This book starts as an innocent mystery but soon escalates into a fable of bullying taking the worst possible turn. The combination of graphic novel and prose works in Smy's favor, creating pockets of questions that will only be answered by time, a clever reader, and a well-placed illustration. Some of the scenes are very depressing, and certain British notes may be lost on younger American readers. Overall, recommended to horror readers --especially the creepy children trope --and those who want a darker story from Brian Selznick.

A creepy, unsettling, sad little tale complete with mysterious wonderful illustrations that greatly add to the storyline. Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed Thornhill and how there were two stories in one book. I liked the art so much I bought a copy and will be sure to lend it out to younger readers. The book also has a great message.

All I wanted was a friend.”


I love a good mystery so I was so excited to read Thornhill. At first, I was overwhelmed by the length of the novel, about 530 pages, but Thornhill is unlike any other book I have ever read. Not only is the novel told in two different time periods, 1982 and 2017, but also it is written in two different forms.

In 1982, 12 year old Mary tells her story about living in the orphanage Thornhill through her journal entries. Fast forward to 2017, a young girl named Ella has just moved into the house near the now vacant and dilapidated Thornhill. What is fascinating about Ella’s story is it is solely depicted in haunting black and white drawings. Once I began Thornhill, I couldn’t put the novel down and pretty much read it in one sitting.


1982-The bulk of Mary’s story revolves around her relationship with another orphan who lives at Thornhill. Through Mary’s journal entries, she shares how she is tormented and bullied by this girl. At first I felt total pity for Mary, but this feeling began changing to some doubt and uncertainty; since Mary controls the narrative, the reader is only privy to Mary’s point of view, and I was never quite sure of her reliability.


2017-Looking out her window one day, Ella spies a shadow of a girl on the grounds of Thornhill. The eerie yet poignant illustrations reveal Ella’s attempt to uncover what she is really seeing- is a real girl or a ghost? I must admit I hesitated to turn each page for fear of what Ella would discover. Through the drawings, the readers learns a little more about Ella’s life which made my heart break for her.
Towards the end of the novel, Mary’s and Ella’s stories begin to intersect and the harrowing ending gave me chills that remained long after I finished reading, which is precisely what a good thriller should do.
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What a creepy book to read during Halloween! I chose this book to read for the #spookathon 2017 and I just loved it. The story is told in two perspectives. First Ella moves in across the way in 2016 and has a perfect view of the old orphanage Thornhill and all it's secrets. She is determined to find out about it's mysterious past. The Second perspective is from Mary who lived in the orphanage in 1982 right before the tragedy. I can't say anymore than that because I do not want to spoil the story. The Illustrations are beautiful and very gothic dark. I would recommend this to everyone who loves a good bone chiller.

I'm terrible and my copy expired before I had the chance to read it.

Wow! What a creepy book! The illustrations are really wonderful - a bit reminiscent of Brian Selznik's work, but with their own character. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and loved how it went back and forth between the two time periods. The storyline is horror along the lines of Shirley Jackson's work, the creepy, chills up your neck kind as opposed to a lot of blood and gore. Kids that like R.L Stein or those types of books will love this one. A great read!

When I had first seen this book, I immediately requested it from Netgalley due to the creepy cover; however, I wish I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. This book did not tickle my nerves nor did it surprise me in any ways. I do not know if it is because I have read many novels in my fifteen years of life or it is supposed to be an easy read. I am not pleased. If I am looking for something scary, I want to be flipping scared. Though I may not have enjoyed the story aspect very much, the artwork is stunning and drew me in. I also really like how this story was told as it is part graphic novel and part novel. Maybe that is the scariest thing about this book. :)

Similar to Brian Selznick in style, Thornhill does a good job of keeping readers hooked through illustrations and words. Two girls, from different times, are trying to find their place in the world and it just might be in the place they least expected.

Unfortunately, the digital download only allowed me to move pages from left to right, not up and down, so I could not expand the pages to read smaller print. This prevented me from being able to properly review the title. I do plan on reading it in the future. I'm so sorry. Thank you for the opportunity.

