I would love to thank Pushkin Press, Eva Frantz and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This gothic middle-grade ended in my Top 5 MG of 2023.
The Mystery of Raspberry Hil (I love the title a lot!) talks about Stina, a little girl who has issues with her breathing. She talks a lot about her family and how she feels like a burden, so she can justify the fact that her mom is sending her away to a Sanatorium so she can get well.

But as soon as she arrives she feels like something is off. Why are there no other children around? Why is a boy visiting her everytime she sleeps? Why are some maidens acting so weird around her? And why did no one tell her before that in the past a ward from the Sanatorium burned off?

I guessed the majority aspects of the twists and turns way before they were revealed, but as an adult this is not a hard mystery to uncover. I really liked this story, the atmosphere, the protagonist and the eerie vibe throughout.

Be careful if you wish to read this with your child, thought. It is really dark, especially towards the end. But it has an important message, also.

I gave this one a 4.5 stars.

An interesting look at the parallels between the American and European experiences with TB but not ultimately the most thrilling read. There is an emotional distance from the test. And the final reveal of the truth about the hospital is a bit over the top.

This book is a bit dark and mysterious, but at the same time easy to read and really well written in my opinion. It is quite short which made it easy to get though. The main character is likeable and I really felt for her throughout her journey. The ending was a bit emotional, but I enjoyed the book and I'm really glad I read this book - even though I'm not in the target audience.

The Mystery of Raspberry Hill was a short and easy read, with a few twists (though some of them rather predictable). But I must say I was surprised how dark this was for a middle grade book!

I was definitely drawn in by the premise of a mysterious sanitarium, and think I would have been very intrigued by it all if I were the target age as well (especially as a life-long horror fan).

Unfortunately, I couldn't vibe with the writing style, which seemed clunky in places, and had some odd tone/language choices considering the young age of our main character, and her even younger ghost friend. Though I'm not sure how much of that was down to the author, and how much was down to losing something in the translation from Finnish to English.

Overall, this was an unexpectedly dark little tale, that sadly just fell a little flat in ways I can't quite put my finger on.

Little Stina was sick and dying, or that’s what she thought. She was taken away from her home and family by false promises. Alone in the cold sanitarium, the people were not who they portrayed to be, except for her new and only friend. Stina wanted to be a healthy little girl again, but she realized that was not going to happen when her sickness worsened. Her new friend opened her eyes to the horrors and truth of what had occurred before and what was in store for her. The story was an ingenious one with scenes that were heartfelt and sad. It was a beautiful book and a delightful read.

This was a very quick and easy to read middle grade spooky book. I enjoyed it, the only setback for me was that the story progressed too quickly for me to dwell on the details. That could be due to the fact that this was intended for a younger audience, but if you don’t mind the slightly superficial pace, then you’re sure to enjoy this.

I recommend this to those who love reading middle grade mysteries.

I'm not afraid to admit that 'The Mystery of Raspberry Hill' gave me the chills! This spooky middle grade tale has all the ingredients of a classic thriller: a creepy setting, eerie atmosphere, and a brave and relatable protagonist in Stina. I loved how the author wove together mystery, suspense, and family drama to create a story that's both page-turning and heartfelt. The twist was a nice touch, but it was the characters' emotional journeys that really got under my skin. Don't be surprised if you devour this book in one sitting - just leave the lights on!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Mystery of Raspberry Hill by Eva Franz in exchange for an honest review. This book gave me a new viewpoint on tuberculosis and what it did to people. Little Stina is going to Raspberry Hill to be healed by the fresh air. What she finds there are secrets and a conspiracy. I enjoyed this book.

Wow. This book was fantastic. A spooky Gothic horror middle grade tale set in 1920s Finland. The description refers to it as a ghost story and that’s part of it but the scary parts are bigger than that. Without spoilers, it’s hard to say much else. Suffice it to say that, while it’s not mysterious, the story goes in directions I wasn’t expecting. Again, not a twist and it’s fairly obvious as you get going but still.

There’s a ton of great stuff here for younger readers. Insight into healthcare in the early 20th century, a little about war, and a very stark commentary on class structure. I saw some people saying it was too dark for MG, and it is dark. However, Finland is consistently named the happiest country in the world and our mental health and youth suicide numbers are appalling. So I’m going to say that maybe dark books aren’t corrupting anyone’s minds and perhaps exposure to difficult topics at an early age is actually beneficial?

Also, Stina (our protagonist) is fabulous. Wry, insightful, and brave as hell.

What a refreshingly exceptional read. The last two MG titles I read blew me away. I need to read more MG.

