Katrina Leno

Following her father's sudden death, Jane North-Robinson and her mother are forced to move to the old North house in Maine, where Jane uncovers her family's disturbing secrets.

Horrid

Amanda Autumn Berrey

Three little girls all eating things they weren’t supposed to eat. Three little girls all eating things in order to fill their bodies with something other than the anger, the rage, that would otherwise consume them.

Jane’s entire life, her mother had lied to her. She’d had a sister. And Ruth had had long, curly hair just like Jane’s. And she had eaten it. Just like Jane ate her books, just like Jemima had eaten the roses.

“Because I love every book! Don’t you just love books, Janie? I love books so much I could eat them.” “You can’t eat books,” Jane would reply, still giggling, not knowing then that there would be a day when Greer was gone, when all she would want in the entire world was one last story from him, because when Greer was reading her a story, she felt truly safe, truly brave, truly okay.

“And you don’t want to go somewhere? We could go to Sam’s, we could get pancakes or milkshakes or… whatever you wanted.”

The silence of the house—where had Melanie gone? And where was Jemima? And why wasn’t Ruth waking up?

“Great. You’re hired.” He paused, winked, then added, “Again,” and for the first time that day, Jane found that she was able to think of something other than roses.

“Hate to tell you this, but you’re fired. I thought you seemed suspicious before, and now that I hear you’ve befriended my sister, it’s confirmed. You can’t be trusted.”

I’m getting flashbacks to book eaters and I didn’t like that book

She couldn’t remember the first book she had eaten.

There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, She was very, very good, But when she was bad, she was horrid.—A nursery rhyme adapted from the poem “There Was a Little Girl” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Maria

if i were to review this based on the atmosphere alone it would be a solid 4.5, the mood it manages to convey is perfect for this kind of story, always keeping you on your toes, unable to put the book down. also wanted to give some praise to this gorgeoys cover i think its the first thinf that pulled me in!!! i also think the pieces of the puzzle tie in nicely, so that the reader is able to figure things out along the way, without actually figuring  everything  out. the writing is atmospheric, without becoming tiring for the reader. the grief surrounding jane’s father’s death, and the attempt to live with that, was done very well; the glimpses we get of greener shaped him into a palpable character, so much so that he felt like an active character in the narrative. 
that being said, i have some general thoughts about the overall story and its characters: 
- the overarching theme of this book is generational trauma, and it delves into it quite well, but as i got to the end i felt like something was still missing. of course, this was jane’s story but also not. i wish we’d gotten more of ruth - she was only passive and evasive as a character, which i guess is fitting, but also i wish we’d gotten more into her psyche. the same goes for emilia, who i think is a central part of the story, yet we only truly get a clear image of her at the end. 
- the same goes for ruth’s relationship with her daughter, jane. we get glimpses into their every day life and we know overall what their mother-daughter relationship is like but i think that could’ve been fleshed out more. it would’ve made the reveal all the more hurtful, and i think would’ve helped further develop the generational trauma theme. 
- the first 3/4 of the story is quite slow burn, as the mustery unfolds, which is fine, like i said this really added to the general atmosphere. but then the last part i feel like went by in a rush, not really giving the reader time to take it all in. also, while the open ending didn’t bother me as much, i do wish it had gone differently. 
- that being said, i enjoyed that this wasn’t your typical “who dunnit?” it’s hard to pinpoint a culprit when so many factors contributed to the tragedy. 
- one thing that’s not major but it was a bit grating to me were all the agatha christie mentions.. they were just a bit much after a while, especially since this was nothing like an agatha christie novel.

i am giving this a 3 maybe 3.25 overall, because i truly am conflicted. there were things that worked really well for me, but overall i wish some parts were more developed. i think many will enjoy this though, especially if you’ve been recently introduced to the genre.

