I liked this book okay enough when it comes to prose and pacing. There were definitely some creepy vibes and spooky things, but that got overexaggerated quickly. I also wanted to see the mental health aspect more fleshed out.

Thank you so much to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the earc. All opinions are my own.

This ended up being a much deeper story than anticipated. Teenager Libby moves to an old family home after a suicide attempt with her younger sister Vivi and mother. Her grandparents went missing in this same house when her mom was 4 and it has been vacant since. Libby and Vivi were both donor babies and only have their mother. Stranger and stranger things start happening once the boards are ripped off the stained glass windows and there are bugs depicted everywhere.

**Book Review: *A Place for Vanishing* by Ann Fraistat**

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy of *A Place for Vanishing*!

Ann Fraistat's novel is an immersive and eerie journey that will have you squirming in your seat, especially if you're not a fan of creepy-crawly bugs. The vivid descriptions bring the haunted house setting to life, creating an atmosphere that feels as claustrophobic as it is unsettling. The highlight of the story, for me, was the sister relationship—beautifully written and full of tension, love, and complexity, it grounded the story amidst all the supernatural elements.

However, as much as I appreciated the strong start, I did find the novel started to drag in the latter half. It became a bit too long and unfocused, with so many layers of details and side plots that the story started to lose its initial appeal. What began as a tightly wound, haunting narrative grew increasingly far-fetched and strange. I enjoy complex stories, this one felt a little too cluttered.

Overall, *A Place for Vanishing* is a solid read, especially if you enjoy YA literature and atmospheric horror like *The Haunting of Hill House*. It’s haunting, imaginative, and full of chills—though it may leave you wishing for a bit more narrative focus by the end.

This was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint. Thank you so much for this arc opportunity. It gave off all the Halloween vibes and I enjoyed it.

As a human being, but especially as a teen, it can be extremely easy to feel invisible. Touching on real-life issues that are scary and unavoidable, Libby is faced with a new challenge in a new setting. Great visuals and kept me guessing.

A creepy, gothic, YA haunted house story. The House of Masks is a character itself with gorgeous insect-themed stained glass windows, matching masks, hidden staircases, locked doors, and too many insects.

Ann Fraistat's A Place for Vanishing is a captivating blend of mystical realism and psychological depth, weaving a haunting tale of memory and loss. Fraistat's evocative prose and richly drawn characters create a mesmerizing atmosphere that lingers long after the final page. This novel is a powerful exploration of how the past shapes our present and future.

A creepy YA horror filled with devious insects and a haunted house. Very atmospheric with a great plot. Plus some good mental health recognition if that’s your thing.

This was such a luscious book and the writing definitely kept me in the book at all times. There was not a moment that I was bored and I enjoyed every single one of the characters in this book. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I absolute love anything by Ann Fraistat so I was super excited when I was approved to read this early ☺️

a place for vanishing is about Libby and her family as they struggle with her recent diagnosis of having bipolar and moving into a new (very old), weird house.

I had a lot of fun reading this one, it was unique in its horror. ive never read a book where the protagonist had bipolarism so I enjoyed the unique perspective of Libby. it hit home a lot because Libby had a lot of struggles that I've experienced so I related to her a lot.

something that I didn't particularly like was the pacing. at times, it felt very slow and others I feel like it almost rushed a little.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and to ann fraistat for the advanced reader copy of "a place for vanishing". i had a great time while reading this one! usually young adult horror doesn't do it for me, but "a place for vanishing" kept me on the edge of my seat. the element of the story that truly had my skin crawling was all of the bugs!! i have a major fear of bugs, so reading this had me so itchy, but in a good way! the setting of madame clery's house of masks was truly so spooky, i was LIVING. as a future psychotherapist, i really appreciated the mental health representation that fraistat implemented into "a place for vanishing".

First off, this book has a lot of bugs in it. Insects play a key role in the story, and while I loved the depth achieved with bugs, I know some may not feel the same.

I loved the depth to the characters. The cast moved so authentically through the plot, and it was very easy to be drawn into the narrative and feel as if I were there. They were all messy people with messy lives and mistakes and things to learn, and I enjoyed getting to know them.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced ecopy of this book! Opinions are entirely my own.

Such a fun and entertaining concept.
Characters were likeable & challenging at times.
The mystery that unfolds is so entertaining and had me on the edge of my seat. The plot was beautifully written and thought out. I have enjoyed the ride.

4/5 The Mystery was epic
0/5 Spice

3/5 Over All

This was so creepy and atmospheric! YA horror done right! I really enjoyed it and loved Libby and Vivi.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this amazing story!
I’m obsessed with this book. A YA Horror that has layer upon layer to it. At first I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this book, but after the first 30 or so pages, I had a hard time putting it down. It was creepy and eerie. I felt like every chapter had a new element. A new mystery to uncover. It kept me hooked until the very end. I couldn’t figure out what was happening next and it kept throwing me off what I thought would happen. The author has a way of making you feel like you’re there, going through whatever these characters are going through. I felt claustrophobic, scared, happy, horrified. This book is so unique and unlike anything I have ever read. I will absolutely recommend this book to anyone who will listen to me!

A Place for Vanishing is about a teen girl and her family who move back into her mother's childhood home but they discover that the house's strange beauty may disguise a dark past. This was a gothic creepy horror novel that had me turning pages till the very end. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author and this one was written really good. The characters were great and the story gets more interesting with every chapter, Haunted houses, creepy mask, spirits and so much more. I highly enjoyed this book and would recommend this one to any reader who loves horror. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this book in exchange of my review of A Place for Vanishing.

This was a gothic horror and I devoured it. I couldn't put this down. It was like reading a scary movie instead of watching one. Libby and her family move back to her moms childhood home for a fresh start and all these creepy things start happening. The house isn't what it seems, it's haunted, but Libby's mom doesn't want to hear it. I read this in one sitting, it was so good, I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

I sorta stopped reading this halfway throug because I lost interest, but I might pick it up again and give it another chance because the premise is very intriguing.

This book was awesome. I loved the idea of the masks and how they could transform the person wearing them. The mental health representation was well done as well.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Well, the name of the house was cool. To say that you live in the House of Masks would be awesome. Too bad that that house used to be the home of a crazy medium who twisted the house she lived in into a bug oriented one with many secrets. I really admire Libby, who despite her recent bipolar diagnosis was able to handle that house and all the things that went sideways. She is such a strong character against the odds and with help of the cute boy next door who also moonlights a medium. Perfect for when you live in such a haunted house as Libby and her family. I must admit some of the things that happened with the masks were kind of cool, though it teaches a good lesson that masks only mask the issue and you must learn to rely on your own strength to really solve the problems.

So, a fun book to read with creepy scary things but also a good lesson.