The Monsters of Rookhaven

July 19, 2021
Mirabelle, an otherworldly being in girl guise who looks "no more than twelve," lives with the Family, a close-knit group of monsters, at the House of Rookhaven. The group is protected from a nearby village by the Glamour, a magical barrier resulting from a generations-old monster-human pact, through which nothing may cross without a key. To the confusion and horror of the Rookhaven household, all rendered toothily macabre in inky b&w illustrations by Bettison, a tear appears in the Glamour soon after the arrival of a new Family member, allowing 12-year-old Jem and ailing 13-year-old Tom, orphan siblings on the run, to stumble through. Pivoting between the cued-white characters in a third-person narration, this elaborately cast adventure by Kenny (Tin) begins languidly, gathering momentum and turning grim when a Family member escapes just before an unsettling hitchhiker's arrival, and the human (and human-seeming) children must fight desperately to maintain relations between the Family and the postwar English village nearby. Full of gruesome charm and heart-wrenching pathos, this story offers a satisfying gothic fantasy at once chilling and affecting. Ages 10–14. Agent: Sophie Hicks, Sophie Hicks Agency.

August 15, 2021
Stranded runaways end up at a house where a family of monsters live. Mirabelle has always lived at the House of Rookhaven, a magical place with passages from another world. When the Glamour that protects the house and its inhuman residents falls, orphaned siblings Tom and Jem arrive in need of help. Mirabelle, a misfit among misfits, champions helping the two and quickly befriends Jem. Beauty is found through the horror, from carnivorous flowers to a beautiful lady who transforms into a swarm of spiders and other gothic monsters in residence. The mood is set through exquisite black-and-white illustrations, featuring both silhouettes and delicate linework, and through the collective fog of grief--the story is set in England shortly after World War II. Mystery comes in the form of the oldest member of the Rookhaven family--Piglet, declared dangerous and locked away but who knows that change is coming; it's only a matter of time until Piglet is freed. Themes of grief, empathy, and the nature of monsters play out as danger arrives from an unexpected source. While the ending concludes the imminent dangers and storylines, enough mysteries remain for the fictional world to be revisited. Third-person viewpoints shift among Mirabelle, Jem, a boy from Rookhaven village named Freddie, and occasionally Piglet. Characters default to White. A dreamy, imaginative premise gives way to pensive catharsis. (Fantasy. 8-14)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 1, 2021
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* After losing their parents, brother and sister Tom (13) and Jem (12) are on the run from their abusive uncle. On the road, Jem sees something "shimmering" in the forest. Meanwhile, in the House of Rookhaven, hidden in the forest, Mirabelle and the family of "monsters" who inhabit the House have just welcomed a new member. The shimmering Glamour around their home is supposed to keep them safe from the prying eyes of humans, as is the agreement that the Family will not harm humans in exchange for meat from the village. When Jem and Tom pass through a small opening, they learn of the strange history of Rookhaven and unintentionally release the dangerous Piglet, and the inhabitants of Rookhaven soon learn that something else truly sinister has found them. Chapters alternate among the viewpoints of Jem, Mirabelle, Piglet, and a young villager named Freddie. Between the incredible descriptions, unique cast, and dark and lovely illustrations, readers will be enveloped by Rookhaven. They will experience the tragedy and grief that follows not only Jem and Tom but the people from the village, as well as Rookhaven itself, and they will stay up long into the night to discover who the real monster is. A breathtaking novel about family, loss, and truly seeing those around us.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.