation to a Halloween party at the foreboding Irish countryside estate of her classmates, the Wren twins—Lottie (her best friend) and Seb. She’s seeking to earn redemption for a drunken misdeed that landed her a suspension from their elite London art school, Greyscott’s. Bullied by her wealthy peers for being on scholarship and having a mum who’s a cleaner at the school, Meg also harbors a secret: a forbidden crush on Seb. The story unfolds as Meg’s reflections on the past are interspersed among the present-day scenes, and the growing sour atmosphere at the party forces her to relive the terrible incident and subsequent fallout that led her classmates to mistrust her. Escalating frights—flickering lights, a failing fuse box, tales of a local banshee, unusual paintings, and more—leave Meg questioning her senses and fearing for her life in this simmering, tension-filled novel that hinges on twisted secrets. Hinting at Poe’s classic “The Fall of the House of Usher,” this fresh reimagining explores classism and privilege. The main characters, who are cued white, nod to the complex, oppressive history of English aristocratic wealth, which intersects with Irish legend as mysteries that are as thick as the cloying weeds of a murky lake are slowly and satisfyingly revealed.
Deftly blends classic gothic style with a contemporary sensibility. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: July 30, 2024
ISBN: 9780593703953
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing final installment.
This trilogy closer scatters its characters across magical worlds as they try to save themselves from a terrible fate.
Cornelius Clover plans to sacrifice the magical people known as the keys from each of the four worlds in order to absorb the power of the deity Atheia and become a godlike figure himself. Atheia has other ideas, instead taking Romie Brysden as a vessel and embarking on a mission to destroy those who use the magic of her shadowy counterpart, the deity Sidraeus. Emory Ainsleif and Basil “Baz” Brysden, Romie’s best friend and brother, respectively, refuse to let all this happen—even if it’s said that “fate is already written.” Emory partners with Sidraeus, and Baz works under a mysterious god of balance to try to save Kai Salonga. The four worlds—and all magic users—face a dire fate unless Romie, Emory, Baz, and Kai can change the story. The clear worldbuilding established in the previous two books seems to slip from Lacelle’s grasp in this entry; the distinctions among the vessels, gods, and deities (the latter two are distinct) blur in confusing ways. The abundance of whimsically named characters wielding different types of magic slows the story, and the overarching message of love and forgiveness triumphing over evil suffers from a lack of subtlety. Strong queer representation undergirds the narrative, and readers will enjoy following Baz and Kai’s budding romance. Central characters present white.
A disappointing final installment. (maps, Sacred Lunar Houses & their tidal alignments) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781665970389
Page Count: 592
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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