House of Ash by Hope Cook is a haunting, dual-timeline story that intertwines the lives of Curtis, a boy living with an abusive father, and Mila, a girl drawn to a mysterious house. As supernatural forces and dark secrets unfold, both characters fight for freedom and answers. Perfect for fans of eerie, atmospheric tales blending romance and suspense.

Thank you for providing a copy of this book for review however I was unable to open the file for this document unfortunately! Apologies.

This is kind of a messy horror story. Not messy as in bloody. Actually, there is very little gore. I'ts messy in complications and metaphysical aspects. Grim, though not gruesome. I didn't love the ending. While I was sort of okay with needing to live with the curse, though the time travel elements presented some logistical problems.

This book was just not my cup of tea and I was not able to finish it. Thank you for this opportunity, though!

I enjoyed the alternate POVs. I am a huge fan of these types of books. The atmosphere was perfectly eerie in this book. I really enjoyed reading this one!

For whatever reason, I hate the word ‘copse’. There’s no real reason why I should hate word, but I do, so that didn’t help when reading a book that keeps identifying a ‘copse’ of trees as the place where strange things begin to happen to one of our MCs, Curtis. The word just kept being used, and I kept cringing whenever it’d pop up on the page. I really do not like the word copse.

Why don’t I move on from that…

House of Ash is one of those books that you can’t help but feel like you’ve heard the story before, maybe not in this exact sense, but in some form or other. For instance, the idea of a boy and girl, both on opposite sides of time, who happen to see each other in some way (a mirror, in this book), fall for each other, and feel the need to save one or the other. Then, there’s the very real potential that one may be actually suffering from a mental illness, imagining things, because a parent of said one may be suffering themselves. Oh, and did I mention that there’s an evil house? A house that listens, and must be stopped at all costs?
Yup, same ol’, same ol’.

Even though the author’s bio says she has drawn from her personal experience with mental illness, I don’t feel like this book was meant to really address what mental illness really does to people. If it was, then I didn’t quite get that from this book. Curtis’ father is mentally ill, and his illness seems to only exist to explain why Curtis might be suddenly hearing things like voices, and to possibly explain why his home life is so rough, leading to his having some extreme behavior in a variety of circumstances in this book. Yeah, so if you’re looking to really read up on mental illness, this is not the book for that.

Moving on from the very real problems that mental illness can invoke, we should now talk about the supernatural aspect of this book. The girl in the mirror. Is she real, or is she a figment of Curtis’ imagination? This is where the supernatural part comes into play. Curtis is seeing the image of a girl who was very real, but how? Especially since we know that the girl, Mila, perished in 1894 in a fire that descimated a very large estate to the ground, along with anyone else who may have been in the home. So we have a ghosty mirror, along with a ghosty girl, and therefore we have ghosty-ness, though it all plays out to be on the bland side. I mean, Mila’s step-father is supposed to be a large reason behind why things ended up the way they did when it comes to her death and the fire, but honestly, he is such an absent villain. It’s like he appears at times, goes BOO!, then heads off to wait till the next time he’ll come around again to instill some sort of fear into Mila. His villainy is pretty boring, and the explanation for why he does the things he does is also pretty boring.

I feel like I should also mention the characters in regards to what I thought of them in general. Starting with Curtis, I’ll say that he is a very angry person, as well as someone who’s very torn as to address issues with others. He doesn’t want to confide in his best friend, and being that there’s no one else for him to do so to, he’s pretty much screwed. So, yeah, this just leads to him being angry all the time. He finds some drive in his research of Mila and the burned down estate of Gravenhearst, but even then, he’s mediocre at research, so his best friend has to help him, but still, he’d rather not confide in the guy, humph. Now that I’ve given you a sort of condensed description of him, I’ll say that I find Curtis to be boring/annoying. Seriously, one day he happens to come across a clearing of strange trees, hears weird voices, and that’s how this book comes about. Not sure if there was absolutely no chance that he wouldn’t have come upon said clearing anytime before in his life, but now is the time for everything to happen, it would seem. Okay, so even if I were to accept that and move on, I still can’t stand Curtis’ personality in general. He just seemed kind of douchey to me, and I’m not a fan of such people.

Now for Mila. Mila’s account begins with her journey/arrival to Gravenhearst, originally with her mother and sister, as well. Yadda, yadda, her mom disappears, then her sister, and now Mila is left to figure out what her step-father, and the evil house, wants from her. Mila isn’t awful, and I found her to be more tolerable than her male counterpart, but that doesn’t really mean anything if you dislike the guy so much, so I’ll leave it at that.

