Book Review: A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Horror
Length: 464 pages
Author: Ann Fraistat
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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.

Thank you to Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

NOT FOR ME.

I felt like trying a genre I don’t typically read and had high hopes. Unfortunately I clashed with the general plot of this book and it’s a total case of, it’s me not the book. So take this review as you will.

Most of this book revolves around seances, communing with spirits and and an exorcism vibe. Those are things that aren’t really my thing and thus, I felt disconnected from the book.

I thought the writing was great, it didn’t feel too long and I did enjoy the main characters. There were good moments and the subtle romance had some cute scenes too.

Overall audience notes:

YA Horror
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of prior suicide attempt, suicide ideation, mentions of potential self harm, being possessed