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The Other Lives of Miss Emily White
An eerie tale of young girls’ obsession and what happens when it grows out of hand, perfect for fans of dark academia, The Secret History and Picnic at Hanging Rock.
1864. Banished from her parents’ farm to a boarding school for young ladies, Ivy feels utterly alone. In a crumbling and isolated seminary that has seen better days, she is shunned by the other pupils for her working-class origins, and mourns for her sister, who died not long after she was sent away.
Hope comes in the form of a new teacher: Mademoiselle Emily Blanc is elegant and fascinating, captivating all the pupils, including Ivy, and the only person to encourage her artistic talent. Yet as Ivy’s devotion grows, odd reports begin to circulate that Mademoiselle Blanc has unusual powers. She has been glimpsed teaching a class while she was outside in the garden, standing at her own shoulder while she instructs from the blackboard. A book in another pupil’s possession tells of a teacher who had a doppelgänger, and the two drove their pupils to hysteria and almost closed down the school. Soon the students are convinced Mademoiselle Blanc appears in two places at once. As increasingly strange rumours abound, Ivy’s obsession spins out of control, and with Emily Blanc’s future at stake, she will do anything to keep her only friend.
1864. Banished from her parents’ farm to a boarding school for young ladies, Ivy feels utterly alone. In a crumbling and isolated seminary that has seen better days, she is shunned by the other pupils for her working-class origins, and mourns for her sister, who died not long after she was sent away.
Hope comes in the form of a new teacher: Mademoiselle Emily Blanc is elegant and fascinating, captivating all the pupils, including Ivy, and the only person to encourage her artistic talent. Yet as Ivy’s devotion grows, odd reports begin to circulate that Mademoiselle Blanc has unusual powers. She has been glimpsed teaching a class while she was outside in the garden, standing at her own shoulder while she instructs from the blackboard. A book in another pupil’s possession tells of a teacher who had a doppelgänger, and the two drove their pupils to hysteria and almost closed down the school. Soon the students are convinced Mademoiselle Blanc appears in two places at once. As increasingly strange rumours abound, Ivy’s obsession spins out of control, and with Emily Blanc’s future at stake, she will do anything to keep her only friend.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2023
23 people are currently reading
1424 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 23, 2023
A fun gothic tale about a lonely girl’s attachment to a mysterious teacher, with some of the feverish atmosphere of Picnic at Hanging Rock. Sitting outside a Yorkshire market town, ‘Miss Dawson’s seminary for young ladies’ isn’t the most prestigious of boarding schools, but its standards are high enough for farmer’s daughter Ivy to feel out of place. When Miss Emily White arrives, the other students take an instant dislike to her, so Ivy goes the other way, quickly coming to see the new teacher as a friend. This stance becomes increasingly difficult to defend as the girls start to believe Miss White is using occult magic. But what of Ivy herself; is her account all it seems? My one complaint is that the book seems longer than is necessary: incidents are repeated, some scenes drag – this story could have been told in a novella, maybe even a short story. But I had a very good time with it all the same. The setting is impeccably detailed, and there are some great twists and reveals I didn’t see coming.
April 13, 2023
1864.
Banished, cast out from her parents’ farm to a boarding school of the highest renown, one that is to shape, educate, and nurture young ladies, Ivy feels that yes she has others of her age around her, but still feels utterly isolated and alone.
In a crumbling, shadowy, and rather past its prime seminary that has seen better days, she is shunned by the other pupils for her working-class roots and upbringing, and she continues to mourn the loss of her sister who left her for the afterlife not long after Ivy was sent away.
Mademoiselle Emélie Blanc may be a beacon of hope for Ivy; this new teacher is quick to warm to her and the feeling is mutual, and finding solace in her art which draws them into a kindred friendship.
Or that’s what Ivy was hoping for…
Odd reports and rumours start circulating that this new teacher has been seen picking flowers in the garden, yet teaching class at the same time. Asking Ivy to join her one moment, then denying all knowledge the next, this soon sees the pupils driven to hysteria and paranoia for there is the story of such a thing happening many years ago which may seem like a fairytale but when the similarities are far too obvious, Ivy cannot help but start to doubt who or indeed what her teacher really is.
