I’ve been finding myself really enjoying books that feature hoodoo practices, and this sounded interesting and the perfect amount of creepy. Roddie losing his mother and then having to wait at the orphanage until they could reach his aunt was absolutely gutting, but I loved how so much of this book was familial love and remembering people to keep them alive in your heart. The whole story of the Bridgeweaver and the way there was so many different kinds of hair in the walls of the house was SO CREEPY! I loved how things resolved, and the final scene with Roddie letting his aunt braid his hair hit my heart in the best way. Such an emotional story with great lore and a fantastic main character.

The book flowed beautifully. I have been obsessed with anything written by Eden Royce since Root Magic came out a few years back. There is something so beautiful about weaving in folklore, folklore that are painful historical stories, and doing it good enough that students don't get freaked out or turned off by the description. Students were always asking me for spooky, creepy, eerie, you name it - and The Creepening of Dogwood House was SPOOKY for sure. As someone who has experienced painful grief as an adult, the way Roddie's grief is portrayed so realistically, I found myself feeling his feelings so deeply. I found myself going back to my childhood so much with being so curious about houses that were old or abandoned and how they always had a story. Sometimes that story was paranormal and completely made up, similar to Dogwood House.
Overall - I would highly recommend to those upper middle grade classrooms, for students who love history, heritage, spooky, or just a well written plot with growing characters.

"Gotta keep pushing through the dark, baby. Keep going no matter what."

An incredible spooky middle that will delight fans of Royce’s previous stories. I loved the elements of hoodoo and Black hair incorporated into the story and especially how they contributed to the spooky elements as well. The way Royce accomplished this was masterful. Highly recommend.

I really wanted to love this one as much as Root Magic but I will say the pacing here was quite uneven. I enjoyed the hoodoo traditions but I thought the story coasts on the dead mother trope for easy empathy while not doing much to develop the new characters in Roddie's life.

I really enjoyed this book. I've read short stories by Eden Royce before, including collections, but this is the first full-length book of hers that I've read (although, being a Middle Grade novel, it's not terribly long. It felt just the right length.).
The protagonist, Roddie, is brave, clever, and a good kid who's having to deal with a lot: His mom died and he spent a couple of months in an orphanage until his globe-trotting aunt and her husband finally showed up. Now he's living with them in a creepy old house, trying to adjust and ignore the weird stuff that's happening. It turns out that there's a lot of family history that he'd never heard about, that turns out to be the key to saving himself and his new relatives. I loved the tone of this book and the creativity.

When Roderick Jermaine Bolden was twelve years old, the greatest joy he knew was making a batch of biscuits with his mom. Good times, and his go to memories when only a few months on she died, leaving him alone and stuck in the Williamson Orphanage. Luckily, he does not have to stay in that place for long. His maternal aunt Angie and her husband Erik have come back from Europe to take him from that place and deliver him to his new home. Actually, to the run-down family estate called Dogwood House on account of his grandparents love for the flowers—they had some live ones in their gardens and plenty of decorations featuring them throughout the place. It should be a point of happiness, but …

Well, young Roddie has issues. And the house has even more of them. Used as a rental house for some time, the last tenants seemed bound and determined to wreck the joint. It needs plenty of renovation, and while Aunt Angie and Uncle Erik are up to the task, Roddie isn’t quite so sure.

However, he was raised to be respectful to his family, and he intends to honor his mother’s memory by being the best person he can. After all, one of the most valuable lessons his mother imparted was summed up in the mysterious instruction: “Gotta keep pushing through the dark, baby. Just keep going, no matter what.” So, he cleans up his own room, to make space for his scant belongings. He offers to help with the fixing up projects. While he does so, he starts to learn that his mother had a whole other life she seldom talked about. What’s more, she left important things tucked away or buried on the grounds of Dogwood House, which are now coming to light and revealing a sinister and secret history.

The place is eerie, featuring fireplace statuary that seems to move while watching him, rooms that don’t quite sit still but alter when they aren’t looked at, and a pervasive stink that no amount of cleansers or airing out seem able to take care of.

