Reviews

The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks

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mybookhydeaway's review

2.0

This was sent to me by the publisher. I’m marking this one as read because I did get halfway through it and then DNF’ed it. There is no chapters in this book and just constant diary entries and it had me so bored. I felt like we weren’t getting anywhere and life is too short to read books you’re not loving.

magsphil's review

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3.0

I liked this story, especially the way it was told through diary entries from a 13-y/o who was pretty confused about what a lot of her adult relatives were talking about. Her family truly warped her viewpoint, so are any of her bad decisions really her fault??? I wish the setting had been a little better developed. It was spooky but could've been spookier if the reader was better immersed into the environment. I also didn't care much for the present timeline and think the story may have been better without it.

bethreneereadsbooks's review

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4.0

3.5⭐️

kinsey304's review

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kate_reads101647's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My favorite book of the year. An instant classic

ipekreading's review

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4.0

Peggy, a war widow, inherits Orchard House from her late husband's Aunt Maude. Upon visiting the property she feels unsettled and comes across Maude's teenage diary.
Maude, orphaned, was forced to move to the Orchard House to live with a stranger, Miss Greenaway. Everyone, especially her brother (Frank), told Maude not to trust her new guardian but Maude can't help but feel charmed by her. She tries to make sense of the adult world she get glimpses of and tries to figure out her future and her decisions lead to a tragedy.

This was quite a cozy read/listen. While there were some gothic elements to it, I thought the comparison to classics such as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess was apt. Things moved slowly in 1876 and this book nailed the vibe of that era perfectly. Maude is a naive and properly brought up girl, so her confusion, despite her age, made sense. The story builds up such that you aren't necessarily shocked by the outcome, but I loved the way it made me question what the truth actually was. I can't say I found Maude nor Frank likable, but that seemed intentional. In lots of stories the teenager girls are rebellious against the world order and patriarchy but in this one it was interesting to read about a character that wasn't like that. I have no excuses for Frank though. I did like the kitten side characters as well as Miss Greenway. The audio was great, and captured the tone really well.

Thank you so much Tin House for the ARC and RB Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

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