Will Ivy’s obsession with her new teacher do more harm that good, and are there any truths to these outlandish claims?
Decadently gothic, creepy, with a razor sharp edge of tension, this tale is one not to read before lights out…
Banished, cast out from her parents’ farm to a boarding school of the highest renown, one that is to shape, educate, and nurture young ladies, Ivy feels that yes she has others of her age around her, but still feels utterly isolated and alone.
In a crumbling, shadowy, and rather past its prime seminary that has seen better days, she is shunned by the other pupils for her working-class roots and upbringing, and she continues to mourn the loss of her sister who left her for the afterlife not long after Ivy was sent away.
Mademoiselle Emélie Blanc may be a beacon of hope for Ivy; this new teacher is quick to warm to her and the feeling is mutual, and finding solace in her art which draws them into a kindred friendship.
Or that’s what Ivy was hoping for…
Odd reports and rumours start circulating that this new teacher has been seen picking flowers in the garden, yet teaching class at the same time. Asking Ivy to join her one moment, then denying all knowledge the next, this soon sees the pupils driven to hysteria and paranoia for there is the story of such a thing happening many years ago which may seem like a fairytale but when the similarities are far too obvious, Ivy cannot help but start to doubt who or indeed what her teacher really is.
Will Ivy’s obsession with her new teacher do more harm that good, and are there any truths to these outlandish claims?
Decadently gothic, creepy, with a razor sharp edge of tension, this tale is one not to read before lights out…
April 5, 2023
Ivy is sent off to a boarding school for young ladies by her grandparents to learn how to be a proper and dutiful daughter, grand-daughter and someday a wife. Feeling isolated by the other girls, she befriends her teacher, Miss White (or Mademoiselle Blanc) and quickly develops an obsession with her, defending her at every turn as the other students throw out accusations against the woman she is so desperate to keep to herself.
It is clear from the beginning that Ivy is delusional, willing to be believe whichever narrative proves Emily White’s innocence denying what she has seen with her own eyes - her teacher in two places at once! That she has created in her head a vision of the relationship between them being more than what it really is.
This is a cleverly written gripping historical ghost story. I couldn’t put it down.
Many thanks to Titan Books and Net Galley for the ARC.
It is clear from the beginning that Ivy is delusional, willing to be believe whichever narrative proves Emily White’s innocence denying what she has seen with her own eyes - her teacher in two places at once! That she has created in her head a vision of the relationship between them being more than what it really is.
This is a cleverly written gripping historical ghost story. I couldn’t put it down.
Many thanks to Titan Books and Net Galley for the ARC.
October 26, 2023
I did not enjoy reading this book, but the plot twist at the end made it a little better, although I could hardly call it a surprise.
If you love unreliable narrators, this is for you. No one is reliable in this story. Not the narrator and not anyone else. Nothing is as it seems, and as Ivy says several times, "the world is spinning", and that's what reading this book felt like.
If you love unreliable narrators, this is for you. No one is reliable in this story. Not the narrator and not anyone else. Nothing is as it seems, and as Ivy says several times, "the world is spinning", and that's what reading this book felt like.
April 30, 2023
AJ Elwood/ Alison Littlewood is of course a master of suspense whether in a modern or a historical setting, so I was expecting great things from The Other Lives of Miss Emily White, but I have to say this story surpassed even them.
Introduced by Ivy, an elderly woman living alone in the 1920s, the action takes place 60 years before in an unremarkable Yorkshire Victorian girls' school, a slightly down at heel establishment devoted to applying some polish to young ladies so that they can find themselves husbands. The teenage Ivy is a farmer's daughter who's looked down on by her snobbish classmates - and there's a whiff of scandal about her. Children can, of course, be very cruel and while there's little overt bullying here, Ivy is very much a target. She recalls how how poverty brought her to this place and what it means to her to have been wrenched from her happy life and especially from her sister, Daisy.
The arrival of a new teacher, Miss White/ Madam Blanc, brings drama to Miss Dawson's Seminary from the very beginning. Drama, tragedy, and the malign attention of Ivy's peers as they sense a potential victim in the young schoolmistress. So begins a battle of wills, made more confusing and dangerous by apparent sightings of Miss White in places where she's not.