I hope this author has more books translated so I can read more. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Twelve-year-old Stina, stricken with tuberculosis in the 1920s, is doomed to die; she knows and she guesses that, due to their extra kindness and sad looks, her impoverished widowed mother and five siblings must know it, too. So when a doctor comes to their home in Helsinki with a proposition, it’s hard to refuse: Stina can be an experimental subject in an experiment to see whether tuberculosis can be cured in the young with an experimental drug and exposure to clean country air. No guarantees, mind you, but a chance.

Thus is Stina transported miles away — by motorcar no less! — to Raspberry Hill Sanatorium, a castle-like structure with luxuries beyond Stina’s dreams in a forest, clearly a place her family could never have afforded otherwise. But the hospital is nearly empty. Stina’s reassured that it’s because there was a fire in the east wing, and the sanatorium has only recently reopened. But more and more odd things begin to happen at Raspberry Hill, and the nurses there are all frightened, except for the cold head nurse, Sister Emerentia. Stina embarks on a search for the truth; thank God she has her new friend at the sanatorium, the mischievous child Ruben Wiik, to help her. This suspenseful middle-grade novel is highly, highly, HIGHLY recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Pushkin Press in exchange for an honest review.

A chilling children’s ghost story, perfect for the winter season. Set in the 1920s, this has the atmosphere and setting of the perfect Gothic novel.
Stina knows she is going to die. (What an opening line!) She is suffering from consumption (tuberculosis), a usually terminal illness, but doctors are exploring the possible curing effects of pure, clean air in child sufferers. Stina is offered the opportunity to go to Raspberry Hill sanatorium to try out this radical new treatment. Despite her lack of faith in its efficacy, Stina is excited to go, especially when she gets to travel there by car!
However, it soon becomes clear that not all is as it appears at the hospital. What exactly happened during the fire in the East Wing? Why is Stina not getting any letters from home? And why are the medical staff so secretive about certain patients and rooms? As Stina gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that her illness is not the greatest threat to her life after all.
The sanatorium is a gloriously gothic setting: an isolated castle, with abandoned corridors and mysterious rooms. It creates the perfect atmosphere for building the tension.
This is the perfect ghost story for older middle grade readers and a great introduction to the gothic genre.

What attracted me to want to read this story is the fact that it's a ghost story set in the 1920s, and most importantly, it's set in a sanatorium.

Stina, our story's main character, is a delight from the moment readers meet her. She has come to accept her fate - she has consumption and there is not much that can be done. She also comes from a large family, and she views herself as a burden to them. When an opportunity arises for her to be able to have care and ease the load on her family, she accepts. After all, not many poor children are given such an opportunity.

She has around the clock care, fresh air, and more to eat than she ever did at home. Most importantly, she has found company in the book her brother has given her...until she meets Reuben.

And thus Stina's "adventure" at Raspberry Hill begins.

The author walks readers into the action slowly, deliberately. Even Stina comments throughout the first part of the story about how bored she is. I've seen some complain about this, but for me, it was purposeful. The author needed Stina to feel relaxed, to let her guard down, to feel that boredom so that when the action hit - and it hits hard - Stina (and the reader) is so shocked that it paralyzes her. It serves a very particular purpose.

This storytelling style reminds me of Stephen King - he also likes to walk his characters (and readers) right into danger and then smack us with all the action at once.

This is the approach of this author, too.

Initially I rated this three stars, but the more I talked about the story, the more I chewed on it, the more I realized that I didn't just like it, I really liked it. Thus my four-star rating.

As a whole, this book gets the job done. It left me curious as to what Raspberry Hill was really about - the place, not the book - and what the doctor really had planned for Stina's treatment.

WHO WILL WANT TO READ THIS: This book will appeal to those who enjoyed The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and the Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab.

The book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review

A dark and suspense middle-grade not meant for the faint of heart!

The Mystery of Raspberry Hill is a mix between a ghost story, suspense and thriller. I absolutely loved it! It’s perfect for spooky season but beware that it might just be too dark for certain children. You count with sickness, death, loss of a parent, mean adults and ghosts.

The story is well-written and easy to get into and just enjoy. Set in 1920s in Finland, there’s a gothic vibe to the book particularly in the description of the Raspberry Hill Sanatorium. Stina, the female protagonist is a brave girl who fights tooth and nail to get her health back in a place with no other children and only wealthy ladies. Her curiosity leads her to explore the sanatorium and make some creepy discoveries. It all leads to an exciting climax. It has heart-warming to see her relationship with her parents and siblings. It was a nice note to end the story with.

I was a nice read, perfect for spooky season for both children, teens and adults.

Thank you, Pushkin Press via Netgalley for e-ARC.

