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A review by raforall
The Bone Weaver's Orchard by Sarah Read
4.0
Appears in my October 2020 take over of THE READERS' SHELF column in Library Journal: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=scary-reads-horror-that-is-sure-to-please
Finding an awesome debut can feel like winning the lottery to the right reader, and this year’s Bram Stoker Award Best First Novel winner is no exception there. THE BONE WEAVER’S ORCHARD by Sarah Read is a engrossing Gothic tale set in North Yorkshire in the mid 1920s within the creepy walls of The Old Cross School for Boys. Charley, a young insect loving, misfit student knows there is something sinister going on in the tunnels under the building, but he has no idea just how far into the past, how deep, and yet also, how close to home the horrific truths are. This is a haunted house tale that begins like you have read before, filled with dark secrets and monsters hiding in plain sight, but it is also surprisingly original featuring a fresh voice telling a compelling, character driven, sympathetic story of friendship, bravery, and coming of age that is filled with nightmares and hope and Charley is a boy who will resonate with many readers. Read-alike: Fans of the new take on the old Gothic trope as seen in MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia with its escalating dread, sympathetic protagonist, and sinister family secrets will also enjoy Read’s lesser known novel.
Finding an awesome debut can feel like winning the lottery to the right reader, and this year’s Bram Stoker Award Best First Novel winner is no exception there. THE BONE WEAVER’S ORCHARD by Sarah Read is a engrossing Gothic tale set in North Yorkshire in the mid 1920s within the creepy walls of The Old Cross School for Boys. Charley, a young insect loving, misfit student knows there is something sinister going on in the tunnels under the building, but he has no idea just how far into the past, how deep, and yet also, how close to home the horrific truths are. This is a haunted house tale that begins like you have read before, filled with dark secrets and monsters hiding in plain sight, but it is also surprisingly original featuring a fresh voice telling a compelling, character driven, sympathetic story of friendship, bravery, and coming of age that is filled with nightmares and hope and Charley is a boy who will resonate with many readers. Read-alike: Fans of the new take on the old Gothic trope as seen in MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia with its escalating dread, sympathetic protagonist, and sinister family secrets will also enjoy Read’s lesser known novel.