I loved this book. At first i wasn’t sure about it but then I slowly got drawn in and loved the ending. I’m not going to lie I did kinda hope for a last minute change in the ending. My heart grew a soft spot for some of these bugs. Especially when their story came out. But I’m happy with the ending at the same time. I loved the authors take on using bugs because they are the best and giving all the creepy vibes. I also like the spooky vibes that came with the house itself as well. Will definitely recommend this book

This was one of the most original YA books I've read in a loooonggg time. The first hundred or so pages are slow going and I almost DNFed it, but I'm glad I pushed through. I am quite familiar with bipolar disorder (ahem) and I found Libby, the MC's, portrayal of living with the illness to be quite accurate. I'm always down for a good haunted house trauma trope, but this surpassed my expectations because of its immense creativity. I don't want to spoil it by giving the mystery away, but please push through the slow start to get to the good stuff! There are LOTS of bugs so watch out if you don't like creepy crawlies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC.

I really tried to get into this book, but I couldn’t. At first I thought I was going to like it. It was about a mysterious old house that the family moved into. Mom kept a lot of secrets about the house and I was interested in reading it. As the story went on, I lost interest. It was so far fetched, I found myself upset with the mom that she would ignore everything and keep her kids in that house. The whole bug thing was way too much for me. I know the summary mentioned the bugs, but I didn’t expect the bugs to be the way they were. This was hard to finish.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was the weirdest , creepiest book I've ever read. I'm not sure yet if I enjoyed it but I definitely could not stop reading and will never be able to forget this book! Very well written and ill probably have nightmares about bugs for months.

#1 question: WHYYYYYY is mom’s first response to “I keep running into this guy and he showed up in our yard at 2am” to wiggle her eyebrows and ask if the guy is cute???!!!

Look, I read a lot of horror. Using haunted house as a metaphor for family trauma and/or secrets is a pretty common trope. Personally, I’ve just read enough other books that do it *better* that I felt pretty meh about this one. The emotional arcs of the characters weren’t sustained throughout the book, and the plot twists were painfully predictable.

Also, as someone with a long history with mental health concerns—including chronic depression and suicidal ideation—the topic of Libby’s mental health didn’t ring true for me. Other people may feel differently, and I’m not making any assumptions about the author’s relationship to Bipolar III or depression, but for me it felt like a plot device that only cropped up when it served the plot or an emotional beat. It DIDN’T feel dismissive, and my indifference may be a function of the relatively direct prose. I didn’t feel like it was a bad or harmful representation of the parts of mania and depression I’m familiar with. It was just… I felt like there was a lot going on and none of it was done very well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ann Fraistat for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Place for Vanishing coming out January 16, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was really excited about the plot. I love old houses with a mystery. I wasn’t expecting some of the mystery behind the house, so it was a nice surprise. I loved the characters and thought they were interesting and well rounded. I loved the journey they went on. I thought Libby’s circumstances were really sad and tough, but I think she handled them well. There was a lot of growth for the characters. I loved it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys spooky YA novels!

Moving into her mother’s childhood home was supposed to be a fresh start for Libby and her family. With her bipolar III diagnosis and the tragic events that happened afterward, they need this. However, with bugs haunting the halls, stained-glass windows featuring intricate masks, a garden with impossibly blue roses, and rumors that everyone who has lived in this house has disappeared stretching back to the first owners… well, it’s definitely not the fresh start that Libby was looking for. The house has a secret, and even though her mom says everything is fine, Libby feels like the masks hold the horrific truth.

“When I’d been the one spiraling, I hadn’t realized it at the time, not totally, but I had expected Mom to know how to fix me. How to save me. Every tiny thing she’d said wrong, every misguided gesture, had made me feel more alone. Impossible to help. I had hated her for that. For having a brain that worked differently from mine. For not having been through this herself so she could shepherd me through safely. What an ugly truth. It stemmed from a basic childhood fantasy: Mom always had the answers.”

