This was VERY odd and SO creatively done. Gothic strangeness for the middle reader with some great messages woven in. If you are looking for something truly different this one is for you. I am definitely going to follow this author. ( )

Ok, that's _weird _. It ended up being a sweet story, but there are some seriously scary bits throughout - beginning, middle, climax, and some sad ones near the end. Very very strange magic, massive confusion which got cleared up but it didn't solve anything. That took more steps. A very rich story but not a comfortable one. Glad I read it but I don't think I'll reread. ( )

Perfect for 6th graders looking for something spooky but not too scary. It moved fast without sacrificing any plot or character development. ( )

I really liked this one. It was like if Neil Gaiman wrote We Have Always Lived in the Castle with a bit of old fairy tale magic. I did find myself wishing for something more to the narrative, but it was very fun to read anyway.. ( )

This was a very sweet, quick read. The story had a pretty fast pace, which at times I didn't care for, but it held my attention easily. Some things felt like they were moving too quickly, particularly the main plot-line. A plot twist or new conflict would be introduced and resolved almost immediately.

Even with the frequency and quickness of the plot twists, some of them were pretty unexpected. I found myself fairly shocked by a few of them. I can honestly say that many of the revelations were never even a possibility I thought of.

We don't see much from the parents, so I'm not sure how I should feel about them. I do think their changed feelings toward Mayhap in the end were rather sudden with little to no thought behind the change of heart. As for the sisters, I couldn't really connect with any of them until the very end, but I still loved them. Their bond was wholesome and strong, which I admired.

I loved the magical aspect of this book. It was pretty complex for a middle grade novel, at least comparing it to the novels I read when I was younger. I think it would be very interesting to read about a magical system similar to this one in more of a young adult style. The droonhounds were probably my favorite part of the magic.

This really was such a cute book. I found the family theme to be very wholesome and sweet. I loved the relationship between the girls, as well as their connection to the house. It was simple, but it was still poetic.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via the publisher and JeanBookNerd tours. This did not influence my opinion in any way. ( )