MORE BIPOLAR REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS PLEASE!! This was such a good YA horror novel that left me with chills, and I can't wait to read more books by Ann Fraistat!!

Spectacular novel that anyone from 13 to 90 will love. Weird things happen when a mother and her two daughters move to the house where Mom lived as a child. Exciting and thrilling reading.

Looking for a fresh start after being diagnosed with bipolar III, Libby and her mom and sister move back into her mother's childhood home which has been sitting empty for years. Known as the House of Masks, a lot of creepy things have happened and many disappearances over the years. The house is teeming with bugs and it seems something is behind the masks that Libby and her sister find that gives them the strength of the insect it represents. But the masks seem to be taking over and there's something more sinister at work. Overall, a horror story set in a creepy house that has its own agenda and seeks power from its occupants and also about a family trying to start over and reconnect.

I had to DNF this one. It was a really slow start for me. I kept reading hoping that I would get into it, but I just couldn't. The concept of the book sounds really interesting, but I just don't think this book is for me right now.

thank you to netgalley for the arc

Wow. I just want to start by saying this was absolutely amazing and I loved it deeply. Having realistic mental health representation that is informative and shows the struggle and the mindset behind those with harmful thoughts, is a rarity and I appreciate this book so much for this alone. That being said, there are some triggers for suicide and self-harm, as well as some violence and general creepiness that come from the horror aspect of this novel.

The story takes place shortly after a suicide attempt of the main character Libby. We learn that she has gone through hospitalization and was diagnosed with Bipolar III. Libby's mother thought it would be a good idea to get a fresh start by moving the family to a new town and home. Little did they know that this new home has grim, buried secrets that are just awaking.

The twists and turns of this story are truly delightful and the writing style is beautiful. Everything is described with such detail and thoughtfulness that I felt entirely immersed. The story is complex and well-developed and I highly recommend it.

A Place for Vanishing is a horror novel about Libby, a high school student who was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who moves into the mysterious House of Masks with her mother and sister Vivi after a suicide attempt. Libby’s mother inherited the house from her aunt, and has always spoken of it with distaste. After Libby’s suicide attempt, however, Libby’s mother insists that they must move into the home where her family has lived for generations, restoring it to its former condition and reconnecting with their roots so that the entire family can recover emotionally. Libby and Vivi immediately suspect that something is wrong with the house: it is crawling with a severe insect infestation, and the house itself has an insect theme, with each room dedicated to a different insect species. The art is graphic and disturbing, and Libby’s mother seems to be unravelling, despite her claims to be happier than ever before. Libby and Vivi must team up with a ghost-obsessed neighbor named Flynn to uncover the mysteries behind the House of Masks and save their mother from herself.

I absolutely loved the uniqueness of this world and its magic. The supernatural elements of the book are based heavily on insects and insect traits, and by the end of the novel, the reader was not only shown the more intricate details of the magic system, we were also given an origin for the magic that made sense and was consistent with the world itself. The magic has a natural escalation built into it that built up the plot as well as the world. I have so much respect for the consistency of this world, despite it being so different from other ghost stories that I’ve read, and even though I’m not exactly a fan of insects, I found myself fully invested from start to finish.

Mental health is a strong theme throughout this book, and while I anticipate that this may be triggering for some, I really appreciated how well the author managed to capture many of its nuances. Libby, for example, has only recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She is still learning how to manage her moods, and often makes mistakes or overreacts or fails to trust herself. However, her efforts to grow and improve herself are apparent. Libby’s mother and sister are also still struggling iwth Libby’s bipolar diagnosis, her suicide attempt, and their own difficult emotions about the move and the changes in their lives. They frequently respond in hurtful or dismissive ways, but they too are trying to do the right thing. These conflicts between the characters, the way they upset or comfort one another, are at the heart of the narrative, and I loved seeing how they all grow together, learning from their own mistakes so they can do better.

In all, I’ll give A Place for Vanishing a 9 out of 10. This was a unique horror with a well-developed world and a compelling plot, with complex characters. I think anyone willing to try a horror with a twist will appreciate this one.

Absolutely captivating read! The storytelling is masterful, keeping you hooked from start to finish. Characters feel incredibly real, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. A definite must-read for any book lover!

Thank you Netgalley for the a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This gothic teen horror was a great read. It does address some serious topics like death and suicide. The main character is likeable and the book definitely satisfied the gothic horror fan in me. Great stand alone read.

This book went into a direction that I didn’t see coming. It’s not my usual type of read but I wish the author lots of luck & hope this books performs well.

