These Fleeting Shadows
Kate Alice Marshall
Synopsis: Helen Vaughan doesn’t know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven’t spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she’s shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she’ll be left with nothing.
There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen’s dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night? And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?
With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave…but if she can.
My Rating: 4.75 stars – rounded up to 5 Cover 5; characters 4; plot 5; pace 5; writing 5; enjoyment 5
My Review: Kate did it again y’all.
THESE FLEETING SHADOWS is one of the most disturbingly creepy YA books I’ve ever read. Somehow Marshall makes her books (to be fair this is only the second I’ve read) incredibly readable for younger audiences and yet so horrifying. As a grown ass adult woman there were moments of this book where I actually had goosebumps and shuddered from just absolute CREEP factor.
It’s a dark and gothic tale set entirely at Harrow. An estate established by our MC’s ancestor’s that might be harboring something sinister. And you get the creep in the halls and a fear of what might be happening at night and just utter chills from the things you learn about the characters as you go through the book.
Our four main teen protagonists were well created characters. They could have used a bit of fleshing out (the two cousins in particular) but as they were in and out of Harrow throughout the year the book takes place in, it makes sense that they wouldn’t be as complete of people as our other two MC’s. The adults were a hot dang mess, mish-mash of what the absolute fuck are these people on about and they did make for great characters, I just wasn’t completely sold on most of them as people in general.
If you’re looking to be spooked or creeped out, this is definitely a book for you. I also highly recommend getting the audiobook. They distort the creepy voices in the book and it makes it sooooo creepy.
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To see more of my reviews, head over to the reviews page on my website.