Name: The Ash House
ISBN: 9781913322588

Angharad Walker

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets Lord of the Flies in the exciting debut from Angharad Walker. A new boy arrives at the Ash House. He can't remember his name - or why he's been sent there. Given the name Sol, and troubled by a mystery pain that no medicine can cure, he joins the gang of children living in the shadows of the secretive house. Soon, however, there's more for him to face: the darkness that descends with the arrival of the Doctor ...

The Ash House

An unsettling, gripping middle grade debut about searching for a sense of belonging in the wrong places, and the bravery it takes to defy those who seek to control us. This is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets Lord of the Flies for fans of Neil Gaiman and Holly Black. When Eleven-year-old Sol arrives at the Ash House, desperate for a cure for his complex pain syndrome, he finds a community of strange children long abandoned by their mysterious Headmaster. The children at the Ash House want the new boy to love their home as much as they do. They give him a name like theirs. They show him the dorms and tell him about the wonderful oasis that the Headmaster has created for them. But the new boy already has a name. Doesn't he? At least he did before he walked through those gates... This was supposed to be a healing refuge for children like him. Something between a school and a summer camp. With kids like him. With pain like his. But no one is allowed to get sick at the Ash House. NO ONE. And then The Doctor arrives... Strange things are about to happen at the mysterious Ash House. And the longer Sol spends on the mysterious grounds, the more he begins to forget who he is, the more the other children begin to distrust him, and the worse his pain becomes. But can he hold onto reality long enough to find an escape? And better yet, can he convince the others?

Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[medical experimentation, animal attack, physical assault, blood depiction, physical injury & illness, chronic pain, kidnapping (implied), captivity (implied) (hide spoiler)]

An atmospheric and legitimately spooky middle-grade, this book might not be for younger readers who are faint of heart. With a similar feel to Roux's House of Furies, this is a book full of mystery, curious characters and gut-wrenching circumstances.

If you are a reader that wants solid answers and explanations - perhaps steer clear of The Ash House. But in the same sense, this is a fantastic book to read alongside your youth and discuss what may or may not be happening within. 

This book is perfect for young readers wanting to pick up their first 'horror' novel, or older readers who really want to dive into a truly fascinating and atmospheric story. 



  Note: Review copy received from NetGalley. This does not impact opinions within this review.


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The Ash House

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