Stina was sent to the Raspberry Hill Sanatorium because the doctors wanted to study her and her cough. She knew she was dying. The doctors wanted to see if fresh air would cure the cough. When Stina arrived, she was the only patient.
Stina becomes friends with Ruben. Dr. Hagman determines her couch is from tuberculosis and wants to try his treatment plan on her as a study to get funding. Stina finds out from one of the janitors (Kristin) that the twenty-three ward where Ruben is staying no longer exist. It was destroyed in the fire the hit the sanatorium years prior. She thought Sister Emerentia was trying to kill her by switching her medicine but realized she was the only reason she was still alive. Esmeralda (child of the rich) came to the sanatorium with a bad heart. The plan had been not the heal Stina (child of the poor) but to take her heart to make sure Esmeralda made it.

Stina's escape and Sister Emerentia's attempted murder caused the truth about Raspberry Hill Sanatorium to come out and it wasn't pretty.

A young, quite ill Stina is sent to the Raspberry Hill sanitorium to receive treatment for tuberculosis. Her widowed mother and siblings are sad, but eager about the possibility that the new treatment will return her home, healthy.

She’s very weak, and is polite and compliant to everything the nurses or her doctor tell her to do. She’s lonely, but a young boy visits occasionally, livening up her nights with cheerful chatter and exploration of the sanitorium. An elderly woman stops her one day, and warns her of terrible things happening at the place. Stina starts to recover, then takes a turn for the worse.

This was really good! It's a surprisingly dark story, with some pretty terrible things first hinted at by the author, Eva Frantz, then made real. Franz builds the suspense well, making us slowly realize that something is not right at Raspberry Hill.

Stina is a terrific character, preparing herself to die as her health is quite poorly. She's tough, observant, and quite intelligent. One cannot but root for her as she gets acquainted with the nurses, explores the grounds slowly, and makes a friend with the boy who occasionally visits her.

I really liked the balance the author achieved of Stina's lightness and positivity, and the echoey, uncomfortable quiet of the sanitorium, and its hints of danger.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Pushkin Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Here is a book for everyone to read. It's a beautiful example of a youth book that tackles death without sentimentality, and the character's voice is particularly well-crafted. A nice blend of slice of life, adventure, history, and mystery. A great success.

An eerie short read about a sick girl from a poor family who will be taken to a sanatorium. There she will learn a terrible secret (more than one, not all bad). Fast-paced but great story set in the right period for a spooky season. As a fan of Shirley Jackson's style, I enjoyed it a lot

The Mystery of Raspberry Hill is a well paced story with a compelling, young narrator. Stina is twelve and can tell from everyone's reactions to her that she will die soon from her consumption. Her blasé attitude to the subject of her own death (without particularly desiring it!) opens this story and very much shapes the way the story unfolds. To me, this worked very well. The atmosphere of this story is gorgeously rendered and ushers the reader in.

I loved the ghostly element of this tale, and I truly enjoyed the pacing. The mysteries twists, turns, and conclusion to ultimately be very satisfying. Despite Stina being away from her family for the majority of this story, we still learn quite a lot about her parents, her siblings, and even some about her grandparents. (Ellen is my favorite of the siblings.) There is a happy ending.

Readers who enjoy mysteries with supernatural elements as well as horror elements will enjoy this book! This story is arresting, like others I simply could not put this down!

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

This is a 4.25/5 because of how well this story blends chronic illness, classism, death, and medical ethics together into a seamless narrative while merrily subverting the reader's expectations along the way.

A short mystery story through the eyes of little Stina.

I enjoyed being in Stina's head, as the thoughts were so naive and good intended. She is well mannered, well bred and sweet actually. The book sounds exactly with the words of a 12 years old, so one can entertain with the simplicity of words, which create this beautiful complicated story.

The mention of death is a bit too much for a children's book, so maybe the potential auditorium could be a bit scaled up.

This book! Oh how I loved this book. I will start by saying that while it is a Middle Grade read, I would say it is older middle grade, or for a very mature child. The subject matter can be dark at times, and is definitely scary - perhaps because of the fact that it absolutely could, and probably did, happen in real life.

This novel takes place in the 1920’s and is the story of a sweet, precocious and lovable little girl named Stina. Stina is twelve years old and is very ill, so she is sent to Rasberry Hill Sanatorium to see if the fresh air and specialized help can improve her condition - a condition from which she is certain she will die. Raspberry Hill is large and beautiful, and Stina cannot believer her luck as poor little girls like her never get opportunities like this. However, the longer she stays, the more she realizes something is terribly amiss. This novel asks the question - are monsters the things that go bump in the night, or are they the people that walk among us?

I adored Stina. I just fell immediately in love with her! The setting of the novel is atmospheric and beautifully creepy, and the tension is built steadily throughout. This novel can also be downright horrifying. I overall enjoyed it so much, though I do wish it was a little longer. I highly recommend this novel, but would say read it before you give it to your child or check subject warnings.

Read if you like:
✨ Sanatorium/Hospital Setting
✨Isolation
✨ Spooky MG
✨ Frank, Honest MC