There are secrets here - secrets belonging to Ivy, secrets belonging to Sophia, Miss White's chief tormentor, and secrets belonging to Miss White herself. Secrets, and layers of pretence. The farmers' daughters being made into gentlewomen. The horse, painted with a blaze to resemble his dead predecessor. The solidly English teachers, always called by French names. Perhaps, too, a level of pretence so fundamental that it's subconscious, invisible to those taking part.
Pretence, and doublings. Around them swirl the currents of emotions of those young ladies, isolated from their families and being moulded into something they're not - the book opens with a chilling prospectus written by Erasmus Darwin, setting out how girls are to be educated. You can sense the contradictions and the turmoil. Who, exactly, is Miss White? What are her intentions regarding Ivy? What are Ivy's intentions, if it comes to that? Just what is going on? It's a deeply uneasy setting even more a whiff of the supernatural appears...
I felt this story really captured the confusions of late childhood/ early adulthood, an age when reality is malleable and outrageous fancies may be spun into truth. That, and a sense of hauntedness, drive a taut and lingering horror story that will remain with you long after you close the book.
Introduced by Ivy, an elderly woman living alone in the 1920s, the action takes place 60 years before in an unremarkable Yorkshire Victorian girls' school, a slightly down at heel establishment devoted to applying some polish to young ladies so that they can find themselves husbands. The teenage Ivy is a farmer's daughter who's looked down on by her snobbish classmates - and there's a whiff of scandal about her. Children can, of course, be very cruel and while there's little overt bullying here, Ivy is very much a target. She recalls how how poverty brought her to this place and what it means to her to have been wrenched from her happy life and especially from her sister, Daisy.
The arrival of a new teacher, Miss White/ Madam Blanc, brings drama to Miss Dawson's Seminary from the very beginning. Drama, tragedy, and the malign attention of Ivy's peers as they sense a potential victim in the young schoolmistress. So begins a battle of wills, made more confusing and dangerous by apparent sightings of Miss White in places where she's not.
There are secrets here - secrets belonging to Ivy, secrets belonging to Sophia, Miss White's chief tormentor, and secrets belonging to Miss White herself. Secrets, and layers of pretence. The farmers' daughters being made into gentlewomen. The horse, painted with a blaze to resemble his dead predecessor. The solidly English teachers, always called by French names. Perhaps, too, a level of pretence so fundamental that it's subconscious, invisible to those taking part.
Pretence, and doublings. Around them swirl the currents of emotions of those young ladies, isolated from their families and being moulded into something they're not - the book opens with a chilling prospectus written by Erasmus Darwin, setting out how girls are to be educated. You can sense the contradictions and the turmoil. Who, exactly, is Miss White? What are her intentions regarding Ivy? What are Ivy's intentions, if it comes to that? Just what is going on? It's a deeply uneasy setting even more a whiff of the supernatural appears...
I felt this story really captured the confusions of late childhood/ early adulthood, an age when reality is malleable and outrageous fancies may be spun into truth. That, and a sense of hauntedness, drive a taut and lingering horror story that will remain with you long after you close the book.
May 7, 2023
It was a cute little book, felt very ghostesque although there are no 'ghosts'
The middle felt a little slow, but it definitely picked up towards the end. Although never 'confirmed', it does have a slight lgbt feel with the main character Ivy being called "unnatural," which was common in those times to call those that weren't necessarily straight.
The world constantly felt like it was spinning as that's how the main character would describe the world, but it honestly made me feel a bit dizzy at times, which was strange. (Which also kind of makes the ending feel a lot more real)
Overall, it's a good story, just probably not my cup of tea.
The middle felt a little slow, but it definitely picked up towards the end. Although never 'confirmed', it does have a slight lgbt feel with the main character Ivy being called "unnatural," which was common in those times to call those that weren't necessarily straight.
The world constantly felt like it was spinning as that's how the main character would describe the world, but it honestly made me feel a bit dizzy at times, which was strange. (Which also kind of makes the ending feel a lot more real)
Overall, it's a good story, just probably not my cup of tea.
July 16, 2023
What an absolutely wonderful and intriguing read this was! I’m so glad I picked it up at my local book shop!
