The Hawthorne School tells the story of Claudia and Henry, a troubled mother and child trying to make it in the world with no family. When Claudia hears about The Hawthorne School, she thinks it might be just the thing that Henry needs to fix some of his behavior issues. Is it really as good as it seems?

The premise behind the book is so good. I can't talk about the ending because it would ruin it but it was AWESOME!!! I loved the slow build up to the ending. At one point I had the thought, "Okay, lets get on with it." But right when I thought that, the ending happened! I loved that the book was from Claudia's point of view. It made it very interesting and made the ending a little more ambiguous. SO GOOD LOVED IT.

Thank you so much to @crookedlanebooks for the digital review copy of The Hawthorne School in exchange for an honest review. The Hawthorne School publishes tomorrow, December 7, 2021.

Claudia Morgan is a young single mom to four year old Henry. He is having trouble in his preschool, they claim he is too behavioral and does not listen to the teachers, so she is challenged to find a place he fits in better. Claudia hears about the Hawthorne School, located outside of town on a rural road, and decides its a place they need to look into. The administration of The Hawthorne School is all too happy to have Henry attend, and his tuition paid by Claudia's volunteer hours, it seems too good to be true.

I was drawn into this book from the beginning because of its short chapters and atmospheric setting. I was able to guess some of the big twists pretty early, but I needed to keep reading to see if I was right about how things would unfold.

This thriller was relatively slow burn, which really gave me the chance to get to know the characters really well. I was frustrated with some of the ways that Claudia acted, but that seems to be a trend for me when I read thrillers about early 20-somethings.

The highlight of the book has been thinking about how seemingly easily people can be drawn into situations like this one. It's one of those books where I'm left wondering if this happens in real life because its to terrifying.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark, gothic thriller.

Claudia Vera is a single mother at the end of her tether with her four year old son Henry. He’s a difficult child given to tantrums, fits of anger and going out of his way to obey even the simplest instructions. At preschool he is disruptive and refuses to take part in activities and learn. Just as she is despairing what to do about Henry at yet one more meeting with his teacher, she hears about an exclusive school on the edge of town with alternative teaching methods. The Hawthorne school sounds it might be just the sort of place Henry would enjoy.

When Claudia and Vera first visit the Hawthorne School, they can’t believe how beautiful it is; a majestic gothic castle surrounded by fields and woodland. The school was originally founded by Julia Hawthorne in the 1960s and after her death six years ago taken over by her son Gabriel who set about expanding the school with new campuses across the country and overseas. The school is based on a mix of educational philosophies melded from Montessori, Waldorf and Scandinavian forest schools, with the children spending most of their days outdoors learning from nature, music and art. Claudia sees groups of children working together calmly and serenely after a morning exploring outdoors and knows immediately that this is what she wants for Henry.

When Claudia is told by the Director, Zelma Huxley that Henry is just the sort of child they are looking for and that she can pay reduced fees if she agrees to do some volunteer work at the school, it all sounds too good to be true. Furthermore, she is told the school provides all the children’s and volunteer workers’ food, growing their own organic fruit and vegetables and preparing vegan meals and healthy smoothies incorporating a mix of herbs all gathered from the school gardens.

This is a creepy, atmospheric, slow building suspense novel, with the gothic school itself looming over everything. Claudia is very gullible and trusting and wants so much to have made the right choice for Henry that she refuses to see that there is so much wrong with the school, the teachers and the other volunteers, who she is told mostly work at night. I felt the novel could have done more to use such a brilliant premise to build the suspense and make it more frightening rather than focusing on the clueless Claudia and her thoughts and feelings. Certainly, the ending could have built to a much more dramatic climax instead of being rushed and surprisingly anticlimactic. Nevertheless, this is definitely a fun read about a sinister and creepy school.

I love a good psychological thriller that has a hard to figure out twist. This is not that book. The premise is great… creepy school with weird vibes, but I could literally predict a was going to happen. Too bad Claudia, the mom in the story, could not. She was so slow on the uptake that it was frustrating. It wasn’t my favorite book, but by far not the worst I have read. Thanks to #netgalley for the chance to read it and review it!

I love a good creepy school story but this one didn’t quite meet the mark. The main character Claudia was infuriating as she seemed to be clueless to ever single blaring red flag. The beginning was a very slow start and though it started to pick up I still wasn’t super interested.