This was intriguing and did a great job portraying mental illness, but it was just not my cup of tea.

When Libby has an episode that upends her and her family’s life, they move to their mother’s family home - a sinister house with stained glass everywhere representing various insects. As her mother is more and more drawn to the house and her sister is wary of her, Libby has a sinking feeling that something is just not right. What is up with all the people who have gone missing over the years? And the insect infestation? And what about the creepy masks? Will Libby discover the answers before it is too late?

Take the normal teen angst, add a new mental health diagnosis and some trauma, and top it off with a move to a terrifying home with a sordid history and you have the makings for an excellent read! Do not be fooled by the young adult genre classification, this book is packed full of suspense and gothic horror that will keep any reader on the edge of their seat. Symbolism, spiritualism, and illusionism combine for a delightfully unsettling and spine-chilling tale.

A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat is literally perfect for those of you who love mental health rep in your horror!!

Libby has bipolar III and is honestly pretty fresh off of a s*icide attempt at the beginning of this book. Libby’s mom has decided the three of them (including Libby’s younger sister Vivi) could use a change of pace and scenery and move into the house Libby’s mom lived in as a toddler then later inherited.

The house is old and moderately creepy, and gets more so when Libby’s mom immediately starts lying about certain aspects of it, like the reasons the girls aren’t allowed in the attic. Doors open and close on their own, weird sounds are coming from overhead all throughout the night, and Libby is woken up more than once by one of her family members having something creepy happen to them.

This might be a CW for you, or it might be a draw, but this book is super bug-heavy. The house they live in is bug-themed, with multiple stained glass windows featuring different bug types and creepy bug masks being fixtures in the house.

Libby and her sister, along with their neighbor, Flynn, have to figure out how the bugs are related to the weird things going on in their house, especially when their mom stops taking care of herself, almost as if something else has a hold of her…

Libby is pretty open about her mental health struggles and the facts of her diagnosis and I think her family’s different ways of coping with her attempt are really realistic. I love when action-y stories have heart, too, and this one totally fits that picture.

I also like when it feels like horror stories are still narratives? Like, this definitely is a creepy house story but it's ALSO a story about a family and a girl and a maybe crush, and I just love that it feels so fleshed out on both sides. I wasn't super invested in the story, because, like, bugs are kind of whatever, but I thought that it wrapped up fine and made total sense and I had no arguments or qualms over it. I think even without caring about the why, I still was pretty invested in the what, and I read most of this book in one day. I really liked it and I think there's potential for me to like other Ann Fraistat books even better, depending on subject matter.

“A Place for Vanishing,” a young adult fantasy fiction by Ann Fraistat, is deeply entrenched in the horror genre.

When a single mother and her two daughters move into a Queen Anne Victorian house, a long abandoned inherited property, the residence is shabby, reeks with the fetid perfume of rare blue roses that transcend the gardens and grounds of the estate, and crawls with an insurmountable infestation of insects—even after fumigation.

Motifs of blue roses and an assortment of arthropods thrive throughout this mysterious home. The property holds a creepy, infamous reputation in the community for its decades-long legacy as the abode of turn-of-the century seance-holding spiritualists, as well as the location of numbers unsolved missing persons cases over the years.

With a longstanding reputation of mischief and mayhem, the ‘House of Masks’ holds this sobriquet because of its ubiquitous stained glass windows that depict carnival-style masks, humanoid-like insects, and strange blue roses—the primary motif of the residence.

Within hours of the family moving in, insidious supernatural forces begin transforming each of their lives in grotesque and terrifying ways. It’s as though the woman and girls become possessed by spirits with evil intent.

“Masks” is an original idea that is as compelling as it is creepy. If you’re not completely repulsed by notions of bugs crawling through your hair, clothes and bed while sinister forces compel their actions, then this may be the next scary read on your reading list.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Ann Fraistat, and Publisher Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

This book was so creepy. Probably because of the bugs. So many bugs.

Libby has just been released from the mental hospital after a suicide attempt and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Her mother believes the family needs a fresh start, so she moves with Libby and her younger sister to her own childhood home, one she abandoned after her parents mysteriously disappeared when she was four.

Libby doesn’t want to burden her mom more than she already has, but the house is . . . creepy. It’s covered in dust, none of the windows open, there are horrible sounds coming from the attic and walls, and there are bugs everywhere, including in the unsettling scenes depicted on stained glass windows in each room of the house. When Libby learns about the house’s history of masked seances and mysterious disappearances, she knows something is very, very wrong, but the longer she and her family stay in the house, the more it seems to be pulling them under its spell.

