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A review by confessionsofabibliophile
Clearlake by Stanislava Buevich
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I was kindly given a chance to read Clearlake for a Book Tour and also via Netgalley. This review is my honest thought and opinions based on the book. I will try and keep it as spoiler free as possible.
“I’ll snap you like gingerbread. One finger at a time. Snap, snap, snap.”
Clearlake isn't all that it seems to be. A huge monstrous building on a hill, on a secluded island; soon it will be the prison which will hold or main character and many other children.
Unfortunately for our main character Moon, fate was not on her side when she was birthed the night of the full Moon to her very eccentric mother, Ms. Raines in the bathtub of their flat. Her mother is one of those types of parents who believe Western medicine is fooey and that childhood board games like Monopoly are just a bunch of propaganda. You could say the woman is slightly mad.
Moon's unlucky destination happens on the chance she is ill. Upon exhausting all sorts of cures (except the Vicks; any Latin raised reader will understand my joke. Happened to me too.) She is taken away by her mother to this hospital on the hill. Where the staff are a bit off and odd things happen. The whole place is filled with children caught between growing up and being a child. the majority are orphans and the ones with cuckoo parents like Moon's. Every once I awhile a child is called to a room....and they never return....
Moon and her band of resistance fighters work together to try and unravel the secrets of the dark labyrinth, which Clearlake housed within its weathered walls. Will she and the rest of the lost boys and girls find the truth of the strange happenings before it's too late?
Clearlake was a quick short read. I finished it in a couple of hours. I found myself wanting to find out what the dark portrait lined halls of Clearlake echoed within the whisper of night. It is a YA horror thriller, I would say more towards the lower YA age demographic even into middle grade. It's not creepy enough for me, but I know it would be for the targeted demographic. I liked most of the characters except a handful, all the adults but one.. the plot twist with the one was so sad... As I read, I definitely had Roald Dahl Witches vibes mixed with this movie I saw on like netflix where they had all these girls in this buding from tiny kids to early teens before they would vanish. I felt like perhaps these two things may have been inspiration but I am unsure, though here I was thinking I was Sherlock Holmes and I couldn't have been more wrong, when the truth dropped, I was so surprised in a good way! Very clever!
The only thing I wished there was more of was a bit more to the ending. It was a good ending, but I had questions. I wanted to know what happened to all the kids and especially to the main group and to June. Was Lars telling the truth?
If you have a child between 8-14, I think they would definitely enjoy the book, or if you enjoy lower YA to Middle Grade stories and like spooky reads, this one is for you!
“I’ll snap you like gingerbread. One finger at a time. Snap, snap, snap.”
Clearlake isn't all that it seems to be. A huge monstrous building on a hill, on a secluded island; soon it will be the prison which will hold or main character and many other children.
Unfortunately for our main character Moon, fate was not on her side when she was birthed the night of the full Moon to her very eccentric mother, Ms. Raines in the bathtub of their flat. Her mother is one of those types of parents who believe Western medicine is fooey and that childhood board games like Monopoly are just a bunch of propaganda. You could say the woman is slightly mad.
Moon's unlucky destination happens on the chance she is ill. Upon exhausting all sorts of cures (except the Vicks; any Latin raised reader will understand my joke. Happened to me too.) She is taken away by her mother to this hospital on the hill. Where the staff are a bit off and odd things happen. The whole place is filled with children caught between growing up and being a child. the majority are orphans and the ones with cuckoo parents like Moon's. Every once I awhile a child is called to a room....and they never return....
Moon and her band of resistance fighters work together to try and unravel the secrets of the dark labyrinth, which Clearlake housed within its weathered walls. Will she and the rest of the lost boys and girls find the truth of the strange happenings before it's too late?
Clearlake was a quick short read. I finished it in a couple of hours. I found myself wanting to find out what the dark portrait lined halls of Clearlake echoed within the whisper of night. It is a YA horror thriller, I would say more towards the lower YA age demographic even into middle grade. It's not creepy enough for me, but I know it would be for the targeted demographic. I liked most of the characters except a handful, all the adults but one.. the plot twist with the one was so sad... As I read, I definitely had Roald Dahl Witches vibes mixed with this movie I saw on like netflix where they had all these girls in this buding from tiny kids to early teens before they would vanish. I felt like perhaps these two things may have been inspiration but I am unsure, though here I was thinking I was Sherlock Holmes and I couldn't have been more wrong, when the truth dropped, I was so surprised in a good way! Very clever!
The only thing I wished there was more of was a bit more to the ending. It was a good ending, but I had questions. I wanted to know what happened to all the kids and especially to the main group and to June. Was Lars telling the truth?
If you have a child between 8-14, I think they would definitely enjoy the book, or if you enjoy lower YA to Middle Grade stories and like spooky reads, this one is for you!