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!

As soon as I saw Ann Fraistat was coming out with a new book I immediately became overjoyed. Her last book “What We Harvest” was easily one of my top favorite 10 books of all time. I’m so thankful I got to read this next book early! To start, I’m a huge scaredy cat, and I normally don’t enjoy books with more “scary” themes, but Ann’s books are so good I just have to read them anyways.

The way she writes is so engaging, and I connect so well with her characters. Libby was no different. I felt a strong connection with Libby because of her struggles with her mental illness. I knew how she felt when she questioned her own reality, and her own thoughts and empathized with her. This book deals with some heavy themes, and definitely had me on the edge of my seat.

One thing I always think to myself when I read Ann’s books is: I’ve never read a book like this before, and as an avid reader, that’s a cool thing to experience.Thank you NetGalley, and thank you Ann!

It is a perfect spooky, gothic read for the month of October and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves horror, regardless of your age. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was definitely a breath of fresh air. It was so different and unique compared to a lot of books in the genre. I loved exploring all the secrets of the house with the characters and uncovering the story with them. After reading this I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. A must read for fans of house of hollow and horror fantasy lovers.

OH MY GOSH this book was amazing!

The tension was so high, the atmosphere was super eerie, and Ann's descriptions truly made everything even more terryfing and gross.

As well, the family dynamics in this between Vivi, Libby, and their mother were perfect. They felt so raw and real.

I LOVED the romance. Flynn and Libby are absolutely adorable together, one of the sweetest couples I've read.

The biggest plus for this book was the mental health representation. Ann had it woven so deeply within this story, into every little thing and every big thing and it was beautifully done.

I loved this book and I love Ann's writing. I will definitely be picking up more from her.

Thank you so much Delcorte Press for my e-ARC!

A Place for Vanishing was SUCH a breath of fresh air in the worlds of thriller and horror. Of course there are tons a great reads in those genres but this was a truly unique gem. Ann Fraistat created an absolutely electric world with so much intricate detailing that I thought this had to be based upon true events.

Libby, a girl once filled with passion for theater and a spark for life, has felt her world dulled as she struggles through her Bipolar III diagnosis. In an attempt to recover from a shared family trauma, Libby, her mother, and sister move to get a fresh start at her deceased grandparents' home - one she had no clue even existed. The family ties to this house go further back though, all the way to a famous medium and her husband from the 1800s. As the girls try to bring the secrets of the home and their family to the surface, Libby and her family find themselves being dragged into a darkness they did not know could exist.

The imagery and feeling created by the author pulled me deep into this world with Libby. I could feel her every emotion to the point where it was a bit nerve-racking. I loved all these characters. Typically when I encounter a teenage romance, I feel a bit icky but this was done perfectly. But the best thing about this read was the respectful discussion and representation of mental illness. A lot of people who have struggled will read this and I hope it makes their heart feel light and proud of themselves the same way I felt. Definitely looking to Ann's next book after this!

This was so good. Honestly so scary I had to sleep with the lights on. The MC is really sympathetic and I loved the design of the house as well as its terrifying historu.

A house with a dark history, bugs everywhere, and a gothic mystery that is perfect for a spooky time. When Libby and her family move back into her mother's childhood home after Libby's suicide attempt and release from the hospital, it was suppose to be a fresh start but the house is filled with a history of people disappearing and weird bugs keep appearing as well as strange bug masks... Libby's mother refuses to talk about the past and especially about the house. The only real clue Libby has about what strangeness is happening around her house comes from the mysterious boy next door who has been performing seances on her house grounds. Libby knows something odd is happening, especially when the bugs begin to appear, infesting her home, and the fact that the masks have powers does not help either. Something is haunting this house and if she doesn't figure out what... it'll destroy her and her family. This was a fantastic spooky read, it got the horror elements of bugs and their creepiness down to a tea, and the mystery was a fun on. i enjoyed that we got to see Libby dealing with her mental health while also trying to figure out what exactly is happening to her family and the house. It's a difficult time for her to navigate both her own mind and the craziness that is happening around her. This was just an all around fun spooky time and I found myself perfectly creeped out by the bugs (as someone who fears bugs this one hit the spot for me). I really had a great time with it and would definitely recommend it!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Horror | Teens & YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I have been searching for books that scare me this month, and surprisingly, my YA Gothic Horrors are fairing better than regular horror, and A Place For Vanishing was no exception! It was a haunted house story, complete with spirits, mediums and seances, but with such a unique and well thought out take on it.

The author incorporated a few themes in this book that really made the story seem more real. Libby, the MC, was dealing with a recent Bipolar III diagnosis that was represented very well on with her symptoms, meds, and constructive ways to help deal with the illness. Later, we find out that masks attached to the house are imperative to the magic, er monsters the house. From the synopsis: "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." This really served a dual meaning and carried throughout the entire story.

The bugs. So many bugs!
🐛🦋🐜🐝🪲🦗🦟🪰🦠
This was another very unique concept that was fully fleshed out throughout the book, even a little too much for my liking, but I'm sure that's just my own bug bias.

If you are looking for a unique take on a haunted house story and want to be creeped out, you'll definitely want to try A Place for Vanishing, coming out in January 2024.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ //5

A Place For Vanishing
by: Ann Fraistat

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was delightful. I sat down and devoured this book in one sitting. I did not want to set this one down! This book is a beautifully written gothic horror with a haunted house and an exceptionally eerie feeling that leaves you wanting more! My favorites!!! This book has you page turning and guessing and you get to the end with a feeling of the wild trip you just took. As I always say, check triggers before reading books. I found a love in Ann’s writing and will continue to be on the lookout for more of her books.

Rich, dark, and hauntingly atmospheric. I loved this book from the very start. The writing was top-notch—a perfect blend of action and descriptive detail. It somehow managed to be fast-paced, while still being filled with the lushness and description present in slower novels.

Great world-building. Fraistat gives us more than just a haunted house, she plays on a common lizard-brain phobia amongst humans—insects. This book is haunting and creepy, thought provoking and spine chilling; and, at the same time, it is seductively opulent.

Full and rich character development (and very diverse characters). These are real people with real interests, fears, hope and dreams, and real problems. They are perfectly imperfect. And I was thoroughly invested the main character's journey through life in this new house, while having to be constantly mindful of her cyclothymic disorder (bipolar III).

Great writing. Great plot. Great characters. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.