I would have never thought i could be a horror thriller reading girlie. But look at me writing this review. I was thankful enough to get this ARC from netgalley of A Place for Banishing by Ann Fraistat.

This book sucked me in and I did not want to put it down. It was that good.

This story starts off with Libby who was just diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her mom decided it would be best to move into their family home. That no one has lived in for ages. As soon as they got there, Libby had the ick. She had no idea what was going on but the house just felt wrong. Or was that her newly diagnosed disorder. She wasn’t sure what was her just over thinking or what was truly going on.

She had to investigate, only to come to find out there were disappearances from this house over the years. She even showed her mom one of the articles online and her mom told her to stop searching to stop trying to find something wrong.

her mom only wanted to see the bright future in this house that it was going to give her and her sister she didn’t want to hear the negativity. her mom was so happy in this house, and Libby could feel was her disorder getting in the way.

So she made it her mission to figure out what secrets this house was holding so she didn’t have to continue to feel the ick about the house.


The way this book had so many shocks to me was amazing! I truly loved this style of writing! Definitely a new genre for me.

This is an extremely well-done horror. It had me captivated from the start. A spooky, eerie, gothic vibe that will keep you flipping pages. If you can' t take insect horror, this may not be for you. I would highly suggest reading this, I have not read anything like it before. I enjoyed the character connection. Tigger warnings: mental health and depression. 5 star

"A Place for Vanishing" by Ann Fraistat initially reeled me in with its spooky house and creepy gothic vibes. Libby, our protagonist, and her family are trying to start fresh in this strange new home in the aftermath of a suicide attempt.

For the first part of the book, Fraistat does a great job of building suspense and weaving in the complexities of Libby's bipolar III diagnosis, as well as the repercussions of her suicide attempt on her family. The portrayal of mental illness is handled with sensitivity and depth, adding a meaningful and important layer to the narrative.

But then, things in the book take a bit of a weird turn. The creepy factor ramps up with all these paranormal happenings, but it starts to get rather strange and far-fetched rather than spooky. It required a suspension of disbelief that goes well beyond the usual paranormal tales. If you aren't a fan of bugs, consider this your major trigger warning.

As for the ending? It felt a bit too easy and out of left field, even for a story with ghosts and other paranormal elements. So, I'm going with 3 out of 5 stars on this one. The beginning had me hooked, and the mental health representation was great, but the whole final action sequence and how it wrapped up just didn't hit the mark for me.

Whew! This horror, and I do mean horror! story by Ann Fraistat had me on the edge of my chair! What an imagination she has, and what a storyteller. This was the scariest book I have read in a long time! Parts were totally disgusting, and downright petrifying! What an incredible premise she has and this is a must read for anyone who likes to have the you know what scared out of them! Bugs…yuck!, beetles, wasps, sharp blue rose thorns!, cockroaches….ewwwww! They’re all here and a haunted house. No spoilers here, but when you read this book, leave all the lights on!

When Libby's mom moves them to the weird old house in her family, it's supposed to be a fresh start for Libby after a suicide attempt & new bipolar diagnosis. Instead, Libby, her mom, and Vivi her younger sister are ported into a fresh nightmare. A house crawling with bugs with strange stained glass windows of specific insects with peculiar masks to match. It isn't long before Libby finds out the past of the house including the disappearances of 8 family members including her own grandparents. When strange dreams start, paired with her Mom's off-kilter behavior, she reaches out for help to a local guy with his own reasons for getting involved.

Ann delivers a top-tier YA horror novel with spirits, creepy houses, family trauma, and more. From beginning to end this was a delightfully horrifying read which left me squirming. A perfect read for younger horror fans, and anyone who loves all things haunted house.

Ann Fraistat is an amazing writer, and this book in particular, which deals with heavy topics, is extremely well done. It always seems very courageous when writers go to vulnerable places in their work, so hats off to her.

The cover for this book is stunning. I love creepy house books because you're never quite sure if it's the house, or the character imagining things.

If you like horror books I WOULD suggest getting this book!!

This has a main character Libby her and her mom an sister live in this creepy house and there is insects crawling around. The vibes of the book is so Earrie and spooky I just loved it. This was one of the most scariest books you can read! I’m so happy I got into this to read it thank you net galley!

This definitely is for a spooky horror reader!