The house is unusual, yes, but his mother was involved in plenty of strange rituals that recall the hoodoo practices that the Africans used. She insisted on burning loose hair instead of letting it collect in combs or simply be thrown out, for example. There is a presence that haunts the family and its house, a mysterious being known as the Bridgeweaver, which has been trying to come into our world for quite some time. Perhaps Roderick and his relatives returning to the house has triggered a renewed effort. Eden Royce blends dark fantasy and mystery in the middle grade novel, The Creepening of Dogwood House.

Author Eden Royce hails from South Carolina and infuses her fiction with regional flavor and a lovely sense for the dark. Although The Creepening of Dogwood House is only her third novel, her short fiction has seen publication for years, and that understanding of how to convey solid dark fantasy elements and characterizations without wasting words is on full display here. This work is rich with southern gothic atmosphere and a lovely sense of both physical geography as well as the geography of the heart. The truths here are emotional ones, and as we follow Roddie on his journey, we are treated with a solid level of wordsmithing craftsmanship that gives us a front row seat to the internal life of its character. We feel for Rod’s highs and lows, his uncertainties and his ultimate triumphs over external threats and internal conflicts.

The protagonist is surprisingly deep in his emotions. After losing his mother, Roddie has turned inward. He is therefore moved (often profoundly) by simple acts of kindness and brought nearly to tears by his aunt and uncle’s thoughtfulness and welcoming attitudes. Of course, he doesn’t have the right language to communicate those feelings, but the internalized narrative that Royce brings to the book gives a clear picture of how he’s feeling. I’m not used to boy characters being so in touch with their feelings, and it’s a nice surprise to see how organic it all is.

In the first half of the book, the fright material comes from two possible directions. Either encountering unusual omens (birds in the walls, decorations that don’t quite remain still) or entering into dreamlike scenes from the past. The house is not merely an architectural construct; it is alive in some ways, with memories both good and bad, which it can draw Roddie into. Why he is witnessing (or possibly participating in) these memories is part of the mystery the young protagonist must traverse, reaping clues as well as glimpses into the frightening history his mother never spoke of yet played a crucial role in.

The fact that she never mentioned this house lends it both a mysterious and sinister quality. Something bad happened here, which caused her to abandon her family as well as her sister Angie. That abandonment has left a mark on Roddie’s aunt. She is not bitter, but she has her own unresolved issues, and as Roddie engages with his own troubles he might help her out as well.

Therein lies the real magic of The Creepening of Dogwood House. While many horror and supernatural novels thrive in an atmosphere of physical or psychological isolation, forcing one character or a handful to face their own demons and overcome them based on their own strengths (often at the cost of breaking down connections between any group the protagonist belongs to), Eden Royce has fashioned a haunted house story that encourages the development of stronger bonds in order to overcome the hurtles. So, here we find Roddie engaging with the memories of the mother he knew, with the aunt and uncle he doesn’t know, and with the spirits of familial ancestors in order to get the information he will need to face and possibly defeat the darker aspect.

A book like this reminds its readers to treasure those bonds they forge over their lives because even when friendships are strained and relations grow distant, the communities we build together are still wellsprings of strength that enable us to stand against the darkness when we’d rather cower. And sometimes that strength can come from the most innocuous of gestures: the gift of a suitcase to replace the garbage bag holding our treasured possessions or a chance to light the grill with flint and steel might seem trivial, but those are the things that remain fixed in the mind and help shape character by bringing people together.