There are so many bugs, so if you feel queasy at all about them, then don’t read this book. Now my thoughts: This books blended an atmospheric horror and an eerie supernatural mystery with mental health and a family reconnecting with each other. A horror story that didn’t really pull me in until 50% in, but once it did I couldn’t stop reading. There’s so many things happening that capture your attention, from Libby’s mental health and her learning how to value herself and believe in her own strength, discovering the truth behind the house and the masks on the windows, and an interesting boy that seems to have a special interest in the house. Delving into sensitive topics as we see Libby struggling with her bipolar, and how her family struggles to reconnect after a sucide attempt, please be warned and check the trigger warnings. I do feel like the author wrote about these topics with compassion, showing character growth with every family member, especially between Libby and her sister. Overall, this is a slow-burn gothic horror that makes your skin crawl with an underlying theme of mental health and family dynamics.

A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat is a captivating, thrilling, deeply haunting tale. This book is so twisty that it will give you whiplash!
The characters are well drawn and complex, and Fraistat’s prose offers some surprising twists.
Absorbing, wonderfully written, and fraught with tension, A Place for Vanishing will keep you in its grip until the very last page. Fantastic. It will leave you reeling!

Thank You NetGalley and Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Gothic story that was so original and creepy! I could not put this one down. There were a few places were the story did seem to drag, but as a whole, it was captivating, exciting, and creepy.

The cover art was genuinely compelling, and the premise initially held significant intrigue. However, the narrative's progression in the first half felt rather sluggish, and just as it seemed poised for a more profound exploration, it ventured into somewhat implausible territory.

I was particularly disappointed by the superficial treatment of bipolar III/cyclothymic disorder, indicating a clear lack of comprehensive research on the subject.

Yet, I must commend the innovative incorporation of the seance theme, especially with the introduction of the insect motif. It added a uniquely unsettling layer to the tale.

A Place for Vanishing was a thoroughly creepy novel—if you have a problem with insects, definitely don't read this! I liked the setting and the masks element, but I thought the romance felt a bit forced and the pace dragged for me in the beginning. A solid 3-star read.

Not gonna lie…. This book scared me a little, and I need this to be turned into a movie.

It's 13 Ghosts, meets Mexican Gothic.

The plot:

A new start, in a new town, in a very old house with a checkered past… sounds fun. After a bad year, Libby’s mom moves Libby along with her sister Vivi into a house she's owned for years, but never mentioned. The house is odd, with strange features, and an even stranger history. Libby doesn't believe in ghosts, but something isn’t right about the house, so she enlists the help of her broodingly handsome neighbor, Flynn to dig into the house’s disappearances and convince her mom to leave… until she realizes something has a hold on her mother that will never let her leave.

The good:

I adored the characters. They're so easy to fall in love with and cheer for. I’m so sad that my time with them is done. I thought I knew what was going to happen during the first chapter of this book, but boy I was wrong. The concept is interesting and its obvious the author spent time thinking this through thoroughly. I got seriously creeped out a few times… you know… the running and jumping on the bed after turning out the lights kind of creeped out. I love a good haunted house story! They're difficult to pull off, but this author nailed it!!

The bad:

There were places I felt the author gave too much detail, and Libby’s inner dialog rambled on unnecessarily in some places. The beginning of the book moved very slowly for me… I feel like it took me forever to get into it, but it was worth it.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good haunted house, or spooky read. It's well-written, unique, and captivating.

“𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤-𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞.”

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
(2.5 rounded up for the albeit gross- uniqueness)


Thank you @netgalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The cover is gorgeous and the premise intriguing.
Unfortunately, the first half of the book was a slog to get through before finally picking up and becoming interesting. However, it became really far fetched and pretty difficult to trudge through at the end.

The authors understanding of bipolar III/cyclothymic disorder was also off, and poorly researched.

The paranormal seance trope is not new, but the bugs? 🐜 🤢, spot on for a fresh twist on the usual.

#aplaceforvanishing

Great, creepy horror with ominous insect vibes. the protag felt so relatable and i was so creeped out by this mask house. thanks for the arc.

Read if you enjoy:
Supernatural Horror, Lite
Haunted Houses
Fantasy
Family Drama/Dynamics
(Great) Mental Health Representation

For at least 3/4 of this book, I wasnt sure where it was heading i.e. what was real... but I was enjoying the ride. The imagery was fantastic. A great partnership between horror and whimsy. Each chapter was laced with an eerie undertone. The inner conflicts, mental health issues and family dynamics were well represented.
Nearly 5 stars for me, but the ending finished up a little too quickly, skipping right over some obivous "but how are you going to explain THAT?" moments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC!

