A mysterious island in which eleven houses stand as guardians against nightmarish creatures that are waiting to strike from the ocean's depths.... and one of the last surviving members of the 11th house finds her life turned upside down when a new stranger comes to town that sparks a close connection to her. Mabel is the last surviving members of House Beuvry, one of the guardian houses on the island of Weymouth. Eleven houses each tasked with guarding against ancient evil creatures that reside in the sea, and Mabel is part of one of these houses. Everyday the houses all prep for the Sotrm, a once decade event that pummels the island with hurricane-level wind, water, and waves... as well as the fact that Weymouth is the gate between the living and the dead. Mabel has a special gift, she can see the dead. When a handsome stranger belonging to one of the most prestigious houses arrives on the island with no idea with what is actually happening... Mabel finds herself drawn to him. Yet their relationship might have deadlier connection than either of them could think. When a suspicious death of a member of the island happens and secrets regarding Mabel's own family slowly begin to unravel as the greatest Storm ever looms... Mabel knows that only chaos awaits. This one sounded really promising however it just felt really slow and kind of like nothing much happened. The story has potential but never really reaches it. I liked that the story deals with grief and family relationships, but honestly the rest of the story kind of felt bland. I love The Mist and I love Twilight, so theoretically this should have been a hit for me, but unfortunately it just didn't really work for me. If you like atmospheric YA island stories then I'd say give it a go.

Release Date: October 22,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

THIS is what I mean when I say it's all about the vibes. Eleven Houses is set on Weymouth Island in Nova Scotia, steeped in rain, history, and creeping dread. The eleven families on the island never leave, always preparing for the Storm, when the dead try to cross Weymouth to get to the rest of the world. Mabel Beuvry is one such descendant, but when a "new" boy shows up on the island, a member of the family whose parent tried to leave, it becomes delightfully absurd and spooky.

How does Mabel explain to Miles the truth about Weymouth without sounding crazy? She doesn't. But the chemistry between them is real, it means something, and it will change everything for how the two of them handle what's ahead.

When the twist hit, I was so shocked I felt a jolt in my chest. Of course it coincides with the arrival of the Storm and all the dead come...

Seriously though, this felt familiar and new all at once. The concept was new, but the atmosphere and feelings felt familiar in a good way. I want to live in this world, dead or no. The mysteriousness of it all is catnip to me.

I wanted to love this, based off of the premise and that beautiful cover. It ended up falling flat. Rather than leaning into the worldbuilding which felt like it could go so many places, the story seemed so focused on the misery and emotions of the main character. I think this isn't necessarily a bad thing, more of an I was looking for something that wasn't quite so YA from this story that is YA.

Content Warning: violence, grief, death, alcoholism

I thought the synopsis of this book was really intriguing. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ There is some history about Nova Scotia which I like because I don’t know much about that place. There are only 11 families on this island and these families have to stand up to storms that kill people because in those storms are the dead – like zombies! I like the different families and the history we get from diary entries from storms in the past. I like the mysterious vibe of the story and that kept me reading so I could find out more. There is also a lot of action in the second half of the book.

+ Mabel is the main character and she is from the last house. She has a best friend Norah and I love their relationship. A new boy Miles comes to the island and learns what goes on there and a romance between him and Mabel grows. I also like her growth as a character.

+ There is a twist in the story that I didn’t expect but I did like how the story dealt with the theme of grief.

Dislikes:

~ I had to suspend reality for this one a bit because only 11 families on one island to protect…who? The world? I’m not sure…but there is a big deal about the storms and the dead and protecting the island from the dead. But I didn’t quite believe all of it and just needed a lot more world-building. By the middle of the story I was questioning everything but I shifted focus to the romance story.

~ The romance between Mabel and Miles is insta-love but I still don’t understand why the two of them getting together made the storm more volatile. Again, I think that’s due to lack of world-building and explanation about the magic system.

~ The synopsis boasts “Midnight Mass meets The Vampire Diaries” and I don’t know what Midnight Mass is but I was an original fan of the original The Vampire Diaries by. L.J. Smith. And I actually didn’t see how The Vampires fit into this story at all so it’s not a good comparison. I’d say The Circle by. L.J. Smith fits more because that was about different families fighting evil.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting read and good for spooky season if you want to read about a mysterious island and dead rising in these storms. The romance was a bit insta-love and I needed a lot more world-building to be invested in the story but I did like the main character’s journey through grief. This one would appeal to teen readers.

I really can’t wait to read this book, unfortunately it’s not available to send to my kindle so I am unable to at this time. I do plan to read it once it’s available as it sounds amazing!