I couldn’t put it down because I just wanted more and more of the story.
I couldn’t put it down because I just wanted more and more of the story.
April 24, 2023
An absolutely gripping gothic thriller with a twist of horror too. The cruelty of children in a pack contrasts with the secrets of grown ups and we as readers have to work out what is going on and take a side. Very skilled storytelling!
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
April 18, 2023
This may well be my book of the year. I know it's only April, but I was captivated by Ivy's tale set in an all girl's school. Maybe like the other girls at the school, I fell under Miss White's spell.
Here's the blurb:
1864. Banished from her parents’ farm to a boarding school for young ladies, Ivy feels utterly alone. In a crumbling and isolated seminary that has seen better days, she is shunned by the other pupils for her working-class origins, and mourns for her sister, who died not long after she was sent away.
Hope comes in the form of a new teacher, Miss Emily White, but almost immediately, suspicions are raised that she is not all she should be. Ivy is captivated, yet as her devotion grows, odd reports begin to circulate that Miss White has been glimpsed in the garden picking flowers whilst also teaching a class, leaving the school but stalking the halls at the same time.
As increasingly strange rumours abound, Ivy’s obsession spins out of control, and with Emily White’s future at stake, she will do anything to keep her only friend.
I read this book in a matter of days. Had life not been in the way, I'm sure it would have been a one-sitting read. Ivy finds a new friend with shared passions when Miss White joins the school, but soon unusual things start to happen, with students saying they have seen the teacher in multiple places at the same time. It seems Miss White has a doppelganger. Ivy remains close and tries to defend her teacher and friend when the other girls close in and decide she is a harbinger of death and evil. There were moments in this book that reminded me of reading The Crucible back in my school years.
I admire the author for not only the storytelling but also the underlying elements of obsession and loneliness and the impact of not meeting societal expectations that unravel as the book draws to a close. These had me in tears. I would be proud to have written this book and would love to hear some discussion about how it was written and the history behind it. It also takes talent to write a book that has an uncanny feel to it. This is hard to capture in a short story, but to maintain this throughout an entire novel is to be applauded.
I'll be recommending this everywhere. 5 stars.
Here's the blurb:
1864. Banished from her parents’ farm to a boarding school for young ladies, Ivy feels utterly alone. In a crumbling and isolated seminary that has seen better days, she is shunned by the other pupils for her working-class origins, and mourns for her sister, who died not long after she was sent away.
Hope comes in the form of a new teacher, Miss Emily White, but almost immediately, suspicions are raised that she is not all she should be. Ivy is captivated, yet as her devotion grows, odd reports begin to circulate that Miss White has been glimpsed in the garden picking flowers whilst also teaching a class, leaving the school but stalking the halls at the same time.
As increasingly strange rumours abound, Ivy’s obsession spins out of control, and with Emily White’s future at stake, she will do anything to keep her only friend.
I read this book in a matter of days. Had life not been in the way, I'm sure it would have been a one-sitting read. Ivy finds a new friend with shared passions when Miss White joins the school, but soon unusual things start to happen, with students saying they have seen the teacher in multiple places at the same time. It seems Miss White has a doppelganger. Ivy remains close and tries to defend her teacher and friend when the other girls close in and decide she is a harbinger of death and evil. There were moments in this book that reminded me of reading The Crucible back in my school years.
I admire the author for not only the storytelling but also the underlying elements of obsession and loneliness and the impact of not meeting societal expectations that unravel as the book draws to a close. These had me in tears. I would be proud to have written this book and would love to hear some discussion about how it was written and the history behind it. It also takes talent to write a book that has an uncanny feel to it. This is hard to capture in a short story, but to maintain this throughout an entire novel is to be applauded.
I'll be recommending this everywhere. 5 stars.
April 24, 2023
Wow, just wow.
My favourite book this year by far. The prose is exquisite but it's the story that just rattles along man won't let you go. I simultaneously wanted to finish it but didn't want it to end. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
My favourite book this year by far. The prose is exquisite but it's the story that just rattles along man won't let you go. I simultaneously wanted to finish it but didn't want it to end. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
July 8, 2023
Toooooo much internal dialogue with toooo many questions (maybe this had happened…? Or maybe it was simply a case of that…? Or perhaps I had only…? I could have just been…? Over and over and over again). Not to mention DOZENS of references to that bloody zoetrope *snore*. The concept was interesting but alas, the execution fell woefully short.
