This is a haunting tale about the few remaining remnants of a family after a mass murder. But a mass murder committed by Whom? And way do they remain so secluded only to embrace the presence of an obscure relative? This story wonderfully raised more questions than it answers.

The trouble I had with this book is that I did it as an audiobook. There were just too many characters, and sometimes the characters were referred to differently depending upon who was speaking about them. Add to that the challenges of the language of 1826 and I was not able to enjoy the book or really follow what was going on.

This might very well be the best book I read all summer. It combines two of the genres that I love, fantasy and horror. I am a Stephen King fan, and as I read this, I could hear him commenting “Well done”. A 9-year-old boy who is socially isolated becomes a central part of a series of horrific events, during which he is befriended by an 11-year-old girl who lives near him. But she and her family seem to understand what is happening and provide him with protection. And on top of all this wonderful action, the writer provides the perfect narrative with just the right amount of emotion and description. If you like these two genres, you’ve got to try this!

Adorable nerdy romance. I cannot wait for more from this author.

Let me first say that this was a really good book and I definitely recommend it. BUT I read a lot of read a lot of Stephen King and books like this, and I am good at suspending disbelief so that I can fully enjoy the story. And I don’t want to give anything away, but who, or actually what, the author chose to be the evil overriding force in this story was something I could just not buy into. And once I found that out, it took a little bit of the enjoyment of the book sway from me.

Always nice to visit Dream Harbor, but I felt like I couldn't relax while reading this book. I was constantly braced for a heartbreaking conversation with a child. Overall, it's handled sweetly, but not my cup of tea.

This translated book from Japanese was very interesting. A boy of high school age who works in his family’s bookstore has just lost his grandfather who he lived with. He shuts himself away in the bookstore until a strange visitor comes into the shop. I liked the different writing this book presented as well as the way it presents a different way of looking a books.

In this story about women who go missing and then have their dead images appear in paintings, Isles does an excellent job in developing the characters and their connections to one another. And this is important because the subject matter here is often harsh and without this development of characters, it would simply be a brutal story. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and liked the ending.

Slower than other EH books.

This is an interesting look at friendship and how It both changes and endures over time. It’s also an examination of how friends enrich each other’s lives, even in the face of conflict. I love how the starting point of the book is when the 2 women are young and how they reunited after many years. A good read for everyone.