*3.5 STARS*

Content Warning: insect horror, body horror, attempted suicide

+ I really enjoyed the author’s other book What We Harvest and so I wanted to see what A Place for Vanishing would be about and I was not disappointed. I was horrified with all the insects in this book! It’s entertaining as heck but I was grossed out with so many scenes.

+ The place Libby and her family have moved to is called the House of Masks. Thing is, it was where her mom grew up and it’s eerie and creepy! It’s an old house, and each room has a theme, and a mask. As the story goes on we find out more about the history about the house and how it used to be a place for séances. It has a dark history as Libby finds out through research and help from a new friend, Flynn.

+ I like that the story brings up Libby’s bi-polar III diagnosis and the reasons they had to move away from their old town. Her mom and younger sister are coping with it in different ways but I like how it touches on the challenges that come with mental illness. Of course, living in a house this scary, only makes Libby feel even more off-kilter but she actually finds strength in figuring out what’s happening in the house and helping to save her family.

~ Bugs. If you do not like insects (ants, beetles, cockroaches, centipedes, etc…) do not read! I live on a tropical island so I can’t get away from insects but oh man did this book trigger so much horror for me because I hate cockroaches, centipedes, praying mantis’ and wasps. And the bugs in this book get life-sized – ugh. I’m actually surprised I finished the book!

My Thoughts:

I think the horror fans will like this one – especially if you like insect horror! I found the House of Masks very fascinating and wanted to see how the story would end despite me cringing in horror at some of the scenes. I think What We Harvest was more my speed – this one was a bit too horrifying for me but I’ll definitely read more books from this author.

This creepy horror novel gave me the CHILLS!!! The insects gave me the absolute creeps! A truly amazing story

I truly loved this book. It’s been a minute since I’ve been so captivated by a book that everything around me stops existing. I was invested in this book right away.

It was creepy, haunted and gave me chills. It will definitely be a top read in 2024 for me, it is going to stick with me hardcore. I highly recommend this if you are into YA gothic, horror, paranormal, etc.

I was intrigued by the book's description, especially because I enjoy a good horror/suspense book. This book is geared towards a younger audience, so I definitely wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, while I liked the horror/suspense aspect of the book, I strongly disliked the Mental health aspect. As a licensed mental health therapist it was very obvious from the onset of the book that the author has little to no knowledge of mental health, and that any research on the matter was less than subpar. The author wrote about Cyclothymia (Bipolar III Disorder) in a way that was inaccurate and then looped in symptoms more in alignment (barely) with Schizophrenia, but more as if it was based off of inaccurate stigmatized beliefs about these disorders. Cyclothymia is actually the more manageable of the bipolar mood disorders, yet the character describes experiencing the opposite. The mom and sister interact with the main character as if she's experiencing psychosis yet that has nothing to do with her "diagnosis." On top of that it is written that she drank alcohol which triggered a hypomanic episode...*big sigh*...I don't even want to bog this review down with explaining the fallacies with thus so I'll move on. Suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts were also poorly written about as well--again without the understanding or respect for those who have experienced it. Incorrect use and description of "night terrors" versus "nightmares" and other key details that should have been properly researched. Trauma, overall, in this book is poorly described and further perpetuates misinformation that has plagued mental health for generations. The description of the interactions with the therapist and treatment interventions also were poorly researched and written almost as if the author did a Google search and threw whatever popped up first into the story. The description of the mom's trauma and the alleged interventions she was using to interact with her daughter had the same issue. It was obvious that no research was done regarding psychiatric hospitalization or that process because it was written about as if based off of what the author saw in a TV show or movie. I love when authors bring awareness to mental health in an informed, positive way that improves knowledge and understanding. This book is doing the opposite and is, basically, exploiting mental health to make the narrator seem unreliable. I am very disappointed and annoyed.

This book will send shivers down your spine, and haunt you in the most incredible way!

A dark, gothic vibe, featuring a sinister house and emotionally broken characters. It’s the perfect eerily haunting read with intricate character development and strong mental health themes.

This will keep you hooked from beginning to end!