This one pulled me in from the start! I appreciated how the MC's mental health struggles paralleled the horrors of the house - and are eventually 'overcome' in a way that doesn't feel cheap. Full of creepy-crawlies, some YA romance, spirits, family, and seances.

This book was different. I enjoyed the plot and characters. A little creepy but enjoyable and I liked the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

PSA: If you hate bugs involved in a horror setting do NOT read this book. I'm not kidding, there are a TON of bugs.

I could NOT put this book down--the suspense had me at the edge of my seat! The characters serve their purpose in furthering the creepiness of the setting and the house itself feels like its own terrifying character. The author uses fantastic prose to emphasize the creepiness and gothic aesthetic of the book.

One thing I was worried about was the protagonist, Libby, and her recent bipolar diagnosis being used as, well, a typical ableist horror story but the author did NOT go down that route and I was very happy with that. Libby has Bipolar III and is going through therapy but it is not part of the horror angle whatsoever. It's just part of her life and she deals with it and it works out well. So thank you, Ann Fraistat, for doing a great job in your research and involving a disabled character in the story without making the horror be the disability.

I was also extremely happy that this was actually paranormal horror and not like "Oh psych there were no ghosts it was just one dude behind a curtain the entire time!" because those books have been driving me up the wall.

My only minor complaint is that I feel like the cover doesn't really reflect the story all that much. I wish it was an illustration of the house itself or one of the spooky windows the author describes in great detail. The cover makes it look a bit generic and basic when the story is anything but.

A fantastically spooky gothic read!

The mental health angle interested me, but the way it’s explored feel clunky. Actually, this entire book felt clunky from pacing to characters. I think this just isn’t for me, some of the imagery was cool, but overall I was more exasperated than entertained or tense.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Delacorte Press on behalf of Ann Fraistat for an ARC of this book!

I was drawn to this book not only for Ann Fraistat (whom I've read before and enjoyed), but also for the wickedly beautiful cover. After reading this ARC, I do feel the wickedly beautiful cover houses a story that is in its own way 'wickedly beautiful' with its intriguing, spooky, and mysterious elements combined with detailed writing that make it quite the roller-coaster ride!

The story begins with such a punch of drama already and then slowly draws you in. Then you find yourself in different blips of curiosity: Libby's mental illness, the house itself and the masks, the previous people who lived in the house, and the impact of the house in the local and haunting community.

Mystery and curiosity are such huge elements in this book and Ann Fraistat writes with such detail that the insect imagery (which is a ginormous part of the whole story) was easy to imagine!

The drama and action REALLY ramps up last few chapters [and so does the gore]. Lots of intense scenes that had me sweating for the characters!

This is definitely the perfect book to read during Spooky Season (or any season of you want to be spooky all year around!).

Ann Fraistat definitely amped up the spooky factor and beautiful vivid imagery in this book!!

I am so pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when starting it, and I had a bit of a time getting into it, but once the plot picked up, it didn’t slow down until the end. There were some truly jaw-dropping moments, and I really appreciated the main character’s struggles with her mental health and how that affected her actions and thoughts throughout the story. Really great!

A recent episode in which Libby was diagnosed as bipolar spurs her mother to move Libby and her sister to her Mom’s childhood home in hopes of a fresh start. The house, known for its strange seances and residents who go missing is anything but the fresh start Libby needs. Bugs infest every room, blue roses grow in the garden, strange occurrences, and bug masks that might be part of a more sinister agenda. The house is keeping secrets that Libby wants to uncover but it might just be the last thing she does…

A Place for Vanishing is a unique YA paranormal fantasy involving an unusual house with some very creepy bug masks. The premise and beautiful cover art for this novel was what captured my attention. This is a “new to me author” and I enjoyed many aspects of this novel. I’m always interested in books that have a unique plot and this one definitely was unlike anything I had read before. As much as I wanted to love this one it just wasn’t love at first read for me. If I had to say what it was that didn’t work for me it would be a combo of things that ultimately left me feeling nothing for the characters. I will say the book does pick up about halfway through and things start getting very weird, creepy, and even a bit gross (bugs) but it just wasn’t enough to make me love it. Definitely give this one a chance if you are looking for something a bit different than the usual creepy house trope.