Want to read
April 13, 2023adding all the gothic books like a creepy little gremlin
September 5, 2023
A book start promising an intriguing premise, ramps up to a cool conclusion and then fades out with a whimper. The idea of a teacher in multiple places at once was an interesting one, and I really wanted to see where it would go. The setting is well-presented and the atmosphere builds wonderfully in the first hundred pages. And then it stagnates with how little the mystery of the mystery book is presented, to the point where it seems like little more than a thing that just happens. The main character starts as a casual YA protagonist that wants to fit in but isn't of "pure blood". Fine concept, but what killed me was her constant namedropping of herself. "Ivy" and "I" (as a nickname to mean "alone") became such an overdone thing in the span of 300 pages. I knew her name better than what she looked like, to the point that I forgot she was a redhead until the overdrawn epilogue. She consistently bemoans her aloneness and then runs from everyone. Some of the conflict is well done in the beginning, with the quarrels between Ivy and her rival feeling real and grounded in reality, but towards the end, Ivy is always running away, from pretty much and confrontation, or even conversation that's too close to her.
And then there's the name of the book and its namesake, Emily. *spoilers* Emily is boring, I mean really boring. The girls all have whispers of personalities, with Ivy and Sofia feeling the most fleshed out, but Emily is nothing. I hate not writing a character and saying that it makes them mysterious. So little is spent on Emily other than a weird, queerbaity relationship with Ivy or being a teacher that is at the school. There were so many surface level hints to something more that just fizzle out and never go anywhere, and the handwavy explanation of "maybe Ivy has manifestation powers is just disassociating" meant nothing more than a cheap cop out to me. Not to mention the epilogue's big "reveal" that Daisy wasn't real only to double down and say "oh it was Flora who was your sister but you killed her with neglect and made Daisy up to cope" was worse. If this were a reveal done earlier in the book, maybe I could have looked over it, but the triumph with which its revealed made me wish it wasn't included at all. What a tired trope. It felt more like a crutch to prop up the rest of the book, but ruined the rest in retrospect. *spoilers*
This book is ok. A cool concept that was sadly fumbled, wrapped a clean YA victorian package. I liked the atmosphere but the book began to wear on me after the first half and disappointed me with its last half.
And then there's the name of the book and its namesake, Emily. *spoilers* Emily is boring, I mean really boring. The girls all have whispers of personalities, with Ivy and Sofia feeling the most fleshed out, but Emily is nothing. I hate not writing a character and saying that it makes them mysterious. So little is spent on Emily other than a weird, queerbaity relationship with Ivy or being a teacher that is at the school. There were so many surface level hints to something more that just fizzle out and never go anywhere, and the handwavy explanation of "maybe Ivy has manifestation powers is just disassociating" meant nothing more than a cheap cop out to me. Not to mention the epilogue's big "reveal" that Daisy wasn't real only to double down and say "oh it was Flora who was your sister but you killed her with neglect and made Daisy up to cope" was worse. If this were a reveal done earlier in the book, maybe I could have looked over it, but the triumph with which its revealed made me wish it wasn't included at all. What a tired trope. It felt more like a crutch to prop up the rest of the book, but ruined the rest in retrospect. *spoilers*
This book is ok. A cool concept that was sadly fumbled, wrapped a clean YA victorian package. I liked the atmosphere but the book began to wear on me after the first half and disappointed me with its last half.