The Creepening of Dogwood House is an entertaining study of Roddie and his family, with touches of gothic and spooky dark fantasy. Readers looking for a haunted house book that offers intensely creepy happenings from chapter two and a steady raising of the stakes that culminate in a rollercoaster ride conclusion will better be served elsewhere. Those elements are certainly here, but the author is much more interested in her characters’ inner stories and relationships between the living, the recently dead, and the ancestors they might never have known directly but with whom they nevertheless share connections and destinies. The Bridgeweaver and other supernatural elements are certainly memorably unsettling but likely won’t be outright terrifying to seasoned scary story veterans. However, it might well be a terrific gateway book to such fare for readers relatively new to middle grade fright fiction, blending sympathetic characters with creepy goings on. And the way it incorporates a strong African American presence, including the attention paid to such cultural touchstones as strong community bonds, familial responsibility, hoodoo, and hair lends the book a lovely secondary layer for readers looking for diversity in their books. All told, an engaging and enjoyable middle grade read.
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A special thank you to HarperCollins’ Walden Pond Press and NetGalley for offering an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Creepening of Dogwood House by Eden Royce is a haunting tale that immerses readers in the eerie atmosphere of an old family home steeped in hoodoo traditions. The protagonist, Roddie, grapples with his new reality after the tragic loss of his mother, navigating the unfamiliar territory of Dogwood House and the peculiar customs of his aunt. Royce's vivid descriptions of the house, draped in Spanish moss and laden with secrets, create a chilling backdrop that sets the tone for the story. The narrative effectively captures Roddie's sense of loss and displacement, making his journey relatable and poignant.

However, the book falls short in certain areas. While the setting and initial premise are compelling, the pacing can be uneven at times. The story often lingers on descriptions and atmospheric details, which, while rich, occasionally detract from the plot's momentum. Additionally, the secondary characters, including Aunt Angie, could benefit from more development. Their motivations and histories are touched upon but not explored in depth, leaving some of their actions and decisions feeling somewhat ungrounded. This lack of character depth makes it harder to fully engage with their personal stakes in the narrative.

Overall, The Creepening of Dogwood House is a solid read for those who enjoy atmospheric horror with a strong cultural backdrop. Eden Royce excels at crafting a spooky, immersive setting that draws readers in. However, the story's pacing issues and underdeveloped characters prevent it from reaching its full potential. Despite these shortcomings, the book offers a unique glimpse into hoodoo practices and the haunting legacy of family secrets, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

Nearly fifteen years ago, I taught Virginia Hamilton’s The House of Dies Drear to a group of eighth graders. Most were reluctant readers and the text was a challenge…at first. However, once those students were introduced to the house and its rich history, their interests piqued and they never turned back. Dogwood House has a lot in common with the House of Dies Drear. It holds secrets, hauntings, whispers, and stories waiting to be uncovered by Roddie, its grieving young protagonist. And now, with little more than the clothing on his back, he's thrust into the arms of an aunt and uncle he barely knows and sacred Gullah traditions that will help to comfort him as he embarks on an unexpected quest.

The Creepening of Dogwood House has everything, a protagonist the reader will want to embrace and protect, an old, creaking southern home so well constructed that it feels strikingly human with a brain and a beating heart, and a terrifying monstrosity lurking in the savage dark. The Creepening of Dogwood House is a spellbinding and intense journey tying together the importance of family, history, and ritual. Eden Royce's voice is a treasure from the Geechee Gullah people to the literary world. A captivating and completely enthralling read.

I liked this but did not love it. Root Magic is one of my favorite middle grade fantasy books of all time, so I had high expectations for this one. Ultimately, it wasn’t as creepy as I expected it to be but I really loved the themes of family legacies, healing from grief, and creating new memories and family. I will definitely recommend it to customers at the bookstore!

A great read for middle grade reader who are looking for a mystical ghost haunting. I love reading paranormal books, but this book went beyond that, in a good way. Teaching children how important our life stories and history are, if in a bizarre way. Definitely recommend

I am a huge, huge fan of anything Eden Royce does, and although I don’t typically read middle grade books, reading “Root Magic” and “The Creepening of Dogwood House” felt like such immersive experiences, so I was very excited to get to explore the landscapes here. Royce, a South Carolina native of Gullah Geechee heritage, here goes into the story of Roddie. He is dreaming of a time that his mother taught him how to cook pan-fried fish.