Finally, when it comes to the way this book ended?? It wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t really that entertaining. There are no cliffhangers, so the end is the end, but maybe this book could have benefited from a horror movie-style ending? Shrug, we’ll never know.

I gave this book two stars because as much as I didn’t really care for it, I felt it was readable, and it didn’t take me too long to read, so that’s definitely a plus in my book. Being that I didn’t really care for this book, I won’t be personally recommending it.

I received this for review through Amulet Books and NetGalley. Thanks to them for letting me review an early copy. Looking at the cover, I was expecting a middle grade, haunted house story, but I was so, so wrong. First off, it's YA, and it deals with some heavy topics. I think the cover doesn't do it justice for what a crazy ride this is. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice cover, but it's not scary enough for what's inside this book.
THIS BOOK WAS INTENSE!!!
I was hooked from page one. I enjoyed having Mila's chapters and Curtis's chapters. I liked how there were two different time periods that were so connected, and happening simultaneously. The mystery was really interesting too. I needed to know what happened to Mila, Gravenhearst, all of it! I just couldn't seem to put the book down.
I also liked how the author incorporated severe mental illness in the story. I felt bad for Curtis, I felt bad for his sister, and I felt bad for his Dad. I can't imagine not being in control of your mind, and just the thought of the only treatment being numbing drugs is sad. It showed how much of a toll it took on the whole family. It was heartbreaking watching it all unfold.
Curtis's struggle was also heartbreaking. Having him questioning his sanity and afraid he'd end up like his dad. I could sympathize with that fear. That future would have been a nightmare, to go from sane and able-bodied, to not in control of oneself anymore.
Mila's story was super interesting too. I needed to find out the mystery just as much as she did.
The pictures/illustrations in this book felt very unnecessary to me, at least in this ARC format. There weren't very many of them, and they just seemed kind of random instead of adding anything to the story. The best picture was probably the first picture of Curtis and his motorcycle.
This book was a heart-pounding thrill ride. I Loved It! I really was hooked and couldn't put it down until I reached the last page. I would love to know what happens with these characters next.
I was also surprised by the ending. I didn't suspect the villain, or the big reveal, or really anything.
I really could see this book working as a perfect scary movie. I was on the edge-of-my-seat reading it, and could only imagine how terrified I'd be of it on screen.
The writing style reminded me of Dawn Kurtagich and Megan Shepherd, both authors I really enjoy.
House of Ash was really, really good. It was thrilling, addicting, mysterious, and would make a great Halloween read. I definitely recommend it. I was hooked reading it, and I think others would feel the same way.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5
What A Thrill Ride!

A legendary house of horror and madcap ghost hunting come together in Hope Cook’s HOUSE OF ASH!

In 1894, Mila Kenton’s life is falling to glamourous ruins. Her cruel mother has had their addict father officially declared dead and is whisking Mila and her little sister, Wynn, to Canada, where she’ll marry the richest man in the country, Andrew Deemus. Her soon-to-be stepfather just inherited his riches and their opulent new home called Gravenhearst, and her mother is ready to live in luxury above all else. Soon, it becomes clear to Mila and Wynn that there’s something dangerous and unnatural about Andrew Deemus and Gravenhearst. But how can two young girls with no connections escape the grip of the most powerful man in the country?

In the present day, Curtis Garrett is battling a different sort of demons. He quietly cares for his sister and schizophrenic father, counting down the days until he turns eighteen and can legally help his family without tearing it apart in the process. When Curtis begins to his strange whispers in his head, he worries that the mental illness affecting his father might be starting to affect him too. He soon realizes that all of the strange occurrences lead him back to a mysterious patch of land where a mansion called Gravenhearst burned to the ground over a hundred years ago. Now, he must unlock the mysteries of what’s haunting him before his life unravels.

House of Ash does a surprisingly solid job maneuvering back and forth between a Victorian paranormal thriller and a contemporary investigation gone sideways. Admittedly, Mila’s story was a little more compelling than Curtis’, as her journey picks up early and features new details and chills around every turn. While Curtis definitely gets in on the action eventually, his story is largely relationship-based, so it doesn’t foster the same sense of suspense. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy Curtis’ world– it definitely had the upperhand when it comes to character development. His super smart and snarky best friend Avi was one of the best characters in the whole novel, and I felt for his sweet but weary little sister, Sage.

