The Mystery of Raspberry Hill

This is a dark and thought provoking children’s story translated from the Finnish original by Eva Frantz. Stina suffers from TB and lives a poor life until one day she is offered the opportunity to be given health care in remote countryside sanitarium managed by Dr Hagman and his team of nurses. Stina is alone for much of the time apart from receiving daily medication , food and medicine One night she meets a young boy called Ruben who helps her explore the hospital and its grounds and meet the witch like Mrs Frostmo. Soon things become more curious and gradual Stina pieces together the dark secret of Raspberry Hill - no spoiler here . This is a mysterious tale that is part adventure , ghost story and an exploration of survival against the greed and insanity of power . An intriguing tale for 11 years and upwards … with the autumn months approaching perfect for darker evenings

A dark and creepy tale that is full of adventure that I think a lot of kids will be drawn too however it is much more than that and is a very thought provoking and evocative read. I read it in one sitting,

This was such a great spooky tale. I really enjoyed it. It was just the right level of creepy. Enough to make you feel goosebumps but not so much that it would give you nightmares. I really enjoyed the premise of the sanatorium with the mysterious fire destroying one of the wings. As soon as the character of Ruben appeared I thought he is not all that he appears to be. The main character, Stina, is so brave in many different ways. Her attitude to that fact that she is probably dying and the way she thinks about what life will be like for those who she leaves behind would provide a lot of opportunities for talk in the classroom. However, this book does focus quite heavily on death and therefore I would recommend that people are careful when choosing to use it or recommend it to children in their classes.

Thank you so much to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

I was hooked instantly, I couldn’t put this down, I had to keep reading and reading and my goodness this was such an incredible book. It never let me down not once, it was exquisitely written and created. It had so many elements to it that just hooked you in and enraptured my attention consistently.

Stina a young girl with Tuberculosis is sent on an exciting adventure to a beautiful sanatorium that is going to use her for research to help other children get better. Hoping the fresh forest air and the medications they are using will cure her and they finally have a success story. All is not what it seems in this sanatorium though and there’s a dark mystery lurking in the shadows.

Stina was the most incredible protagonist, what she was going through was not easy. She was so brave, so confident and hopeful throughout everything that was happening. She told the story so wonderfully, she draws you in and makes you root for her to get better and lures you into the darker mystery as it unfolds. I loved this girl and reading the story she was telling was incredible.

I had no idea what I was expecting with this book at all I knew it was a mystery, I knew it was set at a Sanatorium that’s was my knowledge going into it. (Though both of those thing are enough to draw me to read it instantly.) I got so much more than this we got a sweet story that actually gave me tears, it made my heart race and got me reading feverantly to see what was coming next. It gave me characters that you connect too and characters you hate instantly and others that you can’t figure out and are intrigued by.

This story is incredible it’s written so perfectly, it really captures your attention, it draws you in, has you trying to solve the mystery but never figuring it all out, giving you twists in the storyline. I honestly couldn’t recommend this book more if I tried, it’s got so much appeal about for so many people that would all love this, especially anyone that loves a good mystery. It has elements of horror within it too so horror fans would enjoy it. It’s one book that will not disappoint you at all it’s so enrapturing from start to finish.

This easy to read middle-high school book had me captivated from the word go. Set in the 1920s, this is the story of a poor girl who has Tuberculosis (aka consumption) and goes for treatment at the Raspberry Hill Sanatorium. All though is not as it seems and themes of friendship, underhand behaviour and ghostly goings on run through this historical tale. Novels set in Sanatoriums are becoming more common and it is no wonder, when you see how Eva Frantz delicately explores the treatment of patients whilst describing their own experiences it provides for a really good tale.

4.2 Stars
One Liner: A touching and quick read

Twelve-year-old Stina knows she will die someday. She has tuberculosis but not enough money for treatment. Her widowed mother tries her best to take care of Stina and her five siblings.
When Stina is sent to the Raspberry Hill Sanatorium for recovery treatment, she and her family are excited. It’s not every day that the poor have the same opportunities as the rich. However, Stina’s stay at the huge sanatorium has mixed results.
There are secrets around her, and one such secret could put her in grave danger. What happened to the East Wing? Why are there no other kids recovering at the sanatorium? What secrets is the place hiding? Can Stina find out the truth before it’s too late? Does she have a chance to recover and live longer than she hoped?
The story comes from Stina’s first-person POV.

My Observations:
The story has been translated from Swedish to English and reads well. It is short and fast-paced yet has enough material to entertain a middle-grader.
The book starts with Stina announcing her impending death (because of TB). This is repeated a few times, which may or may not work for all kids. Of course, it is to be expected when Stina is the narrator.
The atmospheric setting is done well. I could visualize Raspberry Hall and its gloomy surroundings.
The occasional hits of cheeky humor keep the tone lighthearted despite the heavy topic. Stina makes some thoughtful observations. She’s a smart girl with realistic traits and reactions.
A few scenes are convenient, and there are easy coincidences towards the end. However, this is a book for kids. They need some amount of positivity to believe in happy ever afters and magic. No complaints here (after all, I’m not the target audience for the book).
The book can be finished in a single sitting. The way it blends death, health issues, poverty, greed, etc., with adventure, mystery, and bravery makes it a worthy read. I also liked how Stina makes some wrong assumptions instead of being right every time.
The paranormal bits are an integral part of the plot. It’s easy to figure things out as an adult (though I think kids would, too), but that’s where the charm lies.
The characters are well-defined (and yes, some are stereotypical, but who cares). I could imagine even those characters who didn’t have an active role in the story.

To summarize, The Mystery of Raspberry Hill is a touching book with a lovable heroine and an intriguing setting. Just make sure your kids can read about death before picking this for them. Adults shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pushkin Children's Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a quaint mystery. Perfect for a child to read, and adults too. Short, but we’ll worth a read. Stina is very I’ll with consumption, and thinks she will die soon from this. She is given the chance to gain treatment, and be a part of finding a cure for children, at a very grande health establishment at Raspberry Hill. However, everything is not as it seems, and Stina needs to work out who are her true friends are if she is to come safely home. Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.