This creepy, horror novel gave me chills! Note: I highly recommend if you like horror stories, but if you are really creeped out by insects don't read this book because it will certainly traumatize you!

Description:
A teen girl and her family return to her mother's childhood home, only to discover that the house's strange beauty may disguise a sinister past, in this contemporary gothic horror from the author of What We Harvest.

The house was supposed to be a fresh start. That's what Libby's mom said. And after Libby’s recent bipolar III diagnosis and the tragedy that preceded it, Libby knows she and her family need to find a new normal.

But Libby’s new home turns out to be anything but normal. Scores of bugs haunt its winding halls, towering stained-glass windows feature strange, insectile designs, and the garden teems with impossibly blue roses. And then there are the rumors. The locals, including the mysterious boy next door, tell stories about disappearances tied to the house, stretching back over a century to its first owners. Owners who supposedly hosted legendary masked séances on its grounds.

Libby’s mom refuses to hear anything that could derail their family’s perfect new beginning, but Libby knows better. The house is keeping secrets from her, and something tells her that the key to unlocking them lies in the eerie, bug-shaped masks hidden throughout the property.

We all wear masks—to hide our imperfections, to make us stronger and braver. But if Libby keeps hers on for too long, she might just lose herself—and everyone she loves.

My Thoughts:
There's a mystery here. Family members kept disappearing without a trace from this house, never to be seen again. The disappearances started in the 1800's and at least nine family members have disappeared over the years. The main character, Libby, is dealing with her bipolar disorder and trying to keep her family intact. I admired her strength and courage, as well as her ability to try to analyze her the things happening in her mind. I liked the character Libby as well as her new neighbor, Flynn. I also liked the way Ann Fraistat dealt with the mental illness issue and showed how it affected the entire family. This was a scary book for sure and it kept my attention throughout even though it gave me a few nightmares.

Thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on 01/16/24.

It was overall a pretty interesting book and I liked the idea for the story.
It’s spooky and eerie and keeps you wondering what is happening in the house. I liked exploring the house with Libby and finding answers to the disappearances of all the people who previously lived in the house or visited it.. Definitely couldn’t tell how the story would unravel so it kept me guessing until the very end.
if you like spooky, paranormal and suspenseful I think you will enjoy this book!

A Place for Vanishing
I was really interested to read this book after seeing the overview.
The descriptive writing was amazing, you feel like you are standing alongside the characters observing what they are seeing.
I really enjoyed watching the FMC Libby's growth, actually all the characters growth since there were so many layers to each of them.
This book starts off with a haunted house vibe but what it really morphs into is so much more!!

This is one of those books that was very hard to put down from the first chapter. It has mystery, suspense and an ending that isn't the typical HEA.
I would say this book falls into the YA category, with a trigger warning for att€mpted $uicide. But Ann Fraistat does a great job of not glorifying the topic or making it the entire focus of the story.

If you are looking for a really good paranormal mystery then give A Place for Vanishing a read, you'll be glad you did.

It’s a YA Dark Fantasy about Mental Illness ,and depression this is just a beautiful book an the cover alone is stunning this book will make you feel all the feels I could definitely say this was a top book for my November reads I could read this every year

There’s just something about YA gothic horror that I simply can’t get enough of. A Place for Vanishing was incredibly good and reminded me of Erin A. Craig’s books but in a contemporary setting instead of a fantastical one. While I have a lot of fun reading YA horror, it very rarely creeps me out. That was not the case here. Fraistat totally succeeded at freaking me out.

The vibes in this book were immaculate. It was hauntingly atmospheric and Madame Clery’s House of Masks only got more frightening with each secret it revealed. I really enjoyed the focus on mental health and the effects it not only has on a person but on their family. Libby’s mom moved her and her sister to help them all heal but silly ol thing moved them to a haunted house instead (great job, mom!). Libby, Vivi, and Flynn were great characters and rooting for them was so easy. Teenage emotions and angst was beautifully captured. The dialogue flowed naturally and there was no point in the book where I felt bored. Fraistat proves here to be a great writer and I can’t to read her previously released book.

Highly, highly recommend to all my YA gothic horror fans but even non-YA horror fans should read this one! Great spin on a haunted house and a very successful gothic setting.

