176 pages
Published Sept. 10, 2016
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.
No matter the cost.
It was lovely; the main character is asexual, there's a trans character, these things are handled with care and wholesomeness, and the story and writing were poignant.
Violence: Yes (described after-the fact) Sexual Scenes: No
I loved everything about this book except the murder mystery. It honestly felt as if the murders existed to just make all these interesting kids do something, when, in all actuality, the characters were so developed they would have made this a fascinating read without the murder mystery. I hope the second book is a bit more character driven. Mysteries do not work well in this series. The writing is really good. Dialog is epic! And, above all, the murder mystery in this book just made me unwilling to finish it. Remove the murder mystery, and I'd give this book more praise.
I almost read this entire book in one sitting. The only reason I didn't is because I was tired enough that my eyes were hurting. I read the first ~140 pages at once and finished the final ~30 the next day. It's a short book, and a quick read. And I absolutely ate it up.
It was an easy read, and the writing was a mixed bag. This book gives us amazing quotes such as "we notice the silence of men. We depend upon the silence of women", yet it seems like every other page the lines "'oh,' she said" or "she said nothing at all" were used. I think there could have been some better writing in that sort of regard.
Regardless though, I loved this book, and the queer representation made me happy as an asexual. I can't wait to read Down Among the Sticks and Bones, and …
I almost read this entire book in one sitting. The only reason I didn't is because I was tired enough that my eyes were hurting. I read the first ~140 pages at once and finished the final ~30 the next day. It's a short book, and a quick read. And I absolutely ate it up.
It was an easy read, and the writing was a mixed bag. This book gives us amazing quotes such as "we notice the silence of men. We depend upon the silence of women", yet it seems like every other page the lines "'oh,' she said" or "she said nothing at all" were used. I think there could have been some better writing in that sort of regard.
Regardless though, I loved this book, and the queer representation made me happy as an asexual. I can't wait to read Down Among the Sticks and Bones, and I expect I'll check out some more of Seanan McGuire's works as well.
What happens to kids who go on adventures to fantasy lands when they return home? Obviously, they tell people what happened to them and then they are treated as mentally ill or as the survivors of such horrific abuse that they made up stories to get themselves through their kidnappings. When they don't recant the stories they may end up in a boarding school for their own protection.
Eleanor West takes in these children. She was one of them too. She takes the children who are desperately looking for a way to return to their lands.
How do you come back from that?
As soon as Nancy arrives and starts to get acclimated to the strange people around her, there is a murder. Since she came from the Halls of the Dead, she's a suspect. When murders keep happening it is up to the students and staff to find out …
What happens to kids who go on adventures to fantasy lands when they return home? Obviously, they tell people what happened to them and then they are treated as mentally ill or as the survivors of such horrific abuse that they made up stories to get themselves through their kidnappings. When they don't recant the stories they may end up in a boarding school for their own protection.
Eleanor West takes in these children. She was one of them too. She takes the children who are desperately looking for a way to return to their lands.
How do you come back from that?
As soon as Nancy arrives and starts to get acclimated to the strange people around her, there is a murder. Since she came from the Halls of the Dead, she's a suspect. When murders keep happening it is up to the students and staff to find out what is going on before the authorities find out and shut down their school.
Read this one for the wonderful language and characters. The students are diverse racially and in their gender expressions. The only thing they have in common is wanting to go back home to the magical worlds they miss.
I loved this book so much I read it once myself and then read it out loud to my husband.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
