by Jonathan Auxier
Molly and Kip are orphans looking for a job. When they finally find a house to work at, it isn't at all what they were expecting. The two kids have to save the house and the people in it in order to protect them from The Night Gardener.
At the far end of the lawn stood the Windsor mansion. The house had obviously been left vacant for some years, and in that time it seemed to have become one with the landscape. Ivy choked the walls and windows. The roof was sagging and covered in black moss. But strangest of all was the tree. Th...
Molly and Kip are two siblings who escape the Great Famine in Ireland only to find themselves orphaned and penniless. Kip doesn't know the full truth – in order to protect him, Molly told him that they'd simply gotten separated and their parents would come for them soon. In the meantime, they need m...
Creepy as all get out. An accomplished gothic ghost story with new elements that feels very traditional. And, special bonus, it actually incorporates some of the real-life horror of the Irish Famine and Victorian poverty. Not everyone cares for this, but the author note at the end points out some of...
Lots of other people have loved this one and they’re not wrong, exactly. Auxier does a nice job of creating atmosphere, in the sourwoods and the creepy house. But for me as a reader, I was never quite fully engaged by it. This is definitely a personal reaction, and at the same time, I think there’s ...
*An ARC was provided by Penguin Canada in exchange for an honest review*I was lucky enough to win The Night Gardener through the Goodreads First Reads Program. It had been on my reading list for quite some time so I was really psyched about getting my hands on a copy. Since I haven't read a middle...
My foray into books with creepy covers is proving very fruitful! I really loved this book - I am a sucker for beautifully written sentences and expressive, expansive use of words and this was just bursting with wonderful writing. It could be a bit frightening for some kids, might really depend on w...