And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich @TheNovl

Publication: September 6th 2016 by: Little, Brown BFYR

Genres: YA, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Format: ARC Source: Publisher

My Rating: 4 Stars 

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A stunning, terrifying novel about a house the color of blood and the two sisters who are trapped there, by The Dead Houseauthor Dawn Kurtagich

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the “blood manor” is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too–the questions that Silla can’t ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that’s appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?Filled with just as many twists and turns as The Dead House, and with achingly beautiful, chilling language that delivers haunting scenes, AND THE TREES CREPT IN is the perfect follow-up novel for master horror writer Dawn Kurtagich.

 

Review

*I received an ARC of this book from NOVL, for free, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

I haven’t read Kurtagich’s debut novel, The Dead House, but I will make sure that I try to fit it in soon. Probably sometime in the fall, when I usually read any type of creepy books. And the Trees Crept In definitely has the whole horror factor down pat. There wasn’t a moment in this story where I wasn’t freaked out. I wasn’t planning to get started on it right away, but once I cracked it open, I couldn’t put it down. 

There once were three little girls in the woods…….the prologue begins in 1980. Three sisters go into the woods to make a protector.It was like a seance, only they weren’t trying to wake the dead. They made a rag doll, began to chant, and the rest is history. Fast forward decades later, and Silla and Nori have run away from their abusive home, into the home of their aunt Cath. The manor is blood red and seems to be hiding something. It was not hard to see the direction that the author would go with this, to some degree. It was hard to figure out exactly what was really happening. Here are 2 little girls in need of protecting – it’s not surprising that everything kicked into gear once Silla and Nori arrived at La Baume Manor. The story is written with both the past and present, with passages from what appears to be pages from a journal. It’s very fragmented in places, which only adds to the creepy. I wasn’t expecting it to get so carried away. When you think you know what’s going on, you get blindsided and nothing makes sense. Silla seems very disturbed, so you ask yourself, WTF is happening? 

I love the bond that Silla and Nori shared. I love even more the bonds between Catherine, Anne and Pamela. It was confusing at times with the back and forth, but I started to see how Silla twisted what happened in the past to her present. Gowan added more mystery to this, because I wasn’t sure of his intentions. The Creeper Man turns out to be a twist that I didn’t see coming until the moment it all came together in the end. I think the author turned the horror up a notch. I didn’t expect it to be so gory at times. The formatting is what makes this book special. I think without the added illustrations here and there, and the fragmented notes, this wouldn’t have been so engrossing. It’s horrifying, filled with twists, and a real page turner. I definitely recommend this book to horror lovers, or those in need of some creepy in their reading.

 

And the Trees Crept In releases September 6th 2016 from Little Brown BFYR (US), and on July 14th 2016 from Orion Chilldren’s (UK) under the title, The Creeper Man. That UK cover is wicked……