As a lover of horror and young adult books I absolutely loved this novel. In a haunting tale that weaves together contemporary issues with a sense of gothic foreboding, Fraistat crafts a mesmerizing narrative. The story immerses readers in the eerie beauty of a family's new home, intertwining a teen girl's personal struggles with the dark secrets that lie within its walls. The atmosphere is richly textured, with the house itself becoming a character shrouded in secrets. The supporting characters, including the mysterious boy next door and the locals with their tales of disappearances and masked séances, add layers of intrigue to the unfolding mystery. Libby's determination to uncover the truth, despite her mother's resistance, propels the narrative forward and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This is a triumph in contemporary gothic horror, offering a compelling exploration of mental health, family dynamics, and the dark secrets that lurk beneath the surface. Highly recommended for fans of atmospheric horror and psychological depth.

I HATE HATE HATE horror anything. But this BOOK OMG!!!!!! I couldn’t put it down. It was as intriguing, like I stuck on this book and I had to finish it to see what happened to Libby and Vivi, and their mom who has been acting weird since they moved into this new home, and the young man named Flynn who does creepy SH** in their backyard at night. SAY WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I remember telling myself that “I cant read this book at night I will have nightmares” this book was creepy AF!

Libby suffers from mental illness she was unable to really control until it almost took her life, and because of that her mom and sister are starting again in a new town and in a home that is their legacy, it’s a landmark, and its creepy AF and it’s where 10 people had disappeared throughout the years, and Libby finds out that her actually grandparents were victim to this home. And I say again, SAY WHATTTTTTTT!!!!! I had to keep going, I couldn’t stop reading this book.

Adding the bugs in the mix, some magic, and some supernatural stuff, and the action scenes, and some really emotional ones too, I was loving IT!!!!! The ending!! Libby is my fave character, what she had overcome, with her body and mind, becoming stronger, after her ordeal, and being true to herself was the icing on the cake. There are some trigger warnings to take in mind in this book when it comes to Libby and her diagnosis, but this book was just WOW!

I really enjoyed Ann Fraistat’s prior book, so I was eager to see what she’d write next. A Place for Vanishing immediately intrigued me, and hit all the right notes for what I’m looking for in a Gothic horror, especially a haunted house with a long history. The prose is atmospheric, capturing the claustrophobic nature of the setting perfectly…not to mention the visceral nature of the bugs and other horrors at play.
One aspect that both intrigued and worried me was the inciting incident for the plot being Libby’s bipolar III diagnosis. On the one hand, I had never heard of this particular condition, only being familiar with bipolar I and II, so I was intrigued to learn a bit about it. However, there was a part of me that worried about how mental health issues could be weaponized against the mentally ill person in horror books…however, this did not happen, with her character feeling nuanced and believable for someone dealing with mental health issues, and the treatment is, from my basic understanding of mental health care on a general level, pretty compassionately depicted.
The house was a real enigma, and I enjoyed following Libby as she attempted to unravel it and figuring out what happened to previous inhabitants of the house, including members of her family.
I did think the book was a tad too long, and while the story laid breadcrumbs fairly well to keep my interest, the pacing lagged throughout, with it really only picking up at the end. While I do think it could be trimmed somewhat, I did feel the payoff was worth it either way.
This was a more or less enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for an an immersive, if slow-paced Gothic horror story.

When Libby and her mom and sister need a new start they move into a home that has been passed down in their family through several generations. It sat empty for decades but the home feels strangely alive when they move in. And not in a good way.

Ominous events threaten to tear their already struggling family apart, and their home seems to be the cause.

I was sucked in by the plot, and while I did feel there was too much detail to wade through, at times- I was invested early on. If you’re looking for a dark mystery, that’s not quite natural and keeps you in suspense, this should be your next read!

2.5/5 stars rounded up.

I really liked What We Harvest back in 2022, and I was excited when I got the ARC for this book.

It sucks that I have such mixed feeling about it.

The first half was pretty good. Fraistat built the tension and mystery around the house so well, and the complicated family dynamics introduced in the aftermath of Libby's attempt and bipolar III diagnosis kept my interest in the story. I also really liked the descriptions of the house and the rooms - they always gave the ick vibes that fit the setting perfectly.

But the other things really kept this down for me. For instance: I didn't like the romance. Flynn, the love interest, is crucial to many things that happen throughout the book, but the romance between and Libby felt weird and lacked any chemistry to me.

