A review by kilgoretrout
Blackbriar by William Sleator

3.0

Gothic fiction that fails to live up to Sleator's later works. Still the book does present a sense of dread here and there. The image of the pesthouse of Danny's dreams and the tumuli were evocative. Did enjoy the descriptions of the countryside and the beginnings of spring. Largely the book is predictable and Philippa comes across annoyingly controlling. I also found the ending rushed and was intrigued by the dwarf witch and the other henchman but it's as if Sleator had a cool idea there and just never followed through with it. The ending feels anticlimactic and not really as satisfying as the build made it seem. Still, for a younger young adult who might be looking for a scary scooby-doo-esque thriller than you can't go wrong with Blackbriar. As a student of Sleator I can see the workings of a lot of his themes in it: dark rooms hiding potential threats, familial conflict, the subtle suggestion of the supernatural, and often enough a main character or characters transported into a place of Gothic mystery.