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A review by nattyc96
Girls of Brackenhill: A Thriller by Kate Moretti
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
“Girls of Brackenhill” by Kate Moretti tells the story of Hannah Maloney. Hannah, now engaged with a seemingly perfect life, must come back to her aunt’s castle on the hill after her aunt’s body is discovered in her vehicle in a ravine. But Hannah has mixed feelings about returning. At once a refuge and haunting, the castle holds memories from the past that Hannah would rather forget- including the disappearance and death of multiple young girls, all connected to the castle grounds. The past mingled with local folklore about the home makes for an interesting mystery.
Hannah was an interesting character to read because she is an unreliable voice. We see the world through her eyes, but is it possible that at the young age of 13-15 Hannah has misremembered something? That mixed with her sleepwalking and overall reaction to returning to the castle makes you question if there is something strange about the old, empty halls. So much of Hannah’s development into an adult happens within the castle that it’s hard to know if she’s romanticising the appeal of the crumbling home. Past traumas also add to the attachment Hannah has to the castle and it makes the reader wonder what kinds of things she can forget or block out.
I also enjoyed the relationship between the town and the castle. The town is wary and tells stories about the castle. It’s haunted, it makes people go crazy, it can’t be trusted. With this kind of relationship, I find it interesting how seamlessly Hannah and her sister Julia are able to integrate themselves into the town. No one questions them joining the other teenagers, and they are never viewed as suspicious. If the town truly felt the castle was haunted, how were these girls so easily accepted?
Overall, this book held a compelling mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chain of tragedy connected with the house is curious and makes for an interesting read, especially as more and more players come to light. With hints of gothic and mystic mysteries, I couldn’t put it down. In the end, I gave this book 4 stars.
“Girls of Brackenhill” by Kate Moretti tells the story of Hannah Maloney. Hannah, now engaged with a seemingly perfect life, must come back to her aunt’s castle on the hill after her aunt’s body is discovered in her vehicle in a ravine. But Hannah has mixed feelings about returning. At once a refuge and haunting, the castle holds memories from the past that Hannah would rather forget- including the disappearance and death of multiple young girls, all connected to the castle grounds. The past mingled with local folklore about the home makes for an interesting mystery.
Hannah was an interesting character to read because she is an unreliable voice. We see the world through her eyes, but is it possible that at the young age of 13-15 Hannah has misremembered something? That mixed with her sleepwalking and overall reaction to returning to the castle makes you question if there is something strange about the old, empty halls. So much of Hannah’s development into an adult happens within the castle that it’s hard to know if she’s romanticising the appeal of the crumbling home. Past traumas also add to the attachment Hannah has to the castle and it makes the reader wonder what kinds of things she can forget or block out.
I also enjoyed the relationship between the town and the castle. The town is wary and tells stories about the castle. It’s haunted, it makes people go crazy, it can’t be trusted. With this kind of relationship, I find it interesting how seamlessly Hannah and her sister Julia are able to integrate themselves into the town. No one questions them joining the other teenagers, and they are never viewed as suspicious. If the town truly felt the castle was haunted, how were these girls so easily accepted?
Overall, this book held a compelling mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chain of tragedy connected with the house is curious and makes for an interesting read, especially as more and more players come to light. With hints of gothic and mystic mysteries, I couldn’t put it down. In the end, I gave this book 4 stars.