Language: PG (40 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (ghosts, supernatural beings); Violence: PG-13 (fantasy of murdering someone, slapping, choking, beat someone with a rock, death)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
On her visit to the site of The Oakwell Farms School for Girls, 17yo Hazel brings home more than expected. Where is this desire for revenge and the violent urges she is feeling coming from? It turns out that Hazel has a familial link to the old school for "disturbed" girls. As her investigation develops, more secrets begin to surface, and what initially seems like a straightforward case becomes much more complicated. Friendships are tested, family relationships are strengthened and the suspense of the events keeps you quickly turning pages for more! The story moves between Hazel’s present and the disquieting past.
The ghosts weren’t simply there to make the book scary—they represented the trauma and injustice that had never been properly acknowledged. That gave the horror a purpose and made the story more emotional. The subject matter was also difficult at times. The abuse is important to the story, but there were scenes that were genuinely upsetting. I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who is uncomfortable reading about abuse of children or institutional mistreatment.
Hazel is of Puerto Rican and Polish descent, and her identity is part of who she is without becoming the only thing that defines her.
S. Lewis
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