Hi all, this week I have a slightly different book reviewed. It’s still in line with the theme of horror but is set in Victorian times, so has a bit of an historical flavour to it. I won’t be giving much away but I think the title speaks for itself.
Title: The Night Gardener
Author: Jonathan Auxier
Genre: Fiction – historical horror
Publication details: Amulet Books; London; 2014
ISBN: 9781419711442
What the book is about: The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its inhabitants are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious stranger – and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives.
My review: Fan of Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irvine will enjoy this read. This book takes on horror in a different light!! I must say I scared myself witless as I read it. I think I finished it in a whole day out of sheer terror!! The writing style of Jonathan Auxier is gripping to say the least. Everything was done well: description, dialogue and imagery. The characters will linger in your memory for a while, well they did for me anyway!! I seriously couldn’t put it down!! If you are a fan of Gothic tales, with mystery and gore added into the mixture, then this is definitely for you!! This, along with a few others I have read in the last few years will go on to be classic reads in the future!! It was that good!!
My rating: 4 ⭐ ( again the minus one is for the scary elements!!)
The Night Gardener has won quite a few awards. You will find some of them listed below.
CLA Book of the Year for Children’s Award 2015, The International Literacy Association (ILA) Children’s & Young Adult’s Book Award for Intermediate Fiction 2015, OLA Forest of Reading Silver Birch Award for Fiction 2015 and it was nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers book Award 2017, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award 2016 and more.
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 