February 12, 2024
ik ga het kort houden want ik vond er niet heel veel aan dus is de moeite ook niet zo waard. het boek is echt echt wel heel mooi geschreven, de auteur heeft een prachtige schrijfstijl, maar het verhaal was me echt veel te saai. ja, op het einde was er een goede onthulling maar de wow factor was veel te klein en de eerste 250 pagina’s was ik vooral bezig met het boek snel uit willen lezen. prima om gelezen te hebben maar is zeker geen herlezing waard. jammer want het is (op goodreads) heel onbekend en ik had het wel leuk gevonden om eens een goed onbekend boek gelezen te hebben…
November 4, 2024
Damn. All I can say, really. While I did kind of force myself to read this, because I bought it in January and thought I should at least attempt to clear my TBR before buying some more books, I did kind of fly through this book! Good storytelling, nice pace, interesting premise. The ending tho... blew me away, I was not expecting it at all. Like you suspect that the story that is being presented to you is not as it seems, but you struggle to trust the narrator just as much the rest of the characters. I had my fun with this book. Highly recommend. 4.5/5 ✨️
January 2, 2026
The Other Lives of Miss Emily White is a haunting and mesmerising tale.
I was hooked on this one from the first page. Elwood has crafted an intricately beautiful tale of obsession and loneliness.
Thank you, Titan Books, for the ARC.
I was hooked on this one from the first page. Elwood has crafted an intricately beautiful tale of obsession and loneliness.
Thank you, Titan Books, for the ARC.
October 29, 2023
This was a strange, gothic tale following our main character Ivy as she is sent to an all girls boarding school and becomes very attached to a new teacher. I really enjoyed the creepy atmosphere of the school and it was really interesting to see how all the girls there interacted with each other.
The story feels a little confusing and feverish in parts and I was unsure what was actually happening for the majority of the book. Some parts also felt a bit slow and I had the feeling of waiting for the next thing to happen so I do wish the pacing had been faster, especially in the middle section. However the ending really took me by surprise and I enjoyed the twist a lot. I think the way this story concluded definitely bumped up my rating from 3 stars to 4.
Overall I’m glad I read this one, it was creepy, atmospheric and very gothic. I enjoyed my time with it, despite the slow moments and would definitely read from this author again.
The story feels a little confusing and feverish in parts and I was unsure what was actually happening for the majority of the book. Some parts also felt a bit slow and I had the feeling of waiting for the next thing to happen so I do wish the pacing had been faster, especially in the middle section. However the ending really took me by surprise and I enjoyed the twist a lot. I think the way this story concluded definitely bumped up my rating from 3 stars to 4.
Overall I’m glad I read this one, it was creepy, atmospheric and very gothic. I enjoyed my time with it, despite the slow moments and would definitely read from this author again.
January 22, 2024
The plot is set in the Victorian Era. Ivy is sent to Miss Dawson's Seminary as her parents and grandparents supposedly want to get rid of her because she has been acting unruly in the past. The Seminary is a quite eery place and the girls don't seem to like Ivy, who feels alone - especially after her best friend Bea has befriended Sophia and doesn't want to spend time with Ivy anymore. Ivy misses her sister Daisy who has died shortly after Ivy was sent to the Seminary.
The situation changes when a new teacher arrives at the Seminary: Miss Emily White. Ivy instantly recognizes a kindred soul in Miss White, whereas the other girls antagonize her. Although Ivy realizes that there is something strange about Miss White, she doesn't believe the stories about Miss White's doppelgänger. And even when she sees the doppelgänger herself, she refuses to believe Sophia's stories.
Things go pear shaped when Sophia's sister is attacked and Bea dies. Miss White is said to be responsible and Ivy provides an alibi for her - which is a lie. Finally, Sophia falls to her death, Miss White has to leave and Ivy finishes school.
Upon returning home, Ivy finds out that her sister Daisy never existed but was a figment of her mind. And finally, she realizes that not Miss White was the one to summon the doppelgänger, it was Ivy.
Although I liked the story and the idea, there are a lot of repetitions and lengths. I wanted to know what's behind the doppelgänger-story and so kept reading.
The situation changes when a new teacher arrives at the Seminary: Miss Emily White. Ivy instantly recognizes a kindred soul in Miss White, whereas the other girls antagonize her. Although Ivy realizes that there is something strange about Miss White, she doesn't believe the stories about Miss White's doppelgänger. And even when she sees the doppelgänger herself, she refuses to believe Sophia's stories.
Things go pear shaped when Sophia's sister is attacked and Bea dies. Miss White is said to be responsible and Ivy provides an alibi for her - which is a lie. Finally, Sophia falls to her death, Miss White has to leave and Ivy finishes school.
