In 2019 my health started going down hill and I didn't take into consideration what that would mean for my book reviewing. Sadly, I've been trying to play catch up for years and it's been affecting my ability to keep up with present day tasks. So I greatly apologize for this but I am going to clear out all these older review books and focus on present day. I will come back and update this review if I end up reading the book, which is very possible as a lot of these books are still ones I would like to read, I just don't think the pressure looming over me is helpful. Thank you for giving me a chance to early read these books and I am so sorry I wasn't able to provide what was needed.

Should you read this book?
Yes, if… you want a gothic orphanage set novella about power-hungry children
No, if… you want a book where it is clear what the book is about the whole time or you feel uncomfortable with large amounts of child violence (both doing and receiving)

I went into this hoping for a quick, chilling gothic read, but I ended up mostly disappointed. It's a shame because I did enjoy Shiradski's writing style quite a bit, it's just that the story didn't land for me. I would have probably enjoyed this as a younger reader, but now I was just left wanting (and sort of confused) after the plot turned in the second part. Not every book can be for everyone though, so it could just be a "me" problem.

*What Happened at Hawthorne House* by Hadassah Shiradski is a gripping mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its atmospheric setting and cleverly woven plot twists. Shiradski masterfully builds suspense, making it a compelling read from start to finish.

Great read, I read it in 3 days and loved the character development throughout the story. Initially was a slow intro but soon picked up and the pace was kept at a steady pace, I will recommend this to close family and friends and hope to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for so graciously providing me qirh this e-ARC! I am very thankful and once read will update this review placeholder with my thoughts and also review on my Social medias.

A quick little read. It's broken into two parts - the first one is about the girls and their playtime. Their competition and escalating violence was shocking. Each turn just had my jaw dropping.
But a little over halfway, the story switches and we're given another POV and another story. It was okay, the negotiation was interesting and the power struggle still, but it didn't hold quite the shock value or momentum the first half of the story did.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A very atmospheric, Gothic novella about a group of orphans in the 1920s and the horrible thing that happened to them. I really enjoyed this story.

Welcome to Hawthorne House. An orphanage full of awful, little girls playing deadly games for a chance to be queen.

The rules are to one up the other girls by either playing tricks on them, or getting them into trouble with the Matron. It starts out innocently enough; throwing clothes out of the window, leaving bugs in their shoes. After two sisters show up to the orphanage, the tricks start getting more cruel and dangerous.

Theses are mean little girls that obviously have some issues. The first part of the book was interesting enough, following the girls in their day to day life, while playing tricks on the others to become queen. It was hard for me to differentiate which girl was which. I had to really think about who was who.

The second part of the book was promising, taking place years after the tragedy at Hawthorne House. I wish the ending had more of something. There was no real action, then the story just ended. I just wanted it to be more climatic, I think.

I love a good horror story that will genuinely freak you out.....the only issue with this one is that...it was kind of cliched and not all that engrossing.

Right off the bat this book gets points for writing horror where children are invoked. I think that immediately makes any story, movie, etc. scarier! I think even though this concept (ghost game gone wrong) is done frequently in media and novels this book stands apart! Would definitely recommend to my other book friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy in exchange for an honest opinion. Review has been posted on Amazon.

Welcome to Hawthorne House. An orphanage full of awful, little girls playing deadly games for a chance to be queen.

The rules of the game is to one up the other girls by either playing tricks on them, or getting them into trouble with the Matron. It starts out innocently enough; throwing clothes out of the window, leaving bugs in their shoes. After two sisters show up to the orphanage, the tricks start getting more cruel and dangerous.

Theses are mean little girls that obviously have some issues. Just thinking about certain scenes makes me queasy. There are TW for the book, so read those before you jump in.

The first part of the book was interesting enough, following the girls in their day to day life, while playing tricks on the others to become queen. My main issue was that it was hard for me to differentiate which girl was which. I had to really think about who was who, as all of them didn't stand out individually as much as others.

The second part of the book was promising, taking place years after the tragedy at Hawthorne House. I won't say much because of spoilers, but I wish the ending had more of something. There was no real action, then the story just ended. I just wanted it to be more climatic, I think.

I can see others really liking this book, but it just wasn't the right one for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This shirt creepy story is one of two parts. Part one follows a group of girls in an orphanage during 1926, leading up to a horrifying incident. In a 'Lord of the Flies'- esque situation, the girls delve into a make believe world of the royal court in which the violence is anything but make believe. The second part of the book follows a contemporary setting as those rebuilding Hawthorne House must learn to navigate some spiteful spirits.

I was excited to read this; the book description drew me in but unfortunately I found it hard to keep me engaged.

2.5 ⭐

I loved small portions of this book but unfortunately didn't love it overall. I thought it was a great idea but I struggled to stay engaged with the storytelling.

Setting: Loved (Orphanage (1920s)) ✅
Characters: Strong ✅
Storytelling: Really struggled ❌
Ending: Loved ✅


SPOILERS
^^^^^^^^^

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Loved the fire. Loved that everyone perished. Loved that they became ghosts. Loved the ending. Loved the rules. Loved the ghost descriptions.

This is a great little gothic horror short. The setting is spooky enough but when you add in children who only get creepier by the page turn, you’ve got the perfect night time read.

Review will be posted to goodreads

I still don’t really know what this book was solely meant to be about. For me it felt rather disjointed. I loved the concept and I liked the characters (although I didn’t find them developed or individual enough so I often confused myself between who was who). I think this would have been such a better book with a bit more editing and extension.

I just finished reading "What Happened at Hawthorne House," and it's like, seriously messed up! It's about these girls who start playing this game, and it starts out all fun, but then it gets super dark and twisted.

I mean, the way the author describes the atmosphere is like, wow. You can feel the creepiness radiating off the pages. And the characters, they're so well-written. You can tell they're all trying to cope with their own stuff, but the way they do it is like, whoa.

It's not a super fast-paced book, but that's okay. The author takes her time to build up the tension, and it's masterfully done. You can feel the suspense growing, and it's hard to put down.

I wouldn't say it's for everyone, though. If you're looking for something light and fluffy, this isn't it. But if you're into psychological horror and suspense, you'll love it. Just be prepared for some serious chills and a few sleepless nights.

This was such an incredible short story! The atmosphere is tangible and the pacing is fantastic. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and spooky read.