House of Thorns

May 13, 2024
Five years ago, Lia Peartree and her family fled from their home, Brier Hall, after enduring months of escalating paranormal activity and psychological terror. In the ensuing chaos, her older sister Avery vanished without a trace. Now 18, Lia feels burdened by the time she’s spent contending with whispered rumors and dead-end investigations regarding Avery’s whereabouts, as well as by her complicated relationship with her other older sister Ali, who is navigating substance dependency. When Ali returns to Brier Hall in a last-ditch effort to find Avery, Lia follows, refusing to lose a second sister. Reconnecting with her childhood best friend and crush, 18-year-old Rafferty Pierce, Lia sets out to save Ali and, in confronting the house that destroyed her family, discovers that the past is not quite as buried as it seems. Strychacz (Starling) wields poetic prose to weave an atmosphere of creeping horror throughout the alternating first-person-present introspection and second-person flashback chapters. While characters are unevenly developed and some scares fail to land, Strychacz delivers a solid gothic horror that explores the lingering effects of trauma and the lasting power of family bonds. The Peartrees and Raff cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Taylor Martindale Kean, Full Circle Literary.

June 15, 2024
In order to deal with her past, a teenage girl must return to the terrifying house her family ran away from. When she was 13, Lia Peartree, her mother, and her sister Ali fled Brier Hall, the seemingly haunted house in Eastwind, California, that they'd inherited from her estranged father after his death. They lived there for two years, but after Lia's eldest sister, Avery, vanished, they left in search of a fresh start. Five years later, Lia is trying to live a normal life in Daley, located several hours away, despite everything that's constantly pulling her back there: the mystery of Avery's disappearance, troubled Ali's addiction, her connection to childhood crush Rafferty (who's still in Eastwind), and what seems to be the house itself calling to her. When Ali tells Lia she's going back to Brier Hall because she believes Avery is still alive, Lia decides to follow her--against Ali's wishes--and face the secrets she's been trying to forget. With the help of Ali and Rafferty, Lia confronts everything that's been haunting her for the last five years. While the prose is lovely and frequently poetic, Lia's redundant internal thoughts do little to push the slow-moving action along. The plot, which lacks any broader themes to elevate it, ultimately falls flat. Main characters present white. An atmospheric but underwhelming take on the traditional haunted house story. (Supernatural thriller. 14-18)

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August 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 The Peartree family is infamous for fleeing its supposedly haunted ancestral home in the dead of night, accidentally losing a child in the process. The ensuing police investigations and news coverage didn't find Avery but did put an uncomfortable spotlight on sisters Ali and Lia and their stories of Brier Hall ghosts. Five years later, Lia is tired of being perfect to offset Ali's self-destructive behavior. When Ali returns to Brier Hall, convinced Avery is still alive, Lia reluctantly follows; she, too, has seen visions of Avery calling her home. In Eastwind, where Brier Hall overlooks the Pacific, Lia reconnects with childhood crush Rafferty and confronts her past, looking to move on--only the house doesn't want to let go. Strychacz's introspective, atmospheric haunted house story is a slow burn, with shifting time lines emphasizing Brier Hall's disorienting effect. Characters are somewhat underdeveloped, aside from Lia and the house itself, which tells its story in alternating second--person flashback chapters that heighten the disquieting mood. Readers who appreciate gothic horror that is more spooky than scary will enjoy this.

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September 27, 2024

Gr 10 Up-Five years ago, Lia and her family fled their haunted house, but one of them was left behind. Lia's sister Avery has been missing, presumed dead, since that fateful night, and her absence has changed everything. Lia's mother is broken, her middle sister, Ali, has turned to alcohol and drugs, and Lia copes by being perfect. But perfection can't save her from Brier Hall, because when Ali goes back there, Lia finally gives in to the pull to return to her haunted house. This is a unique take on a haunted house story, but it is heavy on description and slow in action, making the story drag. Still, the Interstellar vibes, mixed with the Gothic setting, have a certain appeal that many will enjoy. The exploration of sisterly bonds is well done, expertly illuminating the complexities of family. All main characters read white. VERDICT A slow but worthy haunting read.-Mariah Smitala

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