It takes a very subtle balance to be able to take painful histories and to write them for young readers in a way that educates yet does not traumatize them, and Royce pulls that off here as she did with “Root Magic.”

I felt Roddie’s loss so acutely, and having to cope with so much at such a young age. He is going to go live with his aunt now.

Dogwood House is the home where Roddie’s mother and aunt grew up, and that’s where they’re headed now. I loved the Gothic suspense.

Witnessing Aunt Angie teach Roddie about hoodoo and its importance in their family was so interesting and one of my favourite parts of the novel, especially with the cultural context that Angie provides.

As the chapters went on, the novel gets more and more interesting as Roddie had to solve a family mystery, and things definitely got very intense (and scary!) and ultimately, hopefully, to a better path for Roddie and his family.

Eden Royce has crafted a strong story with youthful interest, mythical intrigue, thrills, and characters to root for. I’m always eager to share this author’s work with young readers.

Roderick and his mother, Layla, a bank accounts manager, had a comfortable life and were very close until her untimely death in a car accident. Unable to locate any relatives, the authorities put him in an orphanage, where he is at least taken good care of by Ms. Penny, who understands the depths of his grief and lets him help her in the kitchen. When his Aunt Angela is finally found, she rushes home from her extended honeymoon with her new husband, Erik. Both are involved with refurbishing old properties, so it's not a big surprise when they tell Roddie that they will be moving into Layla and Angela's childhood home in South Carolina, not far from where Roddie had been living. The house has been rented since the death of the grandparents, and is in rough condition. It's liveable, but there's a lot of work to be done. Roddie is clearly struggling, but his aunt and new uncle strike a good balance with being glad to be with him, and being sad about the reasons for this. Dogwood House, so called because of the dogwood trees that used to be growing nearby, was built by Roddie's great-great-great grandfather, and there are some surprises that show up in the renovation, like the grandmother's porcelain jewelry box. There's a persistent, fetid smell, but this is dismissed as part and parcel of the damp climate and the poor condition of the house. Roddie throws himself in to renovating, even stripping the wallpaper from his room. There are creepy things in the house which are not made less creepy by Angela's attempts to embrace the family's hoodoo past. She gives Roddie a bowl to use to burn any hair that comes out in his comb, saying that there was a belief that spirits could control you if they have some of your hair. Roddie's hair has been neglected since his mother's death, since she would braid it for him. Layla always had a very short hair cut, and Angela has locs, so Roddie tries to condition and style his hair by himself, although Angela does offer to help. When Roddie starts getting headaches, he starts to worry that the family lore about the Bridgeweaver, an evil spirit who is taking people's hair and using it for malevolent purposes, might be real. Will he be able to harness his mother's spirit of "keep pushing through the darkness" to save his new home and family from destruction?
Strengths: If I were a tween who had read a lot of books, I would be utterly terrified of moving. New homes are ALWAYS haunted, from Wright's 1984 Ghosts Beneath Our Feet to Sutherland's The Nightmare Night Door and several K.R. Alexander titles. This had a bit of a spin to it, with the hoodoo surrounding the hair, and the family backstory about previous hauntings that caused the house to be abandoned to renters. Angela and Erik are fantastic relatives who step up to take care of Roddie and are so sensitive to his needs. The build up to the Bridgeweaver is well done; it took me a while to figure out why there were so many details about hair, but it all paid off. Roddie's grief is realistically portrayed, and I did appreciate that he had been in counseling. This is on trend with the idea that you can't get rid of bad memories without getting rid of good ones as well.
Weaknesses: I wish that the mother hadn't been killed, but it does at least forward the plot. It seems more likely that Roddie would have gone into foster care, but maybe there are still orphanages in the South. The hair in the wallpaper grossed me out, but that's more of a more of a "me" thing that should play well with students.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Royce's Conjure Island or Root Magic, or other books involving Southern US creepy folklore like Smith's Hoodoo or Bourne's Nightmare Island. This was creepy enough that I will buy a copy.