There was only one relationship in the book that irked me a bit. I don’t want to spoil anything with specific, but the novel focuses on an obsession and quite suddenly takes a turn toward romance that didn’t feel like a natural progression for the characters. It either needed to be much more developed or more likely, shouldn’t have happened at all, because it just felt so out of place.

The novel is largely based on the evil magic at Gravenhearst, but that magic wasn’t always explained super clearly. There’s lots of talk of the origin of power at Gravenhearst and the forces that control it, the research and rituals. But the reader only gets vague explanations of how the dark pulse of the mansion came to be and the ritual that keeps it alive. For a YA horror, it definitely toed the line and kept things from getting gruesome. That may work for some people, but I wanted to be creeped out by the bloody, demonic evils of this place a bit more.

Still, this story has its fair share of surprises. Though it was inevitable that the two intertwined tales would come to a chaotic ending, I didn’t guess what was actually going to happen and really enjoyed it as it all went down. Not every detail was super clear– One major moment in particular seemed to just be chalked up to “mysterious magic is afoot”, but there was enough action and tension elsewhere to keep the story going.

House of Ash doesn’t necessarily live up to its fullest potential, but the story has a sufficient amount of mystery and dark whimsy that will keep audiences captivated.

I feel the need to give a couple of trigger warnings here for suicidal thoughts and fire.

With that out of the way, I thought this was a solid haunted/possessed house story that is perfect for your upcoming Fall/Halloween reading!

Mila and Curtis are separated by time, but have many things in common. They both have younger sisters that mean the world to them. They both have unreliable parents for various reasons that leave them feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders and having to take on a much more adult role than they should have to. They are both trapped by Gravenhearst, a house with an evil past that has a life of it's own.

I am fascinated by sprawling mansions with hidden pathways and rooms that seem to have their own personality, that seem to watch you and be alive. There is just something about an old house that makes it seem like an entity unto itself, whether thought to be haunted or not, they just have more personality that most of the structures we build today. Maybe that's just a function of time and changes in trend, or maybe it's that the house takes on some characteristics of it's previous owners that make it feel like more than a building. Gravenhearst is certainly a great example of the latter, and had been infused with evil intent by the family that lived there. Like a spider at the center of it's web, the house still exerted it's influence on the town and Curtis, even years later, and destroyed to it's foundations.

Curtis believes he's going crazy, like his father. Mila is fighting for her and her sister's lives. A magical mirror lets them find each other, and recognize a kindred spirit. Helping each other and escaping the grasp of the house is harder. Both have so much working against them it seems that there is no possible way out. Curtis doesn't know who he can trust. Mila knows she can trust no one. It seems like everything goes wrong for them.

This was an exciting and exhausting, escape the house, time traversal story that will keep you on the edge of your seat while hoping for Mila and Curtis to get a happy ending!

As a side note, for those interested in older houses, here are a few I have visited that may help you imagine the scene! All three are open to the public as museums.

The Piatt Castles in Logan County, Ohio - http://www.piattcastles.org/Home.html

Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, Colorado - http://www.miramontcastle.org/

This book was decent, but I was hoping for more. The premise is super interesting and while the delivery was definitely sufficiently creepy, overall the plot moved slowly and the connections between some of the plot points were tenuous. I liked the switching viewpoints between Curtis and Mila, between present and past, but I think the relationship between the two wasn't as well developed as I would have liked. Some of the fantasy elements seemed a bit over the top, and didn't necessarily work as well as they could have. Overall, there are definitely some good points to the book, and the writing is smooth and fun to read, but it was a bit of a letdown. I'm glad I read it, but it wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend this year.

After hearing voices among an eerie copse of trees in the woods, seventeen-year-old Curtis must confront his worst fear: that he has inherited his father’s mental illness. A desperate search for answers leads him to discover Gravenhearst, a labyrinth mansion that burned down in 1894. When he locks eyes with a steely Victorian girl in a forgotten mirror, he’s sure she’s one of the fire’s victims. If he can unravel the mystery, he can save his sanity . . . and possibly the girl who haunts his dreams.

But more than 100 years in the past, the girl in the mirror is fighting her own battles. When her mother disappears and her sinister stepfather reveals his true intentions, Mila and her sister fight to escape Gravenhearst and unravel the house’s secrets—before it devours them both.- Goodreads

If you ever read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake then that is what you mind is going to gravitate to. The story is similar to the whole boy falls in love with a person from the past who is dead. That is where the similarities end between the two books because for the most part this was a very straight forward story. This is not to say it wasn't a good read, it was just very linear.

