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A review by annettebooksofhopeanddreams
The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade by Claudia Gray
4.0
Somehow I had totally missed that this book was being released! That's what happens when someone is running Twitter into the ground and one by one people are leaving the easiest way to stay up to date with book-releases. However, as soon as I discovered that one of my favorite authors was writing a Disney novel AND that it was based on the Haunted Mansion AND that it took place in New Orleans I ordered my copy. As soon as it arrived I started reading.
What I loved about this novel is that it combines a lot of awesome elements without it feeling chaotic or all over the place. There is the Haunted Mansion, there is the city of New Orleans, there is the weather plaguing the city and there is a teenager with anxiety trying to find her place in the world. And in a brilliant way the author manages to connect all of these elements and uses them to let our heroine grow and learn.
And that growth and that learning process felt so natural. As a teenager there is a lot going on. Inside yourself, with your friends and with the rest of the world. If you're also dealing with anxiety on top of that, surviving puberty becomes almost impossible. Luckily our heroine has an amazing therapist. One who actually does and says the right things, but who most of all lets the heroine look for answers herself. This therapist is giving advice, but mostly they're giving food for thought.
I also really liked how the well known settings of the Haunted Mansion have been incorporated in this story. I've only done the Paris ride of course, but even I recognized a lot of familiar scenes. Some characters got a little more pagetime and personality than others, but it was clear this was not just any Haunted House. However, if you're here to read more about the Haunted House and the story behind it, that's not entirely what this book will give you. It's still very much worth it though.
What I loved about this novel is that it combines a lot of awesome elements without it feeling chaotic or all over the place. There is the Haunted Mansion, there is the city of New Orleans, there is the weather plaguing the city and there is a teenager with anxiety trying to find her place in the world. And in a brilliant way the author manages to connect all of these elements and uses them to let our heroine grow and learn.
And that growth and that learning process felt so natural. As a teenager there is a lot going on. Inside yourself, with your friends and with the rest of the world. If you're also dealing with anxiety on top of that, surviving puberty becomes almost impossible. Luckily our heroine has an amazing therapist. One who actually does and says the right things, but who most of all lets the heroine look for answers herself. This therapist is giving advice, but mostly they're giving food for thought.
I also really liked how the well known settings of the Haunted Mansion have been incorporated in this story. I've only done the Paris ride of course, but even I recognized a lot of familiar scenes. Some characters got a little more pagetime and personality than others, but it was clear this was not just any Haunted House. However, if you're here to read more about the Haunted House and the story behind it, that's not entirely what this book will give you. It's still very much worth it though.