A Room Away from the Wolves is a creepy ghost story about second chances, and how to lies to everyone, including ourselves. A fast-paced entertaining read. Perfect for fall!

When young Bina leaves home, she’s sure she’s doing the right thing. Her mom stuck in a bland marriage, two stepsisters who are intent on making her life miserable, a sense that’s she’s wasting away...these are all on her mind as she makes her way to NYC. She’s trying to rekindle a dream from long ago, a dream that she and her mom had. So she makes her way to the boarding house where her mom stayed, determined to follow in her footsteps. But there’s something very strange, creepy even, about Catherine House and its residents. I enjoyed this book a lot. A good story with just the right amount of scariness.

A story of girls and ghosts, and connections. Unique writing that takes a bit to get into. Gothic psychological thriller in NYC.

Alright but had a hard time focusing on this book. Not entirely my cup of tea - would recommend to anyone looking for a somewhat spooky but not super scary YA story.

I was confused most of the time although the writing and its mystery kept me going. I think I would need to re-read this in the future to get a better understanding of it. Anyway, I'm still interested in reading a Nova Ren Suma novel. By the way, the cover and the title are so gorgeous!

I decided to give this one a chance on a whim, I'm not going to lie. Mainly because I'm not the biggest fan of Magical Realism in general but, as soon as I read the synopsis for A Room Away From the Wolves, I couldn't get it out of my head! It sounded immensely intriguing and I couldn't have been happier for giving it a chance! I'm not going to get into the plot since it would be pointless because you have to read it in order to understand its premise but, I want to start this review by saying what stood out to me the most! Except from the fact that, the plot itself is more than authentic and I haven't come across anything like it in the past, I was drawn to the way the story was written, from the very first sentence! It had the perfect flow and got the point across perfectly! Whimsical and poetic, it brought this book to life in an impressively effortless way!

Moving on to our main character, Bina! The beginning of her story is a bit vague and not many details about her life are revealed right away but, it's obvious that she's having a rough time and nobody is there to help her get through it! She finds refuge in a women's residence she remembers her mother describing vividly and with great detail when she was younger, after said mother kicks her out! Determined to leave the past behind and focus on a future that's waiting for her to conquer it in the city of her dreams, Bina is blind to the dark secrets hiding behind its closed doors. There's a mystery surrounding the residence she chose to live in and facing the truth will prove more challenging than Bina can handle. Especially when she becomes drawn to her enigmatic neighbor and her reality becomes even more dangerous than she had anticipated!

I really liked Bina as a character and even though I didn't always agree with her choices, I could definitely understand where she was coming from! At least most of the time. I couldn't connect wit her from the very beginning of the novel but, as more information about who she truly was began to unravel throughout, it became easier for me, as a reader! The supporting characters were also quite intriguing and weird - in a good way - which made the experience of reading the novel even more interesting! Monet was this enigmatic stranger that I was also drawn to so, no wonder Bina wanted to peel back her layers and expose her true self because, I would've definitely done the same! Her personality was so complex and deciphering her behavior became a challenge. She was so well crafted as a character and she really did make you want to unravel her truth and wonder about where she truly came from!

I wasn't really fond of Bina's mother, I'm not going to lie and sugarcoat things. I found her behavior unacceptable, even though she was trying to protect her and she managed to frustrate me from the very beginning of the novel! Her actions against her own daughter were inexcusable and there's really nothing else to say about it!

Overall, A Room Away From the Wolves was filled with so much magic and dealt with the unexpected side of things that definitely kept me invested throughout the novel! It's not your typical Contemporary since it has a healthy dose of Magical Realism scattered in its pages but, I felt like it was crafted in a very balanced way that was extremely well thought out and actually made sense. I would definitely recommend it, especially if - like yours truly - you're trying to get out of your comfort zone and dive into Genres that you're not that used to reading!

Nova Ren Suma's writing is beautiful, mysterious and at times, spooky. This somewhat gothic tale slowly pulls the reader through a series of mysteries with conclusions that are both heartbreaking and insightful. Bina's journey is an interesting one, but we also get serious looks into some of the other members of this creepy house both present and past (like Bina's mother), which really rounded out the staggering amount of tragedy. Some magical realism sprinkled throughout Bina's journey will keep you guessing what exactly is going on until the very end. Easy to read in one sitting, since it's basically unputdownable.