Curtis is going through a really hard time taking care of his father, who has a mental health illness and his younger sister, who is a bit of a brat. I appreciate the author speaking bringing attention to mental health illness in the book but there was a bunch of things lacking with it.

It isn't really discussed as into what he is actually dealing with. All that is known is that hospitals are no, his father needs to be a schedule and he can become violent. Yes, you find out what happened for this illness to occur but I guess wanted it to tie into what Curtis discovers about himself and his bloodline. I liked the fact that it was in the story and it showed how teenagers deal with a sick family member and the responsibility of it. It made Curtis complex that is for sure.

In regards to his sister, she is un-loyal, she expects her brother to understand and try to get to know her but she does not do the same at all. She doesn't give as much as Curtis does and she depends on him to fix things and then gets mad. I didn't like her at all and she should have been a stronger character and way more supportive of her brother. 

Beyond the characters the overall story was alright. As I previously mentioned it is really straight-forward and not a whole lot happens in both the present and the past. When things pick up, you get pulled into the story but it didn't deliver like felt it could of. 

Overall, this wasn't a bad read and I do recommend it because it has some good writing and it makes me want to read more of this author. 

3 Pickles.

My thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids Amulet Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I first noticed this book from an email I get, discussing the various books that had been obtained by different publishing houses and when the books would be released. This sounded interesting and I wrote it down to check out later. I was thrilled when I saw it being offered on NetGalley and even more excited when I was approved for it. I couldn't wait to sink my little bookwork teeth into it!

And then, it didn't live up to the expectations I had put on it. Not the book's fault, completely my own. I built it up in my mind and didn't enjoy the reality. I'm sure it will work for some, just, unfortunately, not for me.

It was slow moving, felt more tell than show and I really didn't look forward to picking it up. Never a good sign. I ended up skipping a rather large chunk in the middle because I just wanted to get to the end already. I was engaged enough to want to see how it ended, but not enough to see the journey to reach the end.

While I understood WHY the male MC wanted to keep his father out of an institution until the son became old enough so the State wouldn't take his younger sister from him, there HAD to have been another way to go about keeping what was left of his family together. I know, he's 17, he doesn't know what his options are and is scared for his sister's well-being, but I am just tired of YA books with the absent/dead/crazy parents trope with the teen trying to be the adult. I know, I know, it happens WAY too often in real life, but I am tired of seeing it in contemporary YA.

Not a bad book. It was sufficiently spooky, and I did feel for the female MC and her sister. That part was super sad, but I think the maid should have told the female MC more before she did what she did. If she had more information, she could have maybe made better decisions. The current day part of the plot line was not as strong as the past part, I believe. Not bad, but much more convoluted and the conspiracy at the end was stretching it a bit.

Meh. Not bad and I didn't hate it, but it didn't really do anything positive for me either. 2, it could have been better, but it could have also been worse stars. Kind of classic R. L. Stine Fear Street. If you liked those books, you may like this one. I wasn't a fan of them, so this wasn't my cup of tea.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect from this book. Was this going to be time-travel-y, horrorish, fantastical? I didn’t know! It definitely turned out to be a mix of all of those. With a whole lot more just thrown in at you.

While I felt Mila was just a tad underdeveloped, I enjoyed her character. For a woman living in the 1800s she was rather scandalous. She rode horses and didn’t like to conform to the typical role of a woman in her time. She was far more advanced in her thinking. She was most definitely not perfect, she had her flaws especially her tendency to run head first into trouble. But she was undeniably brave considering the struggles she went through.

I found Curtis was the bigger focus of the novel. He had a tough life, grieving his dead mother having to protect his younger sister and somehow manage their mentally ill father. It is clear that Curtis did not enjoy his life and would have rather been born in a different family. Now that his own sanity is at risk with the whispers, he finds himself in even more troubles and things get a hell of a lot worse. He was a very complex character. He had his rough side, his tender side, his defeated side and his fighter side. A lot of different faces for different situations.

The time switched in this novel was smooth and did not jumble the story or confuse the reader. The atmosphere was very haunting and ominous which matched perfectly with the creepy living house.
I wish the more sensitive topics like Parental Abuse, Mental Illness and Suicide had been dealt with more meaning instead of being brushed off. I also felt like the ending was very abrupt, but it was a good ending all together.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel, it reminded me of the movie Monster House but set in Victorian and present day Canada! It did keep me on my toes and had some great creepy feelings to go alongside the time travelling mystery. The perfect autumn read!