Three little girls all eating things they weren’t supposed to eat.
Three little girls all eating things in order to fill their bodies with something other than the anger, the rage, that would otherwise consume them.
--
AAAAaaaaaAAaA.
Allow me to elaborate on my very eloquent first impression after having finished this book.
Horrid was a delightfully chilling story that builds up the mood so well with its dark secrets, creepy setting, sinister shadows, and things that go bump in the middle of the night. Not a romantic plot in sight. Only pure chills and thrills that will make you put down your book once the night starts to fall. It was just the kind of story that I needed to put me in the mood for October.
Admittedly, it was a bit predictable at times, but I enjoyed the overall story a lot, and that ending was perfect for me.
And talk about a memorable first sentence!
"She couldn't remember the first book she had eaten."
Right book, at the right time.

From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie. Following her father's death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor's doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone...and more tormented. As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident "bad seed," struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane's mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won't reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the "storage room" her mom has kept locked isn't for storage at all--it's a little girl's bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears.... Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more...horrid?

fatru tamzil

“I think the important thing to realize, to try and remember, is that grief doesn't have a rule book. You're allowed to feel every emotion under the sun. You're even allowed to invent new ones. I think I've done that a few times”⁣
― Katrina Leno, Horrid. ⁣
⁣
There are three words that described this book: creepy, angry, and pensive. Jane just lost her father, and together with Ruth, her mom, move back to Maine, to her mother's childhood home from California. Jane is a mystery, Agatha Christie loving young adult moving from sunny California to Maine. She was less than thrilled, but circumstances forced her and Ruth to move. ⁣
⁣
Moving and settling into the old town hadn't been easy. On top of the grief that she and her mother feels, Jane also find the new house she lives it breathes. Alive. And everybody is keeping a secret from her. A secret so dark and deep, it runs in her family. ⁣
⁣
First of all: this book IS creepy. It is perfect scary read, the writing is very atmospheric and descriptive. The pacing--both on the mysteries and the supernatural being--is very well-timed. I am scared reading this book. No kidding, when I read it in the night time I huddle closer to my mother. ⁣
⁣
But scary isn't everything in this book. It is also very pensive. As both Ruth and Jane are losing someone, grief is a center theme in this book. How you deal with it, how it affects everyone differently and it can causes many different emotions, it can manifests differently on every person, and it is okay to feel those things. Grief is something I can always relate to when I read a book, and the way grief framed in this book is very poignant. I love how Ruth and Jane works together to overcome it. Grief is not something you can battle alone. And it does nkt leaves you easily, especially if you are still tender. ⁣
⁣
Speaking on center theme, I was very surprised to find that the main character has pica, specifically xylophagia--eating wood derivatives, commonly papers. The surprised I found when I knew Jane had this was real. I've had xylophagia, still struggling with it sometimes. From the perspectives of someone who had it, the writings are pretty accurate, from the feelings on the mental, to the taste of the paper itself. I can actually feel the taste of the paper--recalled them--when I read how she eats the book.⁣
⁣
The book is also angry. After all, like the title and the epithet that was written, it was about a girl who was very good when she was good, but horrid when she was bad. And that's also largely theme of this book--how anger, justified and selfish anger had their own consequences. How you can try to manage them, but in the end....if you are bad. You are horrid. ⁣
⁣
And honestly, you're not the one to blame.

Teodora Nagy

This little one plays with your head...you wonder all the time if she's crazy, if there's a real ghost or if she's dreaming. And we might never know. Was there a ghost? Or was she going insane?

Bilge Ince

There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid.

Well that was an experience. I hate how abruptly it ended, I hate being left with more questions than answers

Holly

Lacy W

Find this review and others like it at https://aravenclawlibraryx.wordpress.com

tw: death, grief, suicide attempts, cursing, bullying, child death, death, pica

Pica: an eating disorder that involves eating items that are not typically thought of as food and that does not contain significant nutritional value such as hair, dirt and paint chips. This is according to the National Eating Disorders website. Nationaleatingdisorders.org

Wowowowowow! What an absolutely FANTASTIC book. I loved every single minute of it. I stayed up way past my bedtime trying to finish this book. The only reason I didn’t finish it in one sitting was because my eyes were burning. That’s how much I loved this book. I never wanted it to end. It kicked my reading slump that I had been in. 