Having published two general fiction books using one pseudonym (Keziah Frost), The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry is yet another. It is written by a “Chicagoland” psychotherapist who works with survivors of narcissistic manipulation. Claudia Vera is a struggling single mother with a behaviour problematic four-year-old son. She decides to transfer Henry to a private school, requiring her to volunteer in order to reduce the fees. Soon Henry’s behaviour improves and Claudia feels as though she finally belongs. As her involvement in the school increases, Claudia becomes torn about things and the twists and turns begin to raise questions for her. An enjoyable enough read, if somewhat lacklustre tension - so only a three-star rating. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

The book was engaging if a little predictable. I enjoyed the story but spent most of the time wondering how the protagonist, Claudia, could be so naive. Claudia is a single mother who is struggling with a behaviorally difficult 4-year-old son. She befriends her neighbor who tells her about an exclusive private school. Claudia who can't afford such a school is surprised to know that she could just volunteer weekly hours at the school instead of paying the school fees and just like that, she and her son are absorbed by the mighty Hawthorne School. As time passes by, she realizes that the school is a cult under wraps and there is no way out of it! All the clues were there but she just couldn't follow any of them until 3/4 of the way through the book. Then I realized that there were dozens of victims before Claudia, which makes me wonder how they found that many people even dumber than her. I had to suspend disbelief. As I mentioned, I could see from the start where the story was headed and was able to predict all the twists. It reminded me of Stephen King's The Institute, but only superficially; while The Institute was more drawn out, this felt rushed towards the climax which was the biggest downside. Meh for me...

Sylvie Perry’s newest novel is a fun read that satisfied my thirst for a dark academia and thriller combination. Claudia is a struggling single mom, desperately trying to provide the best she possibly can for her son, Which includes pre school. However when she is alerted by the school that Henry has some behavioral problems that might make him unfit for the school, Claudia finds herself in a bit of a panic.

But the answer to her problem is closer to home than she thinks in the form of the lovely, rural Hawthorne School. It seems perfect, too perfect really, even providing Claudia with a job in exchange for payment of Henry’s tuition.

But beware of things that seem to be too perfect, because they usually are. In this case, the things going on behind the scenes at the school do not match the perfect facade it presents to the world.

I loved the academic setting of this book. I am always a sucker for dark academia overtones and this one really delivers that atmosphere in spades. I enjoyed the character of Claudia . She rang true to me as that single parent who is scratching her way through the world desperate to give her son everything he needs. And with any good thriller the novel succeeded with unexpected twists and turns, that even though a tad predictable were nonetheless effective. So if you want to throw a little dark academia thriller into your holiday this one would make a good choice. Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlane books for an advance copy in exchange of honest and fair review.

This is my first novel by Sylvie Perry.

I loved the creepy setting of the Hawthorne School and I found that the plot was intriguing. The story was well written and had a great pace. However, I felt that the characters did not grab me - I found them to be quite un-relatable.

While the ending felt a bit anticlimactic, overall the book was enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from Sylvie Perry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Sylvie Perry for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

A creepy school with even weirder staff, how could I not like this book? The Hawthorne School was an intriguing read with a great setting.

Claudia is a single mom with a son she just wants the best for. Henry is a child who is a little different and does not take well to directions. When the Hawthorne School is brought up, Claudia decides that is what Henry needs to fix his behavior problems.

This story does have twists and turns and it does keep you on your toes. Some things are predictable but other things are surprising.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the Arc in exchange for my honest review

The Hawthorne School seems like the right place for 4 year old Henry so his mom, Claudia, is thrilled when she's able to pay the tuition by working there on her days off from her regular job as a massage therapist. Canny readers of the blurb know that not all is as it seems and that there's menace at the school. All that nature time, all that vegan stuff- it's all a cover for....no spoilers. You, like me, might figure out what's going on before Claudia does but remember that she's not just naive, she's devoted to Henry and blind to well, a lot of stuff. It's got a good setting, some interesting twists, and creepy characters in Zelma and Niles. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fast entertaining read.

*Copy provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

A cult story told from an innocent's perspective, dwelling into education, religion and the bond between mother and child. It had some potencial, and even though the writing was interesting, it was way too long for what the story meant to unveil, since pratically from the beginning anyone with a bit of critical thinking could have understood very well what was going on and spent most of the time face palming in desbelief.
Not bad, though.

The Hawthorne School was an ok read. It was atmospheric and quite chilling but it just did not work for me although I can't specifically say why. I'm sure others will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC.

This book is terrifying. For so many reasons. Being a mother, I connected with the idea of doing anything and everything to get the best for your child. Being a reader, I connected with this absolutely riveting and terrifying story.

Claudia is mother to 4 year old Harry, who is a bit of a troubled child. She has the opportunity to enroll him at The Hawthorne School, a private institution that no one knows much about, but still has a stellar reputation.