She felt her own solidness, and she felt the tremor of spirits all around her.
Mila smiled.
The house had made its first mistake. You've shown your hand. You're a thing that's alive.
Anything alive can be killed.

✘ PLOT
Curtis is determined to keep his head down, protect his little sister from their mentally ill and unstable father, and work through his own demons just a little longer - just until his eighteenth birthday, when he can take his sister far away from their broken home. When he stumbles upon a copse of trees that triggers voices in his head, the few whole pieces of Curtis' world start to shatter. Nothing can prepare him for meeting Mila - a girl from 100 years ago, whose face comes to him in mirrors, whose haunted eyes tell Curtis he has to find some way to intervene. Even if she's in the past, he is sure he can save her, and maybe himself in the process.

✘ WHAT I LIKED
- The writing style in this book is absolutely lovely.

Grief rose, dark-cloaked and dripping oblivion. She wanted to give in - wrap herself in pain and unmake the wretched creature that was Mila.

Gorgeous prose like this fills the book, and I found myself rereading lines like the one I quoted above just because they were so prettily worded.

- This is, at its core, a haunted house story, and a damn fun one at that. I'm a sucker for books where the house itself is half the threat, with sinister scares living inside the walls. The Gravenhearst home, where Mila lives in the past, is a breathing, thinking being, and I so enjoyed watching Mila struggle to dismantle it before it devoured her.

- There are some really enjoyable side characters, like Curtis' best friend Avi (who is so sweet and open and warm and lovable), or his neighbor Mae (a spooky elderly woman who welcomes him and his sister into her home). I found that I actually enjoyed the side characters more than the main characters, which isn't altogether a bad thing, because that happens somewhat often with books I read.

✘ WHAT I DISLIKED
- The main characters just aren't terribly likable characters. Neither of them had specific, fatal flaws; they're just a bit simplistic and frustrating.

On the one hand, Curtis makes one poor decision after another, all the while pushing away anyone and everyone who cares about him, and honestly, how was this kid not arrested at any point during the story? Early in the book, he almost beats another high schooler to death, and all he gets is suspension?

On the other hand, there's Mila, who was definitely more enjoyable than Curtis, but very prone to outbursts that felt a bit forced? Then, when things do look up for her from time to time, she comes across as very fragile, which feels unrealistic after how tough she is throughout other scenes.

- The content regarding mental illness in this book is tough to swallow at times. Curtis' father is mentally ill, and incredibly unstable - even violent, at times - but it felt as though the book straddled a fine line between being authentic, and stigmatic.

- The ending left a lot of loose ends untied. I won't spoil it for you, but some really bizarre shit goes down and I found myself going, "Wait, what just happened?" It just feels very unrealistic - past the point of suspension of disbelief and all that - and I think I would've preferred a very different ending (no spoilers, though!).

✘ FINAL VERDICT
This was a pretty fun read, and as far as YA horror goes, I thought it felt unique and more along the veins of what I expect a good horror book to offer than many other YA horror titles I've read. That said, it's definitely not anything mind-blowing, and if you aren't a horror fan already, this might not be for you.

✘ CONTENT WARNINGS
Parental abuse, violence, ableism, homophobic slurs (which are addressed as problematic).

Thank you to Amulet Books and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

2/5 Stars

I was really exited to read this book, and thrilled that I got an ARC because it sounded so interesting. But in the end, it took a turn for the worst and I was left feeling quite bored and disappointed.

Within the first few chapters I was rather confused, not too fond of the writing, and disliking the way Cook described her scenes. But that's just me. Maybe for other people it will work, but I had trouble imaging scenes and characters.

Another thing I really didn't like was how the majority of the characters took everything to extremes, or not extreme enough. It just felt strange that Mila (and pretty much everyone else) would have so many outbursts. I didn't like it.

Also, plainly said, I didn't care about the characters. They weren't likable and relatable, so I found myself detached from them. I pretty much couldn't have cared less if they lived or died.

I don't want to give too much away since this book isn't out yet. However, something I did enjoy about this book was the mansion Mila lived in. It was creepy, yet, I imagined it to be quite beautiful and rustic.

Overall, this was no where near as good as I had hoped it would be. I really wish the characters had been developed more, that there would have been less outbursts and characters borderline acting the same way. I just didn't feel concrete differences in the characters. They all felt too similar. But that's just me.

Thank you NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Conceptually, I think this book was sound. The idea of a terrifyingly demonic house and people in dire situations in the past and the present is a powerful one. I just got so cross at the execution of this book that I can’t give it more than three stars.

