August 12, 2025 by Viking Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Gwen's mother has died, and her father lives far away. She and her younger brother, Roger, and twin sisters, Hazel and Hester, are being cared for by their stepfather, Henry. The family moves to Gloam Island, since the children have inherited their grandmother's home, Somnolent House. They haven't visited in a while, and the grandmother died a year ago, so it is rather damp and neglected, and filled with somewhat creepy objects, like taxidermied animals and pull cords for the lights decorated with eyeballs. The island itself is remote, and accessible only by a causeway that floods every night. The children try to make the best of their n ew life, but when Henry engages a babysitter, Esme Laverne, so that he can go on job interviews, Gwen is not happy. The woman is creepy, and Gwen feels that she should be able to watch her siblings by herself. Esme encourages Henry to take down many of the creepy objects, since the younger children are scared, but Gwen pockets one of the pull cord amulets because it makes her feel closer to her grandmother. Esme isn't a good child minder, although she will tell Henry about things that happened, like pulling Gwen's hair, in a way that makes her seem more sympathetic. Gwen visits the Rickety Den, the chidlren's treehouse, and the tree talks to her, warning her that she is in danger, and that Esme isn't what she seems. The twins are plagued by nightmares about the "Stitchy Man". When Gwen suspects that Esme has killed her grandmother's cats, the children start investigating and try to find a way to get rid of her. The house is being consumed by black rot, but the children do manage to get rid of the Stitchy Man. They get in trouble for also destroying the grandmother's bedroom, but things escalate. Gwen kills a monster in the well, and finds a key to the basement. Will the children be able to neutralize Esme before she hurts them?
Strengths: Gwen is an engaging character who is a bit of a reluctant heroine; while it isn't explicitly stated, I get the feeling that she would much rather be back on the mainland, going to school and hanging out in the high street with her friends. If she has to be on the creepy island, isn't she old enough to watch her siblings by herself? Her tween voice is perfect; I can just hear her sighs and see her rolling her eyes. Henry is supportive and trying to do his best for the children. The setting is a good one, and the description of the rooms and furnishing of the house are creepy. Plenty of scary things happen; Roger hallucinates he is being chased by wasps, there are fights with several monsters, and Esme is definitely not how she presents herself to Henry!
Weaknesses: This had its creepy moments, but wasn't really a fresh premise. It seems like almost every time a middle grade character moves into a new house, it will be haunted, and the family situation was very close to the one in Beil's Swallowtail Legacy books. (Mother died, family inherits house on island, supportive stepfather raising children.)
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who likes Royce's The Creepening of Dogwood House, Ocker's The Smashed Man of Dread End or Ford's The Headless Doll.
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