Upon returning home, Ivy finds out that her sister Daisy never existed but was a figment of her mind. And finally, she realizes that not Miss White was the one to summon the doppelgänger, it was Ivy.
Although I liked the story and the idea, there are a lot of repetitions and lengths. I wanted to know what's behind the doppelgänger-story and so kept reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2023
the premise of this book is very interesting - doppelgängers, mysterious happenings, drama among the girls and a gorgeous setting. however, it is all ruined by the protagonist, ivy. god i hate her. the only reason i suffered through her frankly annoying and self-righteous perspective was to understand everything. and even then, it was rather unsatisfactory of an ending. it fell flat for me, although it was momentarily saved by ivy’s mother’s reveal.
some other thoughts: some scenes were tedious and contributed nothing to the overall plot. ivy herself needs to be edited - her harping on that emily white is kind doesn’t make her kind in the readers’ eyes. it would have been interesting to see the other girls fleshed out. the only one with an actual personality is sophia but there were so many other girls there!
some other thoughts: some scenes were tedious and contributed nothing to the overall plot. ivy herself needs to be edited - her harping on that emily white is kind doesn’t make her kind in the readers’ eyes. it would have been interesting to see the other girls fleshed out. the only one with an actual personality is sophia but there were so many other girls there!
July 12, 2023
The book starts with complex, Victorian-style language which was very interesting to read and research about. Yet, the book falters in this aspect towards the middle and end. It seems that the author omits this language which is disappointing.
The plot is truly fantastic with lots of twits and turns. I had goosebumps while reading the book.
Yet, by the end of the book, I felt quite empty. Whether this was intended or whether this was personal is something that I will never know. As one review mentioned, the ending is quite prolonged and unnecessarily long. It would have been best if the author had left the book on a cliff-hanger.
If you're looking for a casual read with some mystery and unexpected turns, this book might be for you.
The plot is truly fantastic with lots of twits and turns. I had goosebumps while reading the book.
Yet, by the end of the book, I felt quite empty. Whether this was intended or whether this was personal is something that I will never know. As one review mentioned, the ending is quite prolonged and unnecessarily long. It would have been best if the author had left the book on a cliff-hanger.
If you're looking for a casual read with some mystery and unexpected turns, this book might be for you.
January 1, 2024
The book was not quite what I expected, whatsoever I could sympathise with Ivy's desire to feel seen. For me personally the book was too much about the other pupils. Although Ivy does pretty distressing things and realises them, there seems to be no character growth or development whatsoever as well as no emotional reaction.
All in all the characters felt quite flat and I would have liked a teachers perspective or an outside perspective to what Ivy is doing to get a critical view on that. In my opinion a critical classification. Mey it be done by an outside perspective or an authors note in the beginning, since I think such behaviour is ignorant and dangerous to others, even though I'm taking in consideration that this is supposed to be an horror book.
All in all the characters felt quite flat and I would have liked a teachers perspective or an outside perspective to what Ivy is doing to get a critical view on that. In my opinion a critical classification. Mey it be done by an outside perspective or an authors note in the beginning, since I think such behaviour is ignorant and dangerous to others, even though I'm taking in consideration that this is supposed to be an horror book.
July 19, 2023
Read this in two days. SUCH a good book! This is exactly my kind of story: a mysterious girls school in a tiny Yorkshire village and one young pupil feeling totally out of place with her broad accent and lack of upper-class airs, who finds solace in her new teacher. This is a book about intense loneliness, rumour and obsession. I was fascinated by Emily and desperately wanted to give Ivy a hug. I will say no more for fear of spoilers but just so good!! Will definitely be re-reading this fog-filled gem.
April 10, 2024
There were some things in this book that I loved, it started well and created a wonderfully creepy atmosphere but went downhill from there. I found Ivy unlikeable, although this isn’t necessarily a problem, she is very lonely and isolated supposedly because she has the wrong background. The impression I had is that the other girls disliked her because they sensed something about her was off but this wasn’t really explored. The plot dragged in the middle there were some good twists, some I had spotted others I didn’t. The ending was disappointing with too much explanation.
June 7, 2025
Fantastically gothic atmosphere, but the "explanation" at the end seemed quite abrupt, it didn't feel like particularly inkeeping with the tone of the book.