The minute I read the first page, I immediately had a very unsettled feeling and that feeling never went away. I loved every single minute of this unsettling feeling. It reminded me of watching Sinister, one of my all time favorite horror movies. I just knew something was going to happen and whatever was going to happen wasn’t going to be good. The creep factor was done just beautifully.

I enjoyed Jane as the main character, which I didn’t think I would. She was unlikable at times but I found I didn’t mind that. She was very complex and had so many layers to her. You see her angry and I actually loved that. I don’t read about a lot of girls with anger issues. It was refreshing. I truly thought her anger would make me not like her at all but I found her anger was the best part of her character. Weird to say, I know. But it was just refreshing. Jane was so so angry and I felt for her. 

Another fascinating thing about this book was the mention of pica. Jane has pica, which I provided a definition for you at the top. I know that not a lot of people know what pica is or understand it. I have worked with several clients that had pica. It’s a very interesting and difficult illness. I don’t know what it’s like to have it but working with the clients I have, I can only imagine what it would be like to have it. 

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. It’s one of my all time favorite books of 2020. The reason why I gave this book 4.5 stars is because the ending was a bit of an open ending. I’m personally not the biggest fan of open ending books. I prefer knowing specifically what happens to the character. But other than that, this book was absolutely amazing and I loved it so very much.

Sarah Selvaratnam 

This book drew me in from the beginning and steadily got creepier and creepier. I loved the writing, the methodical descent into fear, the way little sentences in the book cause you to start looking over your shoulder too. The character development was amazing and the setting very atmospheric. A perfect Fall/Halloween read!

Alexa M

couldn’t put this down. what a great YA horror

I would’ve rated it 5 stars but the twist was predictable and I don’t like open endings

The prom as section headers 👌🏼Beautiful 

Mabel Palomera

From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie. Following her father's death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor's doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone . . . and more tormented. As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident "bad seed," struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane's mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won't reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the "storage room" her mom has kept locked isn't for storage at all -- it's a little girl's bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears . . . Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more . . . horrid?

I thought I was going to love this but I did not really enjoy it. It was a little boring, nothing quite scary and the characters were unnecessary. Why did Susie, Alana and Will exist ? They brought nothing to the story other than the feeling of the book not being finished. They were not developed enough at all. I did guess the plot before the middle of the book and I found the end bad. I was hoping everything will be sorted but we don’t know what will happen to the characters after that night. The idea was good but the way it was written was too shallow for me.

Emelie

I loved the creepy feeling throughout the book. The plot twist itself wasn’t so hard to figure out, but everything around it was perfectly creepy and spooky. Loved this book!

This book gave me excacly what I was looking for. A story that would pull me in, and hook me till the very end. A creepy setting and plot and we definitely got that. Paranormal done well....yes this was done beyond well.

I wanted to feel like this book made me think of fall and this definitely did that job. With the rain, darkness, Halloween and creepy vibes it gave me the fall vibes.

The ending I wanted to be shocked and omg was I shocked by this ending, it kinda left me looking like a fish on land, with my mouth hanging open. I wanted to explain to my partner but I literally could not speak 

Is this a all time new favourite no (this is why we need a six star level) but is this deserving of five stars, one hundred percent yes.

Samantha King

This book gave me excacly what I was looking for. A story that would pull me in, and hook me till the very end. A creepy setting and plot and we definitely got that. Paranormal done well....yes this was done beyond well.

I wanted to feel like this book made me think of fall and this definitely did that job. With the rain, darkness, Halloween and creepy vibes it gave me the fall vibes.

The ending I wanted to be shocked and omg was I shocked by this ending, it kinda left me looking like a fish on land, with my mouth hanging open. I wanted to explain to my partner but I literally could not speak 

Is this a all time new favourite no (this is why we need a six star level) but is this deserving of five stars, one hundred percent yes.

