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kourtneyalexis's review
3.0
3 Stars!
The Girls of Brackenhill promises to deliver a good gothic mystery and it does. Sadly, the pacing is a bit slow and the big reveal seems a bit forced and not explained well.
Hannah Maloney is called to her Aunt Fae's castle, after she dies in an accident. Hannah hasn't been back to Brackenhill since her sister disappeared 17 years ago. I loved how the story went back and forth in time. You learn the history of her Aunt and how she wound up in the castle on the hill. You are also whisked back to the summer of 2002 and learn of the events leading up to Hannah's sister, Julia's disappearance.
I look forward to reading more of Kate Moretti.
A special thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Kate Moretti for providing me with an ARC.
The Girls of Brackenhill promises to deliver a good gothic mystery and it does. Sadly, the pacing is a bit slow and the big reveal seems a bit forced and not explained well.
Hannah Maloney is called to her Aunt Fae's castle, after she dies in an accident. Hannah hasn't been back to Brackenhill since her sister disappeared 17 years ago. I loved how the story went back and forth in time. You learn the history of her Aunt and how she wound up in the castle on the hill. You are also whisked back to the summer of 2002 and learn of the events leading up to Hannah's sister, Julia's disappearance.
I look forward to reading more of Kate Moretti.
A special thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Kate Moretti for providing me with an ARC.
atgerstner's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
herthrillingreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
nattyc96's review
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
“Girls of Brackenhill” by Kate Moretti tells the story of Hannah Maloney. Hannah, now engaged with a seemingly perfect life, must come back to her aunt’s castle on the hill after her aunt’s body is discovered in her vehicle in a ravine. But Hannah has mixed feelings about returning. At once a refuge and haunting, the castle holds memories from the past that Hannah would rather forget- including the disappearance and death of multiple young girls, all connected to the castle grounds. The past mingled with local folklore about the home makes for an interesting mystery.
Hannah was an interesting character to read because she is an unreliable voice. We see the world through her eyes, but is it possible that at the young age of 13-15 Hannah has misremembered something? That mixed with her sleepwalking and overall reaction to returning to the castle makes you question if there is something strange about the old, empty halls. So much of Hannah’s development into an adult happens within the castle that it’s hard to know if she’s romanticising the appeal of the crumbling home. Past traumas also add to the attachment Hannah has to the castle and it makes the reader wonder what kinds of things she can forget or block out.
I also enjoyed the relationship between the town and the castle. The town is wary and tells stories about the castle. It’s haunted, it makes people go crazy, it can’t be trusted. With this kind of relationship, I find it interesting how seamlessly Hannah and her sister Julia are able to integrate themselves into the town. No one questions them joining the other teenagers, and they are never viewed as suspicious. If the town truly felt the castle was haunted, how were these girls so easily accepted?
Overall, this book held a compelling mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chain of tragedy connected with the house is curious and makes for an interesting read, especially as more and more players come to light. With hints of gothic and mystic mysteries, I couldn’t put it down. In the end, I gave this book 4 stars.
“Girls of Brackenhill” by Kate Moretti tells the story of Hannah Maloney. Hannah, now engaged with a seemingly perfect life, must come back to her aunt’s castle on the hill after her aunt’s body is discovered in her vehicle in a ravine. But Hannah has mixed feelings about returning. At once a refuge and haunting, the castle holds memories from the past that Hannah would rather forget- including the disappearance and death of multiple young girls, all connected to the castle grounds. The past mingled with local folklore about the home makes for an interesting mystery.
Hannah was an interesting character to read because she is an unreliable voice. We see the world through her eyes, but is it possible that at the young age of 13-15 Hannah has misremembered something? That mixed with her sleepwalking and overall reaction to returning to the castle makes you question if there is something strange about the old, empty halls. So much of Hannah’s development into an adult happens within the castle that it’s hard to know if she’s romanticising the appeal of the crumbling home. Past traumas also add to the attachment Hannah has to the castle and it makes the reader wonder what kinds of things she can forget or block out.
I also enjoyed the relationship between the town and the castle. The town is wary and tells stories about the castle. It’s haunted, it makes people go crazy, it can’t be trusted. With this kind of relationship, I find it interesting how seamlessly Hannah and her sister Julia are able to integrate themselves into the town. No one questions them joining the other teenagers, and they are never viewed as suspicious. If the town truly felt the castle was haunted, how were these girls so easily accepted?
Overall, this book held a compelling mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chain of tragedy connected with the house is curious and makes for an interesting read, especially as more and more players come to light. With hints of gothic and mystic mysteries, I couldn’t put it down. In the end, I gave this book 4 stars.
vaxlt's review
3.0
When Hannah was fifteen, she and her 17-year-old sister were spending their summer with their aunt and uncle, at their castle, when Julia disappeared. Hannah left four days later and never returned or spoke with her aunt or uncle again. Today, all grown up and engaged, Hannah receives a call that her aunt was in the accident and sadly passed away, she will now have to come back and face the creepy old castle again.
smorrison4's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital advance reading copy of this book.
I have seen a lot of mixed reviews about this book and I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. Kate Moretti did a fantastic job of making Hannah a scatter brained individual, dealing with multiple childhood traumas that was unsure of the validity of her own memories. I loved all of the twists and turns as we learned more about Hannah's past.
I hope there will be a second book so that I know if the basement ever reveals any secrets. :)
I have seen a lot of mixed reviews about this book and I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. Kate Moretti did a fantastic job of making Hannah a scatter brained individual, dealing with multiple childhood traumas that was unsure of the validity of her own memories. I loved all of the twists and turns as we learned more about Hannah's past.
I hope there will be a second book so that I know if the basement ever reveals any secrets. :)
piepieb's review
4.0
If you want a disturbing ghost story that's not the norm, then this book has what you're looking for. I devoured it!
anjana's review
3.0
I have read and liked a previous book by the author
(The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti) and I wanted to give this a shot as well. The writing style and the claustrophobic atmosphere were on point. I could feel the stifling conditions that our lead protagonist found herself in when she gets a call that her(long estranged) aunt was in an accident. She finds herself back in a town, and in a house, she left years ago shrouded in mystery.
The story involves multiple perceptions of the same situation. The past may be a fact, but everyone remembers their own bits making it hard to put a clear picture together. I suspected a few things, but the main twist(s) took me completely by surprise.
It is a quick read without missing a beat at any point, this is its best factor. When it comes to the reveals, although it was well done, there was a lot left to explain. I know that books like this like to leave a few hanging threads to deepen the feeling of unease, but here we have more than one. The house was a character in itself and played a significant role in the events that occur.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
(The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti) and I wanted to give this a shot as well. The writing style and the claustrophobic atmosphere were on point. I could feel the stifling conditions that our lead protagonist found herself in when she gets a call that her(long estranged) aunt was in an accident. She finds herself back in a town, and in a house, she left years ago shrouded in mystery.
The story involves multiple perceptions of the same situation. The past may be a fact, but everyone remembers their own bits making it hard to put a clear picture together. I suspected a few things, but the main twist(s) took me completely by surprise.
It is a quick read without missing a beat at any point, this is its best factor. When it comes to the reveals, although it was well done, there was a lot left to explain. I know that books like this like to leave a few hanging threads to deepen the feeling of unease, but here we have more than one. The house was a character in itself and played a significant role in the events that occur.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
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