Also, this is me being incredibly petty, but dear god please stop mentioning Ivy's name!!! I've never read a first person POV that includes the narrators name quite as much as this book, and not just other characters saying it but her own musings on the meaning of her name cropped up often enough to stop being interesting and start driving me up the wall.
Also, this is me being incredibly petty, but dear god please stop mentioning Ivy's name!!! I've never read a first person POV that includes the narrators name quite as much as this book, and not just other characters saying it but her own musings on the meaning of her name cropped up often enough to stop being interesting and start driving me up the wall.
October 23, 2025
This was a spooky (but not too spooky) read - just the right balance for me. The core of the book, taking place at the boarding school, was eerie and intriguing, with a strong sense of place. It held my attention and kept me wondering what was really going on. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, which felt a bit rushed, throwing in a curve-ball that made me rethink a lot of my initial interpretation of the main character. Overall, it held my attention and painted a vivid world that was enjoyable to slip into and watch unfold.
April 11, 2023
Why am I always drawn to these tales of obsession?!
I really felt for Ivy in this book and wanted to act like a big sister and take her under my wing 🥰 she is written as such a lonesome character who is excluded by her peers and seems to be searching to fill a void within herself. Which leads to some ruinous outcomes.
If you love a gothic read then this book is for you and will definitely have you questioning not only the characters but also your own self.
I really felt for Ivy in this book and wanted to act like a big sister and take her under my wing 🥰 she is written as such a lonesome character who is excluded by her peers and seems to be searching to fill a void within herself. Which leads to some ruinous outcomes.
If you love a gothic read then this book is for you and will definitely have you questioning not only the characters but also your own self.
June 8, 2023
A beautifully written gothic story filled to the brim with atmosphere and intrigue. I knew nothing of this book nor the author beforehand, but I took a chance based solely on that fantastic cover, and for me this really lived up to it.
You know those lines in a book that just stick with you for pages after the fact? This happened a half dozen times, keeping me enchanted almost start to finish. I’ll definitely be curious to check out more of AJ Elwood’s work in future.
You know those lines in a book that just stick with you for pages after the fact? This happened a half dozen times, keeping me enchanted almost start to finish. I’ll definitely be curious to check out more of AJ Elwood’s work in future.
June 11, 2023
I'm surprised to find myself a bit... disappointed. A lot of great stuff in here, gothic and slightly creepy and sinister but far too much exposition for me.
I think it would have worked better without everything being spelled out quite so exactly.
This is almost great. But, for me, not quite. And I don't think comparing to picnic at hanging rock is correct, although if you're talking about the edition with the extra chapter of explanation, maybe it is.
I think it would have worked better without everything being spelled out quite so exactly.
This is almost great. But, for me, not quite. And I don't think comparing to picnic at hanging rock is correct, although if you're talking about the edition with the extra chapter of explanation, maybe it is.
October 13, 2023
DNF at page 172
The premise was promising and the opening paragraph pulled me in, but that was about it.
I could not get into the writing and despised the main character. There's a constant repetition (mentions of her sister, her upbringing, her dislike of Sophia etc.) and I just can't bring myself to continue. It was a struggle to get to this point and I find it not worth it to get to the conclusion of the mystery.
The premise was promising and the opening paragraph pulled me in, but that was about it.
I could not get into the writing and despised the main character. There's a constant repetition (mentions of her sister, her upbringing, her dislike of Sophia etc.) and I just can't bring myself to continue. It was a struggle to get to this point and I find it not worth it to get to the conclusion of the mystery.
October 16, 2023
3.25/3.5!
This book was good and did have an atmosphere that was very nice and autumnal but it didn’t really stand out to me. It could have been better and it could have been worse.
The plot twist at the end made it better, but overall it was a good book and I would say that I really enjoyed it! You should read it if you’re interested but don’t expect it to be the best book ever written.
This book was good and did have an atmosphere that was very nice and autumnal but it didn’t really stand out to me. It could have been better and it could have been worse.
The plot twist at the end made it better, but overall it was a good book and I would say that I really enjoyed it! You should read it if you’re interested but don’t expect it to be the best book ever written.
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