Charlotte Salter

I wasn't really sure how to feel about this. I was excited to read it because the plot seemed incredibly interesting, and it started out as I expected, but the end really threw me.

Not the part about facing your fears head on and acknowledging them without letting them dictate your life, which is a good, if general lesson, but the resolution with Kestrel's mother and grandmother (totally unrelated sidenote: what kind of name is Grandmos?? Maybe it's from a certain part of the world, but I've never heard it before and it threw me out of the story each time I read it) and the abuse they put her through her whole life.

Grandmos was literally the thing Kestrel feared most - there's a reason she has nightmares almost constantly and that was the form her Grabber took. Even after the reveal that the Facepainter had messed with some of Kes's memories and Grandmos showed some crumbs of affection does not erase the fact that she did horrible things to her. And while the Facepainter had killed and replaced Kes's mother years ago, she was still abused and neglected by who she considered her mother for years afterwards. She even acknowledges that she didn't even know her true mother at that point. (and, of course, there's her father, who essentially abandoned her to an abusive mother and doesn't seem to care about her when he returns for his periodic visits but accepts Kestrel's idolization without reserve.)

And yet the resolution hinges on Kestrel forgiving both her mother and her grandmother for all that they've done to her, and Kes even thanks her grandmother for all that she's put her through because it taught her how to survive. While, yes, the lessons that Gradmos taught her turned out to be invaluable, there were so many other ways that she could have taught her those without scarring her for life! You don't forgive or forget abuse so quickly because you realize they did it "because they loved you" or because "they weren't themselves"! Those are excuses that abusers give so that their victims keep coming back to them after unforgivable offenses.

While this may not seem like a big deal, especially because the book never uses the word "abuse" or discusses it seriously, it really is. Sneaking this in, and sneaking the idea of those excuses in, validates that abuse is not a big deal, and that it really is for the victim's own good.

I'll give kids a plot overview if they ask, mentioning the abuse, but I won't go out of my way to tell them to check it out.… (lisätietoja)

The world building that was created in this story was so absolutely amazing. Its classified as kids horror and boy does it fit! The monsters depicted in this tale are truly horrifying. The imagination that went into creating this world of monsters was so well thought out. Kestral goes through some horrifying issues, from dealing with monsters, to dealing with how the village people treat her, and lets not even get started on the poor girls mother. I spent a lot of time being angry with Kestrel's mother (such a monster to her daughter) Although the end had a twist I didn't see coming at all (it literally took me by surprise) I LOVED it and it was such a fitting end to the whole tale! This Is great for kids who love scary tales.… (lisätietoja)

This debut novel was odd but intriguing. Warning - here be SPOILERS.

Sophie Seacove is a self-proclaimed storyteller. But her own story isn't one she really wants to tell. Having caught the terrible Sea Fever, her parents have abandoned her - well, sold her to be more accurate - and she's on her way across the monster-ridden sea to the terrifying and mysterious mansion on Catacomb Hill. Deep inside, Sophie wonders if her parents didn't just want to be rid of her, with her strange white hair, extra goes, and odd behavior, but she's determined to get her hands on a ticket to the New Continent and rejoin her parents in a new life.

Meanwhile, she's the new bone snatcher, helping old Mister Scree feed the monsters and keep them from destroying the island, avoiding the nasty twins whose violent games are both frightening and disgusting, and staying out of the way of their mother. Then, riding out of the sea, comes Cartwright, the twins' cousin. Sophie is plunged even deeper into a web of lies, secrets, and mysteries until the adventure comes to a climactic finish.

The ending is both gruesome and hopeful; Sophie discovers the New Continent, that thousands of people have set off in search of, is only a cruel dream created by a dead scientist and her parents, along with everyone else, are dead. The insane twins meet a gruesome and violent end and Sophie discovers the secret cure for the monsters and Sea Fever is just a dream. But even dreams have a basis in reality and with Cartwright at her side and the encouragement of Mr. Scree she sets out to tell new stories and show people the monsters are just creatures like them.

This is an odd story, both gruesome and violent in parts, but definitely mesmerizing. It clicks for me as a read-alike for Joan Aiken, but she doesn't get read much anymore. Possibly Series of Unfortunate Events, although it's much more serious and fantastical. In the end, it's its own creation and best for readers who like dark and dramatic stories with an extra dose of scary.

ISBN: 9780399186349; Published 2017 by Dial; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library… (lisätietoja)