Holly Horror #1

June 26, 2023
This brooding horror novel by Corpora (The Fog of War) follows high schooler Evie Archer, who’s recently moved from New York to the quiet town of Ravenglass, Mass., to start a new life with her mother and younger brother following her parents’ divorce. Upon arriving, teenage local Tina informs Evie that her new abode, Hobbie House—which Tina calls Horror House—is the site of numerous bizarre incidents, most notably the unsolved disappearance of a girl named Holly Hobbie, whose body was never recovered. When Evie finds Holly’s diary and begins to unravel the history of the Horror House, her sense of reality warps and shifts as she begins hearing Holly’s voice in her head demanding that Evie uncover the truth of her disappearance. The story becomes occasionally encumbered by standard high school drama, but its myriad twists will keep readers riveted all the way to the satisfying climax. Anticipatory ambiance enlivens the well-trod haunted house premise—bursting with dark history, ghoulish ghosts, and high-stakes secrets—and grounded, rock-solid prose anchors the sinister happenings. The Archers read as white; Tina cues as Latinx. Ages 12–up.

July 15, 2023
An ill-fated move into an inherited house may present an opportunity for a dark history to repeat itself. The home has been in her family for around half a century, but Evie Archer's first time seeing Hobbie House is the day she, her brother, and their mother arrive in search of a place to start fresh. After her parents' divorce, life in New York City has become too expensive. But strange events and bad omens begin to appear almost immediately after they get to Ravenglass, a small Berkshires town, and the disappearance of Holly, Evie's mom's and aunt's cousin, from the house 40 years prior doesn't seem to have faded from local lore as much as the Archers had hoped. Before she realizes what's happening, the shadow that suddenly starts following Evie everywhere begins to drag her deeper into a dark world where everyone she cares about stands in the way and the line between what Evie wants and what the shadow wants starts to blur. Sibling friction--between Evie and her brother and between Evie's mom and maternal aunt--complements elements like an utterly creepy talking doll and dreams of a girl in a bonnet. Evie makes some decisions that will have readers yelling "don't do that!" in excellent horror-movie fashion. Plenty of backstory is given to fill in the story of the disappearance of 15-year-old Holly Hobbie. Evie's family is cued as white. Energetic and colorfully descriptive. (Horror. 12-18)

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