My main complaint. Instalove. It’s 2017 people, can we not have people who have never actually met suddenly falling in love through a magical time travel mirror? I don’t mind a speedy love story. I’m definitely here for a slow burn, but you’ve ‘met’ once and suddenly you’re dreaming about making out with each other? No! And this isn’t me being the ‘bitter old lady reading YA’ brigade, it just comes out of nowhere. This whole book would have been more powerful without the romance plot at all.

Then there’s our villain. It’s not quite clear who is evil and who is just strangely possessed in this book which does dampen the impact somewhat. But there is also a strange Bluebeard esque marriage plot which made me all kinds of uncomfortable. I suppose that was the point, but it hit a bit too close to home for me and if you don’t like that kind of thing maybe stay clear.

I also felt like both worlds, the victorian and the modern world could have been fleshed out a little more. Things seem to be stuck between about eight characters despite the fact that the whole town is mentioned. I just needed everything to be a bit wider and more thought out to be fully present in the story.

I will say that this book has some lovely illustrations throughout which is a nice addition to the story, it’s also an easy book to get into and once you set aside all the bits I didn’t like it wasn’t terrible. This just wasn’t a book I really enjoyed.

My rating: 3/5 stars

If this sounds like something you might like, you can read House of Ash as it releases 25th September this year. I hope you like it more than I did.

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I came across Cook’s debut book and it had such a curious premise I found myself wanting to know more. Then I discovered she used her own personal experiences as fodder for her book so it increased my desire to read it because I have found books where the author has poured something of their own life into them seem to be far more interesting.

Cook has a great way of writing vividly so you become hooked into this journey she has created into her world. The novel starts off a little rough but if you just stay with it you will become enthralled with what she has built and who she has fashioned as it picks up very quickly.

I thought she did a great job balancing a story set in two different time periods and with 2 sets of different characters whose stories seem like they need to converge at some point. I liked the Supernatural elements and she balanced issues of mental illness well. Her two main characters are developed very well but any of the other ones came across as very one dimensional but they aren’t important enough for this to take away from the overall story.

I mostly liked the book but the ending felt weak and not everything was answered so I’m not sure if the author is planning to write a sequel and that’s why the conclusion kind of falls off without filling in the holes?

I wasn't expecting much when I started reading this book, mainly because I have never heard of the author or book but the premise sounded very interesting. It gave me a Dawn Kurtagich kind of vibe, so I figured if anything it would be enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised that the book had me hooked basically at the very beginning.

This book is told in two POV's Mila back in the 1890's and Curtis from present day. I wasn't sure how the two POV's will be connected or if they will in any way, but I really liked how the author utilized them. I personally liked Milas' part of the story a whole lot more, mainly because that was the part that most of the supernatural stuff was happening. Curtis' POV was more him trying not to let people think he was beginning to have a mental illness like his father. The way that the author started to weave their two stories together though was very interesting and made the story more enjoyable.

The authors writing style reminded me a little bit of Dawn Kurtagich's style, especially when the story centered around Mila and the supernatural. It was a little bit gothic in the sense that the author made the setting seem super dark and creepy when the story was being centered around Gravenhearst. The author also included illustrations at the end of some chapters. They weren't needed but they helped add a little extra to what you were currently reading. Especially when it dealt with anything about Mila and Gravenhearst.

Character wise the only ones that stood out were Mila and Curtis. The supporting characters, while they played a big role in helping the plot advance, didn't seem to be as fleshed out as the two main ones. Some of the characters seemed to just be placed in the scene for convenience than an actual purpose. Overall, it didn't bother me too much because I liked the plot and how quickly it was advancing. 

I enjoyed this book overall, but I wish that it had a stronger ending. It seemed as if the big climax happened and then everything was kind of loosely tied up in the end. My biggest question is what is going to happen to Curtis and his sister now? I have some other questions, but I don't want to say anything because that would spoil some major parts of the book.

This book had me hook, line, and sinker. There was a perfect balance of historical fiction, modern life, and unexplainable magic. The characters were raw, their emotions tangible to the reader as we followed them through their trials and tribulations.

The juxtaposition of Curtis and Mila didn't feel forced, as across time period relations can sometimes be. They saw something in each other that they had never before seen in another person. Was it love? Nope. Deep, unending loneliness, and a lack of hope. But they had hope for each other. Now that I've written that sentence it sounds really contrite. Can you just believe me when I say this book should be read? Yes? Great. I'm glad we've had this chat.

House of Ash exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to purchase a copy for my collection.