This was a great haunted house horror story: we really wanted to know what happened while also really wanting to put the book aside and turn on a sitcom to clear our heads. But what we loved most was the connection Fraistat drew between Libby’s mental health struggles and her efforts to avoid falling under the house’s spell. Battling mental illness is hard work, and Fraistat intertwines Libby’s fight to stave off depressive episodes and choose life in a powerful way that will especially resonate with anyone who has fought a similar battle.

There are a few mild instances of profanity, and suicide (including memories of the attempt) plays a significant role in the plot, but the novel is ultimately hopeful (or at least as hopeful as a horror novel can be).

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Review will be posted on https://threeheads.works/category/blog/ya-books/ on April 8.

I really loved this book and how Fraistat incorporated such a unique aspect of horror. I also love how she talks about mental illness and its affect on families. 4.3/5

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…
This book for sure was a rollercoaster of emotions. With the Main Character, Libby, dealing with the aftermath of a failed suicide attempt and traumatizing mental health struggle. I felt myself relating to her in a deep level that for sure had me feeling vulnerable.Which was kind of a sad experience but cathartic. It’s such a dark and sensitive topic to cover. I think it handled it solidly.
With the main storyline being such a trip of haunted masks, abundance of bugs (shivers), and the journey of self healing. This book was pretty solid. It kind of dragged at times but it not too bad.
If you are looking for a book that has creepy ghost house with a dark past and a storyline of a sensitive topic. This book is for you. I would say to prepare yourself and your mental health before this book a bit. I did but it still hit close to home.
4 stars
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

Jeez do I love YA gothic horror. 4 stars

This book is centered around discussions of mental health, family dynamics, and bugs. So many bugs. If you are a fan of Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, you're gonna dig the hell out of this. What Moreno-Garcia did with fungi, Fraistat did with bugs. Oh, the bugs.

Our MC, Libby, is a teenager who has recently been diagnosed with bipolar III. Following a suicide attempt (TW for discussions of suicide and descriptions that may be a bit too heavy for some), Libby's mother takes she and her sister to her childhood home. A new space, a fresh start. But how the hell do you have a fresh start in a house that's covered in stained glass windows featuring images like cockroaches slaughtering fuzzy bunnies? Was this an image in the book? I don't even know anymore, but the vibes are right.

Stuff gets weird. There's some library research involved. Discoveries are made. Masks are worn, both metaphorical and otherwise.

I loved this. I thought there were a few missteps here and there with dialogue, but I wouldn't harp on that too much. There's such good content here. 4 stars.

This is the best horror book I have ever read. I have read gothic books and books that give "horror vibes," but not exactly "ghosty horror shivers." I can assure you that you will see ancient ghosts in "A Place for Vanishing" by Ann Fraistat.

Libby, her mom, and her little sister Vivi moved to her mother's childhood house for a fresh start. Things didn't go as they hoped in this mansion. This story falls under the classic haunted house trope, but in the most unique way possible.

Flynn, a boy next door, met Libby when he was performing fake séances in her mansion's backyard. At first, their meeting felt absolutely accidental, but later it was revealed that they were both connected. Libby and Flynn's relationship was so beautifully evolved in a short period of time. Usually, I prefer slow burns, but I think this book is exceptional.

Coming to the plot, people have been disappearing in the mansion for years, and at present, Libby encounters certain abnormal things. So, she seeks the help of Flynn to perform séances in search of finding the truth about the disappearance.

At first, it was fun for Flynn because he believed he was not a true medium (through whom the spirits communicate), only to find out he was a real one. Let me say, every séance performed was so horrifying. It just glued me to the pages. I feel like watching a horror movie—a really good one.

The most disturbing thing was the bugs. Yes, there are lots and lots of bugs in this book because the spirits are weirdly connected to them. I loved how they were not normal spirits who had died previously in the mansion, which made the story even more interesting.

In short, this book felt like watching a very good horror movie. I think there is nothing more you need in a horror novel. If you are a horror lover, like me, then you just read a review of a PERFECT horror book.

This book doesn't exactly have a ring of reality. It's not something you can imagine happening. It still manages to capture an eerie atmosphere though. It's very strange and unsettling to read. THe reader feels off balance at all times.

YA meets gothic horror. Haunted house? Check. Bug infestation? Check. Mom avoiding your questions? Double check. Absolutely worth checking out (the book, nobody checks out of this house). https://youtu.be/buKHxvTvhxk