This was a pretty scary good book. I know I did not want to stop reading. This book grabbed me from page one and never let go. I'm not sure if it is YA or not but it could be.
Libby is a high school student who has recently been released from a psych hospital after a suicide attempt. She was diagnosed with bipolar III and is on medication as well as her mother and sister following the pamphlet guidelines on how to act around her. Susan, the mom, decided the family needed a fresh start and moved Libby and her sister Vivi, to her childhood home. As we come to find this house is haunted big time. Through fighting the ghosts and demons Libby learns she wants to live, and the family goes into therapy together. And Libby learns that she is stronger than she thought.

I really enjoyed this contemporary gothic story. In this, Libby and her family are looking for a fresh start in the home where her mother grew up. But the house is far from what you'd expect--weird things happen, disappearances, all topped off with some eerie "buggy" design. Libby works to unravel the house's mysteries and haunting secrets. All this while also grappling with being recently diagnosed as bipolar (bipolar III if I'm remembering correctly).
I really enjoyed the themes of family and mental health, which were well-balanced with the gothic mystery aspects of the story. I also liked how palpable the world-building was--the house really came to life and felt like it's own unique character.
Overall, I really loved this how moody and atmospheric it was! What a great piece of contemporary gothic/horror literature!

And where do I start.... I am a sucker for a good Gothic atmosphere, and this absolutely delivered on that front! The prose was so evocative and mesmerizing - it very much felt like I was experiencing The House of Masks alongside Libby and Vivi.

The opening chapters felt like the modern day's spiritual successor to stories like The Yellow Wallpaper with all the what-is-even-happening-here madness of Mike Flanagan's take on The Fall of the House of Usher. So, if you're into that kind of eerie, under-your-skin creepiness, this should be on your reading list!

Mental health is a BIG thing in A Place for Vanishing, and I was genuinely moved by how Fraistat framed the narrative and strove to show how mental illness affects everyone in the blast radius. It was deftly handled and I really felt for all of them. That said, do check yourself if you have concerns over being triggered.

Unreservedly 5 stars!

#APlaceforVanishing #Netgalley

This book was exactly what I was looking for, and so much more than I could have anticipated. A tale of a haunted house complete with masks, spirits, seance's, mediums, and bugs. Yes bugs, I have to say that the insects are not what would normally draw me in but it was such a unique concept that I really enjoyed.
Ann Fraistat draws you in with this mysterious house surrounded by unusal blue roses, with it's winding halls and rooms decorated around beautiful masks. But Madame Clery's house of masks is not what it seems. Despite the allure of these beautiful masks, there is something sinister creeping in as well.. Libby's Mother returns to her childhood home following a tragedy surrounding one of her daughter's recent diagnosis of bipollar 111. The three of them embark on a fresh start, with a new home and a new school, but there is something lurking in this house that wants a fresh start too.
Captivating and creepy, this book may not be for the Entomophobic but I loved every bit of it.

I've never read anything by this author before, but the cover of this book pulled me towards it and I'm glad it did!

After a suicide attempt, Libby gets moved to another home with her family. Something is haunting about this house and feels eerie. If Libby doesn't figure out what is going on in this home, it'll destroy her and her family. This was a spooky read. It was filled with horror elements such as bugs and their creepy nature.

There's a cute teenage romance thrown in there as well! Usually I'm not all about them but I loved the connection between the characters.

I enjoyed the mental health journey that we see Libby dealing with because it's a topic that's truly not talked about enough! I also enjoyed that she was trying to figure out what was happening to her family and this house. She struggles to navigate both her own mental health and the crazy things that are happening around her.

As the story unfolds it just gets even more engaging.

I'd recommend this book.

"Ann Fraistat's 'A Place for Vanishing' presents a contemporary gothic horror story where Libby and her family seek a fresh start in her mother's childhood home. Far from a haven, the house harbors strange occurrences, insectile designs, and a history of disappearances spanning over a century. Libby, grappling with a recent bipolar III diagnosis, unravels the house's mysteries, with bug-shaped masks playing a pivotal role. The narrative explores themes of mental health, family dynamics, and the tension between new beginnings and haunting secrets. The house becomes a character, creating an eerie atmosphere and adding suspense to Libby's journey. 'A Place for Vanishing' intricately weaves horror, family drama, and the supernatural, making it a compelling read for those intrigued by atmospheric and mysterious tales."

This is a great spooky read, I really recommend it! Loved the bipolar rep. At times it was too scary for me!