Genre: Young Adult Horror
Publisher: Delacorte Press, an Imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s Books
Publishing Date: January 16, 2024
Synopsis:
A teen girl and her family return to her mother’s childhood home, only to discover that the house’s strange beauty may disguise a sinister past, in this contemporary gothic horror from the author of What We Harvest.
The house was supposed to be a fresh start. That’s what Libby’s mom said. And after Libby’s recent bipolar III diagnosis and the tragedy that preceded it, Libby knows she and her family need to find a new normal.
But Libby’s new home turns out to be anything but normal. Scores of bugs haunt its winding halls, towering stained-glass windows feature strange, insectile designs, and the garden teems with impossibly blue roses. And then there are the rumors. The locals, including the mysterious boy next door, tell stories about disappearances tied to the house, stretching back over a century to its first owners. Owners who supposedly hosted legendary masked séances on its grounds.
Libby’s mom refuses to hear anything that could derail their family’s perfect new beginning, but Libby knows better. The house is keeping secrets from her, and something tells her that the key to unlocking them lies in the eerie, bug-shaped masks hidden throughout the property.
We all wear masks—to hide our imperfections, to make us stronger and braver. But if Libby keeps hers on for too long, she might just lose herself—and everyone she loves.
Content Warning: Mental illness themes, suicide attempt, horror themes
My Review:
This is the best horror book I have ever read. I have read gothic books and books that give “horror vibes,” but not exactly “ghosty horror shivers.” I can assure you that you will see ancient ghosts in “A Place for Vanishing” by Ann Fraistat.
Libby, her mom, and her little sister Vivi moved to her mother’s childhood house for a fresh start. Things didn’t go as they hoped in this mansion. This story falls under the classic haunted house trope, but in the most unique way possible.
Flynn, a boy next door, met Libby when he was performing fake séances in her mansion’s backyard. At first, their meeting felt absolutely accidental, but later it was revealed that they were both connected. Libby and Flynn’s relationship was so beautifully evolved in a short period of time. Usually, I prefer slow burns, but I think this book is exceptional.
Coming to the plot, people have been disappearing in the mansion for years, and at present, Libby encounters certain abnormal things. So, she seeks the help of Flynn to perform séances in search of finding the truth about the disappearance.
At first, it was fun for Flynn because he believed he was not a true medium (through whom the spirits communicate), only to find out he was a real one. Let me say, every séance performed was so horrifying. It just glued me to the pages. I feel like watching a horror movie—a really good one.
The most disturbing thing was the bugs. Yes, there are lots and lots of bugs in this book because the spirits are weirdly connected to them. I loved how they were not normal spirits who had died previously in the mansion, which made the story even more interesting.
In short, this book felt like watching a very good horror movie. I think there is nothing more you need in a horror novel. If you are a horror lover, like me, then you just read a review of a PERFECT horror book.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with the arc of this book.
Click here for Tour schedule to see more reviews.
Book links:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
About the author:
Ann Fraistat is an author, playwright, and narrative designer. Her debut novel is What We Harvest, out now with Delacorte Press, and her second book, A Place for Vanishing, is coming January 16, 2024. Her co-author credits include plays such as Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, and alternate reality games sponsored by the National Science Foundation. She lives in Maryland.
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