Tuesday 28 January 2014

Review ~ Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll

17846874
Faber and Faber
October 2013



Frost Hollow Hall stands in a frosty hollow surrounded by shadows and mystery. The murky depth of its lake holds a secret that no one has been able to discover, and yet when young Tilly Higgins is tempted to skate on the frozen lake, only an unseen spiritual presence saves her from a near death experience.

What then follows is a remarkably accomplished ghostly read which uses the atmospheric Frost Hollow Hall and its assorted clutch of characters and weaves together a story of unnatural grief and heartbreaking maternal anguish.

From the very start of the book I was enchanted with Tilly, she is a feisty and worthy protagonist and yet the supporting characters of Will, the butcher’s son, and the Mrs. Jessop, the Hall’s unfathomable housekeeper adds a delicious richness to the story. Life below stairs in Frost Hollow Hall really comes to life and the narrative is filled with just the right amount of Gothic gloom so that it never becomes clichéd. The poltergeist activity of flying crockery and ghostly visitations really do make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The lightness of the narrative and the control of both plot and malice made this book an absolute joy to read.

Aimed primarily at the young adult market, this is beautifully written historical fiction and is undoubtedly one of those excellent crossover books which will appeal just as well to adults.


More about Emma Carroll can be found on her website.


My thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for my advance reading copy of this book

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4 comments:

  1. Eva loved this one. It was her first online review for Love Reading. :-)

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    1. Hi Treez - how lovely that Eva is taking after her mother in the book review world !
      It's a lovely story isn't it, and I can well imagine when I was Eva's age I would have loved Frost Hollow Hall too :)

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  2. I can't wait for this one to be published in the US!

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    1. Hi Peggy Ann - Thanks for visiting, nice to see you.

      I'm sure this one will be well worth waiting for - I loved it !!

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