The reveal of the mystery was also a disappointment. The tension became straight up paranormal horror. It should have worked for me, but after it, I felt myself growing more detached from the story. I was skimming to get to the end, which was seemed hastily thrown together after the action-packed climax. I wish the plot let itself breathe a bit more rather than rush like it did.

All in all, strong beginning that became gradually mid as it went on. I think I still will follow Fraistat's coming works, just in case something else of hers catches my liking.

Wow! This book made my skin crawl! What a creepy, fabulous horror story, that will keep you on your toes. Full of battles with mental health, family problems, and starting over, this book takes you on a journey to find answers to a long running mystery of the house of masks while Libby also learns how to put her life back together after a self inflected tragedy.
This book may not be for everyone. With lots of talk about mental heath and Libby’s struggle with bipolar along with her families difficulties to move passed a suicide attempt, I know those can be sensitive topics for some readers. But I do feel that the story shows the characters growth and how they learn to trust each other and themselves. I couldn’t put this down I thought it was a great read!

I don't have a lot of YA favorites, but absolutely adding this one to my list. This book is incredible, it is a thriller/horror that is very fast paced. Libby was such an interesting character, and you see her realistic challenges and step into her shoes with the way the author wrote her. There are a lot of twists and turns and I loved how it handled mental health representation. If you are a fan of Haunting of Hill House, it was very similar to that- so you will most likely enjoy this book too! 4.5 stars!

THIS BOOK! Can I give it some extra stars, please? I adored it. I never read YA, don't even remember requesting this book on NetGalley, but I saw it pop up on my Kindle and decided to give it a chance. Part thriller, part horror, I haven't a read a book this fast in ages. I adored how the house felt creepy and haunted, and yet at times you also wondered if it was trying to help Libby, the main character. I loved how mental health was dealt with through Libby in a realistic, respectful way, and I adored how the author so artfully showed how it affects the whole family. The story itself was so, so good. I loved a touch of love story. I loved how there was a mystery to be unraveled. I loved the ghosty bits. Just so well done. I'm literally off to find this author's other book!

I think this book delicately handles a difficult situation that is how people invalidate or dismiss those with mental illnesses because of that MI. Overall I think the book handled that without villianizing mental illness. Something that I didn't love was the take on the family relationships. They just seemed to be really flat in an otherwise well developed world and story.

This was a fun thriller/horror book. I liked the premise of this one. Beware of this book though if you don't like bugs haha but overall was an enjoyable read.

4.5/5 ⭐️
Wow. What a book. This somehow captured the eerie yet deeper meaning that the tv show version of Haunting of Hill House did but twisted it to include masks and a whole lot of bugs.
First, trigger warning: this story does talk about suicide. Mostly it is the main character looking back on her failed attempt. But the undercurrent of it is threaded throughout the story. Still, it is not dwelled on too much or goes into too much. So just a heads up for anyone who may not be in a place to read such.
Besides the suicide attempt, the main character is also dealing with her recent diagnosis of bipolar III. I personally have a limited experience of interacting with people who have bipolar, but from the little I know, I thought this story did a great job showing what it is like but also not demonizing it or making her mental illness something to be fixed.
Similar to Haunting of Hill House where they took more personal concepts and wove it into a paranormal world, this story does the same thing. It was encouraging and heartbreaking simultaneously with its deeper meaning while also scaring the crap out of me.
I highly recommend this book. It was excellent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Random House Children’s Publishing for allowing me to read A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat. I do want to state that this is not typically the genre I prefer to read, but enjoyed it.

Libby is not your stereotypical girl she is used to performing and acting. Recently, her life has done a 360. Now, she is currently faced with dealing with her depression and bipolar disorder as well as starting over including even moving to an extremely old house. The strangest thing about starting over is the fear. Libby’s fear about not only this house, but what it is doing to her sister and mom is real. If you want to know more about Libby and her family’s creepy adventure in the House of Masks, read A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat today. #APlaceforVanishing

(3.5 rounded to 4 stars) Very creepy! This was incredibly well-written and atmospheric. I enjoyed Libby’s character. I feel like it was a tad heavy on the backstory and it would’ve been really cool to add some illustrations or even a floor plan of the house!