A Place for Vanishing

Starred review from October 16, 2023
Hoping for a fresh start after her suicide attempt and recent bipolar III diagnosis, 16-year-old Libby Feldman and her family move into her mother’s childhood home, which has been abandoned since the tragic deaths of Libby’s maternal grandparents. Established by spiritualist Ellen Clery in 1894 as the House of Masks, Libby’s new abode—a crumbling Victorian mansion that boasts a hedge maze of blue roses, disturbing insect-themed stained-glass windows, and a history of mysterious disappearances—is a fixture in local legend. Despite her mother’s efforts to enforce normalcy, Libby enlists the help of her 13-year-old sister Vivi and her neighbor, 16-year-old Flynn Driscoll, to investigate the secrets surrounding the property and the masks that Madame Clery left behind. As the trio delves into the dark pasts of the house’s former residents, they discover that the sinister truth about the masks is tangled in their own buried traumas. Fraistat wields deeply unsettling prose and evocative insect theming to craft an expertly woven narrative that is both a frightening slow-burn psychological thriller and a nuanced and touching exploration of the complicated aftermath of trauma. Libby and Flynn cue as white; Vivi is half Black and half white. Age 12–up. Agent: Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis.

Starred review from October 15, 2023
Sisters return to their mother's mysterious and legendary childhood home. Libby's mom grew up in the internet-famous haunted house Madame Clery's House of Masks, at once deeply unsettling and incredibly beautiful underneath decades of neglect and overgrown blue roses. Despite never having taken Libby and her sister, Vivi, to visit, they move in, seeking a fresh start after Libby's recent mental health crisis. As if the repercussions of her suicide attempt aren't creating enough distance between her and her family, the more questions Libby has about the strange noises she hears at night, the intricate stained-glass insects in the windows, and the multiple disappearances of the house's inhabitants, the more her mom seems to fall under its spell. Libby is left trying to solve the mystery with the help of redheaded neighbor Flynn, who definitely knows too much. In addition to dealing with the house's deliciously spooky, haunted vibes and its accompanying legend and horrors, Libby is struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which Fraistat does an excellent job of exploring both from Libby's perspective and in terms of the emotional fissures it causes within her family. As well as being deeply emotional, the book contains many shudder-inducing moments that will leave readers' skin crawling. The girls' white mom, who may be aromantic or asexual, conceived them using sperm donors; Libby's donor was white, and Vivi's was Black. A compelling, darkly creative, and intensely haunting examination of the masks we wear. (Horror. 12-18)

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December 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 Fraistat (What We Harvest, 2022) creates a tense, gothic experience for readers, in which an old house masks dangerous secrets. Libby's family moves into her mother's childhood home after the teen's recent bipolar III diagnosis. Known as Madame Clery's House of Masks, the house has a dark history linked to a number of disappearances, and Libby soon becomes eager to solve the mystery of why so many have vanished from the house. Riddled with bug infestations, surprise doorways, and hidden staircases, the atmospheric tale contains truly frightening scenes and clear views into the minds of the characters struggling to understand their new home and, in Libby's case, to understand herself. Mental health is a central part of the story, which explores how someone might escape the restlessness of their mind by disconnecting with reality. Libby shows herself to be curious and brave as the narrative becomes one of survival. This immersive page-turner delivers shivers as well as hope for better endings.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2023

Gr 7 Up-A tale of a classic and bug-filled haunted house. Libby, who is recovering from her recent suicide attempt and subsequent bipolar III diagnosis, moves with her mom and little sister Vivi to her mother's childhood home. The moment they move in, they notice that there are many live bugs (despite two fumigations) and detailed bug-themed mosaics and stained glass windows in every room. At first, Libby blames her mother's strange behavior on her own recent mental health crisis but as she learns that the house has been the site of seances and mysterious disappearances, she starts to believe something is very wrong. Along with Flynn, Libby's love interest who can channel ghosts, Libby and Vivi must battle the evil spirits that seek to take over their bodies and souls. The horror elements of this story are very well drawn, touching on psychological horror, body horror, and especially fear of bugs. It's also unique that Libby and Vivi are both donor-conceived, by donors of different races. The story dwells on Libby's feelings of worthlessness and "brokenness" as she blames herself for her illness. This may put off some readers, or the realistic depiction may be what draws other readers in. While it rates high on the horror scale, the novel has light swearing and a first-kiss romance, and Libby's experience with alcohol is related as a cautionary tale. VERDICT A good scary read for those prepared for the mental health content.-Jeri Murphy

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