Holly Horror is a haunting and captivating dark retelling of a famous classic. The story follows Evelyn Archer, who moves from the bustling metropolis of New York City to a small town named Ravenglass, where her family has owned a house for half a century.
“Hobbie House. Those words had been spoken in hushed tones throughout Evie’s life, like a curse.”
Evie is facing many challenges, such as her parent's messy divorce, a strained relationship with her mother and younger brother, and getting used to a new school and town where she has no friends. She doesn’t want to draw attention to herself, especially not the kind of attention that Hobbie House attracts from the locals, mostly because her mother’s cousin, Holly, disappeared from her bedroom years ago, the same bedroom where Evie now resides. The same bedroom where the sweet smell of rotting roses lingers at night.
“In all the years of her life, the few times Holly had come up in conversation between Aunt Martha and her mother, or anyone else, no one ever referred to Holly in the past tense. Since she was never found, and a body never recovered, Holly seemed to exist in a nebulous place between life and death.”
As Evie settles into her new home, she discovers Holly’s old diary and becomes increasingly fascinated with the mystery surrounding Holly's life and death. The house starts to whisper to Evie’s mind, too quiet for others to hear. There are moments when it almost feels like Holly Hobbie never truly… left. Evie starts to realize that the only way to avoid a fate like Holly's is to solve the mystery of Hobbie House before it's too late, for the house's past still holds power over the present.
This captivating book was hard to put down, and I loved every minute of it! There is a romance aspect to the story, but it wasn’t the main focus, which I think was the right choice. The addition of a fun charming cast of side characters provided an additional layer to the story. I especially loved Tina, Aunt Martha, and Birdie!
I’ll leave you with a tiny hint - "A dream is not reality, but who's to say which is which?" – The Mad Hatter
The cover is beautiful – full moon, a ghostly figure wearing a bonnet, and an old house in the background – is the ghost a part of the house, or is the house part of her? How can one tell? The moment I saw it I knew I’ll enjoy the story!
The vividly portrayed, relatable characters, exceptional world-building, and perfectly creepy atmosphere make this book my favorite recent read, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the sequel!
Thank you, BookishFirst, the publisher Penguin Teen, and author Michelle Jabès Corpora for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! My review is based on an uncorrected text. Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora is due to be released on August 15, 2023.
“Hobbie House. Those words had been spoken in hushed tones throughout Evie’s life, like a curse.”
Evie is facing many challenges, such as her parent's messy divorce, a strained relationship with her mother and younger brother, and getting used to a new school and town where she has no friends. She doesn’t want to draw attention to herself, especially not the kind of attention that Hobbie House attracts from the locals, mostly because her mother’s cousin, Holly, disappeared from her bedroom years ago, the same bedroom where Evie now resides. The same bedroom where the sweet smell of rotting roses lingers at night.
“In all the years of her life, the few times Holly had come up in conversation between Aunt Martha and her mother, or anyone else, no one ever referred to Holly in the past tense. Since she was never found, and a body never recovered, Holly seemed to exist in a nebulous place between life and death.”
As Evie settles into her new home, she discovers Holly’s old diary and becomes increasingly fascinated with the mystery surrounding Holly's life and death. The house starts to whisper to Evie’s mind, too quiet for others to hear. There are moments when it almost feels like Holly Hobbie never truly… left. Evie starts to realize that the only way to avoid a fate like Holly's is to solve the mystery of Hobbie House before it's too late, for the house's past still holds power over the present.
This captivating book was hard to put down, and I loved every minute of it! There is a romance aspect to the story, but it wasn’t the main focus, which I think was the right choice. The addition of a fun charming cast of side characters provided an additional layer to the story. I especially loved Tina, Aunt Martha, and Birdie!
I’ll leave you with a tiny hint - "A dream is not reality, but who's to say which is which?" – The Mad Hatter
The cover is beautiful – full moon, a ghostly figure wearing a bonnet, and an old house in the background – is the ghost a part of the house, or is the house part of her? How can one tell? The moment I saw it I knew I’ll enjoy the story!
The vividly portrayed, relatable characters, exceptional world-building, and perfectly creepy atmosphere make this book my favorite recent read, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the sequel!
Thank you, BookishFirst, the publisher Penguin Teen, and author Michelle Jabès Corpora for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! My review is based on an uncorrected text. Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora is due to be released on August 15, 2023.