Ashley Wendt

We’ll…that feel like an abrupt ending. I don’t normally read dark/horror/mysteries, but I did enjoy this read. It was creepy and weird and kept me invested in the story. The one thing I wish we had more of were some backstories to fully flesh out this book. Especially in regards to North Manor, some of the town people we met a long the way and why there seemed to be a history of anger. I feel like there was so much more to this story that we didn’t get. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this one! Great October read.

Debbi

So twisted.

And I loved every minute of it.

Alexis Paige

Made me want to put inanimate objects into my mouth.
Definitely wanted more for the entire story & the ending was rushed. 
Had the potential to be so much better.

Leigh Osborne

This was a ride from start to finish. I loved every bit of it and will read stuff by this author again.

Laura

This would work great as a film or TV show but as a book it felt kind of flat. It was good but it was not great. The ghost appeared too late for a self called ghost story. And the ending felt rushed and anticlimactic. More development could have made it cool as hell but it just fell flat. Plus, so many loose ends.

I really liked this as an intro to horror, since I'm not a giant fan. This was spooky and creepy without giving me nightmares. 
I wasn't a big fan of the ending but maybe that's why I'm not generally drawn to horror since there is no happy endings. I wish there had been MORE with the ghost and less with the useless job and boy.

Meghan Morris

I really thought I was going to love this book but I got bored :/ had high hopes!

Tatiana Alvarez 

Actual rating is a 2.5. 

So I didn’t hate this book. It was an easy read and it kept my attention, but I also felt like it was extremely basic in many ways.

✨Synopsis✨
Jane and her mother is moving away from California to Ruth’s hometown of Maine after the death of Jane’s father. Neither mother or daughter particularly wanted to leave, but with their current financials status, they don’t have a choice and hope that Maine becomes a fresh start for the both of them. The town is small and everyone seems to know Ruth and constantly mentioning how much Jane looks like her. However the town has a secret and a deadly history that Jane is just about to discover. 

✨What I Liked✨
-The writing was good and it flowed well. I found myself getting through it pretty quickly. 
- The idea of the story is promising. 
- Jane and Ruth are both interesting characters with a unique bond. 
- Jemima’s story 

✨What I Didn’t Like✨
-The dialogue was very plain and basic. I didn’t feel like it added much to the story. 
- Everything interesting happened at the end and ended abruptly. I felt the I reached the middle when it ended. 
- I have a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of unexplained events. 
- I get that the author wants to call attention to mental illness but it seemed like more of a ghost story and not really about grief. 
- I didn’t get enough from Ruth. 

Overall, it was okay. Not something that you need to run out and buy. Maybe worth a listen, but is overall forgettable.

Alaia

Meh.

That’s kind of all I feel the need to say about this book, but in the pursuit of eloquence, I’ll elaborate.

This book feels like a first attempt at horror, which I assume it is. It has the typical, somewhat cliched elements of horror: a creepy abandoned house, a small town, a dead parent, a ghost girl, etcetera. It’s fine, I guess. I think I was mostly just underwhelmed because it brings nothing new to the table, and admittedly I skimmed a lot of it because the book spends too much time developing the mundane and contemporary aspects that I could not care less about.

[SPOILER]
The pica disorder plot point was intriguing to me, and I was expecting Leno to do more with that, but she really didn’t. I would’ve liked to learn more about the significance of Ruth, Jane and Jemima all having pica disorder.
[END OF SPOILER]

And this is not a criticism, nor did it affect my rating, but it was very...white, for lack of a better word. Maybe it’s a bit much to ask for some diversity in a short YA horror novel set in Maine, especially since the author’s inspirations appear to be Stephen King and Agatha Christie, but it’s 2020, and I’m tired of reading books featuring characters with names like Jane and Ruth and Melanie and Susie.

2.5 stars.

Horrid

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