But as time goes on, Claudia finds herself more and more disillusioned by the school and the people who run it, and Harry is coming home with some strange and disturbing stories from his day. Before she knows it, Claudia is in over her head.

A truly creepy read, this book is great for anyone who finds humanity and the power they can achieve to be fascinating,.

Claudia's son Henry is difficult. Wild and precocious, his teachers and mother both have a hard time taming him. On yet another visit to the classroom, after yet another frustrating day, a suggestion gets made in a moment of exhaustion. The Hawthorne School.

A mecca of alternative learning in the style of Swedish forest schools, Claudia gets an appointment at this prestigious institution. The second they walk through the doors they instantly feel at home, as though bathed in calmness and serenity. With a focus on play and music and art, this school seems too good to be true.

She's instantly drawn to the headmaster Helga, who is ready to bring Claudia and Henry in with open arms. Claudia's anxiety builds at how a single mother can afford to send her son here. The Hawthorne School has a solution for that too, in the form of volunteer hours which she happily agrees to.

But the more time she spends at The Hawthorne School, the more questions arise, as Henry starts to mention rituals the students participate in the deeps of the woods. Where are the children going, and where are the other parents?

While this is a story at it's heart about the depths a parent will go to for their child, I struggled with the naivete of Claudia. Her motivations in many situations were suspect, even acknowledging (spoiler) that she was being drugged. She's engulfed in flames asking if someone turned the heat on.

I love cult stories, and I wish that section of the novel was flushed out. I wish the characters were a little more believable. I went to an alternative school growing up so I should've been the exact audience for this one.

2,5 Stars rounded down.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me and I don't think it's at all the fault of the author. What I've learned over the last year-or-two is as much as I try to make myself read a gothic novel, the pace and prose are often too slow for me to enjoy. However, I think that most people will love this book. So, for that reason, I'm going to give this 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed the narration for The Hawthorne School. Children’s voices done by adults often do not hit the mark for me. While the adult voices from McNamara were well suited, the child’s voices were too childish, if that makes sense.

Claudia is not my favorite character. A mother of an out of control child who knows that something is too good to be true, feels that something is off, is told by many people something is off, but continues to push those feelings aside …. it’s like the commercial of the 4 teens being chased by a masked murderer and deciding that hiding in the barn, with all the sharp farm tools, is the best decision. Major eye rolling!

What I did love is the gothic school within the story. The cover is fabulous! The descriptions of the school were so cool and creepy, I wanted more, way more! But only bits and pieces were scattered around for the reader and that was a true shame. I wanted to know what went on behind closed doors, what was happening that couldn’t be shown through just Claudia’s perception.

I feel like this easily could have been a 5 star read with this theme. Instead it felt like a non-thriller Thriller. No surprises, no twists. A main character that isn’t likable and seems to be a bit dim-witted for not catching on sooner. A plot that you can see from Chapter 1 with a journey that spends way too much time on how the character feels about what’s happening around her (literally the first 2 hours of the books she laments about …. how she wants her child to go to Hawthorne Academy but knows she can’t afford it, but takes him for a tour anyway, even though she can’t afford it and on and on).

A great concept that unfortunately missed its mark.

This is an atmospheric thriller about a creepy school but without any surprises. You get exactly what you expect to get.

Claudia is a young single mother with no relatives and few friends. She lives for her four year old son Henry. But Henry has some behavioral disorders. He throws a tantrum every couple of hours and does not fit in preschool. While I was wondering why Claudia does not seek any help from a doctor she decides to take her change with a different school. In a beautiful old cloister surrounded by huge forests she thinks she finds the solution to her problems with Henry. The children here are spending a lot of time in the nature and there is art and music instead of sitting still in a classroom for hours. But of course nothing is as idyllic as it seems to naïve Claudia. She is absolutely clueless while I as a reader could see exactly what was coming. There are no surprises in this book. It is still entertaining and atmospheric although it is so predictable.

Was it a bit predictable? Yes. Did our main character make questionable decisions? Yes, for sure. Was this a fun read anyway? Absolutely. I lit a candle, put on ambience, and snuggled up with my blanket and had a good time. I don't think a book has to be perfect and unpredictable all the time. It was just a nice, cozy time.

The Hawthorne School by Slyvie Perry was a suspenseful book about a single mom and her soon getting entangled in an exclusive school in the woods. This would make a fantastic movie! It had the feeling of something isn’t right and oh I wonder what the twist will be! Perfect for reading by a fire or on those short winter days.