A creepy and chilling read about a quiet girl who was constantly bullied by the other girls in her orphanage. Complete with beautiful illustrations and amazing writing, this book will give you goosebumps. I recommend for ages 8 and up
4 stars

This novel tells two stories. The first is told through the diary entries of a young girl in the 1980s as she chronicles the bullying and abuse she faces in Thornhill, the home she shares with several other girls, all of whom are constantly sent back from various foster homes. The second is told through drawings and follows a neglected girl in 2017 who has just moved into a house next to the infamous Thornhill house. The two stories slowly weave into one in a rather interesting way. The diary entries in this novel are heartbreaking, especially when you've worked with kids in the foster care system and know how often they're mistreated. Unfortunately, I received a digital copy of this novel, and some of the artwork was cut off, making it a little difficult to follow that storyline at the beginning. Other than that, though, this story was amazing and very moving.

I found it confusing and hard to connect to. One story told in prose, the other in graphics. While I like the ambition behind this creation I don't think it was executed all that well.

Thornhill tells the story of two girls, Ella and Mary whose lives are separated by thirty five years. Mary, her story told through her diary, is a mute orphan living in an orphanage known as Thornhill, which is soon to close. Ellen is new to town and is lonely. Her story is told through graphic novel like illustrations. Mary is relentlessly bullied by her peers and Ella is often let home alone by her workaholic father. She can see the dilapidated Thornhill out her bedroom window and is intrigued by the old building. Soon she starts to visit it, and each visit brings her closer to Mary and the events of Thornhill’s past.
Thornhill is one of those scary stories that, when read by an adult, is horrifying. Not for its supernatural elements, but it’s undertones of child neglect and bullying. However, I don’t think young readers will pick up on it in the same way as an adult would and will instead see it as a spooky read. The mixture of text and illustrations makes Thornhill a perfect ‘bridge’ for those readers who love graphic novels and are reluctant to read chapter books.

While the basic plot is similar to most ghost stories, and I was kinda expecting the general gist of the ending, the method used to tell the story was intriguing. I loved the juxtaposition of the comic panels and diary entries. It helped heighten the suspense and spook factor, especially when the little details in the illustrations would have a big impact on the narrative. What makes Thornhill great is Mary's thought processes and responses to being psychologically and emotionally bullied. Smy does an excellent job of putting the I would still recommend it to any teenager who enjoys a creepy story. Both the story and the art are solid.

This book is spooky in a delicious way and stays with you in the same tradition as Gaiman's "Coraline" and Auxier's "The Night Gardener." The format, of course, is reminiscent of Brian Selznick's work, with half of the story being told in pictures and half in prose. However, this book is told in two different time periods, the present day and the 1980s, with the past being portrayed through a young girl's diary. This book is spooky, mysterious, and beautifully written and illustrated. A must-have for any middle-grade collection! 5/5 stars.

I’ve been pondering about what to say about this book for days. It took me awhile to see how I felt about the book and I ended up reading it twice. I could feel myself frowning the entire way all the way to the end.

There are two different storylines parallel to each other. The prose is the story of Mary in 1982, while the haunting, interlaced, black and white illustrations are Ella’s story in the present.

Mary is an orphan living at Thornhill in 1982 and is waiting to be adopted. She’s one of the only girls left along with a very mean girl who enjoys tormenting and bullying Mary to the point that Mary remains locked in her room most days.

She dreads even coming out to eat and spends all of her time in her room making dolls or reading The Secret Garden. Mary’s story is told from her diary pages. I found it emotional and really couldn’t understand why something wasn’t being done to control the behavior of these girls who were treating her wrongly and bullying her. There are spoilers/hints along the way which gives you an idea about the end. I thought that was almost too much.

Ella’s story is quite different. Told in the present, she’s moved into a house right next door to Thornhill and deals with her own set of problems. Her mother is absent for whatever reason, and her father is busy with work-related engagements, so Ella is left alone most of the time. Thornhill is viewed from right outside her window and she becomes curious when she sees a girl in the garden there, even though Thornhill has been shut down since 1982. It’s abandoned, but Ella is curious and begins to wonder about the girl she sees from time to time. She begins exploring the garden because, what else is there for her do?

This is a fairly large book at about 540 pages, but many of the pages are illustrations which make it a fairly quick read. I found the illustrations paired with Mary’s diary haunting and I didn’t want to put it down until I could find out what was going to happen with these two girls. I found the book unique, chilling, and atmospheric, but honestly, I wasn’t happy with parts of it, especially the unexplained abrupt ending. Overall, it’s good and even though it’s juvenile fiction, it kept me engaged until the end.

My rating is 4.5****

Beautifully creepy middle-grade graphic novel. Definitely recommend to middle-grade/YA readers in the mood for a ghost story.