Netgalley provided me with a copy of an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I... really wanted to like A ROOM AWAY FROM THE WOLVES. I kept thinking that the mystery would unravel in a compelling way, that the story would suddenly illuminate itself. Ultimately, though, the fact that I wouldn't be able to tell you what this book is really about—what the plot itself is—made this a two stars, "it was okay" read for me.

There was nothing I actively liked or disliked about this book, and I think that was part of the problem. The writing was fine. The characters were fine. I wasn't necessarily compelled by the conflict at hand. A book that doesn't elicit strong emotions from me is a concern.

The thing I was most intrigued about—and I think this is part of the point—was Catherine House and its history. But the mystery is never clearly solved, and the reveals at the end of the book felt unearned and not fully explained. I'm usually great with authors not holding my hand, but this felt instead like the ending was rushed.

<spoiler>THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILER FOR THE WHOLE TWIST. I also felt *super* cheated when, at the end, it was revealed that Bina was a ghost the whole time. (I also didn't understand that's what the final scene in the closet/stairwell was telling us, until she was watching her mother.) It felt... unearned. And it opened up a lot of doors—how did her mother stay in a house full of ghosts and then escape with her life? Was Monet also dead? How did non-ghosts, like the old woman or her own damn dad, see Bina in the first place? When Bina called her mother, I don't remember her particularly freaking out with a 'but you're dead!' sort of vibe. I feel like Bina being a ghost gave the whole story a cop-out, and that was super disappointing. (Also—how tf did she actually die? Did the kids kill her at that party? WTF?!?!??!) (BTW—her mother *stays* with the family who killed her daughter??? I... do not... understand...)</spoiler>

Another thing: I sort of... hated Monet? I guess that's one thing I actively disliked about this book, and she's kind of a big part of it. I thought she was bossy, didn't respect Bina's boundaries at *all*, and I did not understand Bina's fascination/crush on her. It frustrated me that after fighting with cruel stepsisters—who were needlessly cruel without any real reason—she caved under the pressure of a "fascinating" girl. I don't know; Monet felt very... manic pixie dream girl to me. We never learn anything about her, either, which doesn't help flesh out her character.

The biggest problem I had with this book is that I was 90% through it and still didn't really know what the plot was. There was little signposting throughout the book to help the reader understand where we were going. Then the big reveal happened at the very, very end, and it just left me confused and disappointed.

Overall, A ROOM AWAY FROM THE WOLVES is an okay read, one I'd not necessarily recommend to my friends but leaves me in the kind of "eh, shrug" category.

Infused with both magic and mystery, Nova Ren Suma weaves an incredibly intriguing and dark tale about the women brought together under dire circumstances. When Bina was rejected by her mother and cast out from her family, she travels to New York City to stay at the same boarding house for girls that her mother had resided in eighteen years before. The darker past of the house is betrayed through its vows of confidentiality, photos which seem to move, and the history of the girl who had once lived there before vanishing mysteriously. Somehow, Bina seems to be at the center of it all. Enthralling and wonderfully written, A Room Away from the Wolves pulls you in and leaves you questioning until the very end.

This book has a strong foundation built on exciting possibilities. We follow Bina as she escapes a tough home life by running away to NYC.

The story moves in parallel to Bina’s mother and their combined pasts. The story was intriguing enough to keep me reading, but it was too complex and mysterious for its own good. When the book ended I did a large amount of head scratching. A small amount of intrigue at the end of a novel is great, but being left totally perplexed is not.

I feel as though the author got caught up in changing the status quo and the story got lost in the weeds.

This novel is part gothic horror, part lost girl fiction.

Bina and her mother have always been close - the two of them against the world. But when Bina does something unforgiveable and gets kicked out, she flees to a place her mother once called home: the mysterious Catherine House in New York City. But something doesn't seem quite right about the Catherine House, and Bina suddenly feels very far away from home.

Although the writing was atmospheric and terrifying, I could never quite find my footing in this novel. Even by the end, I wasn't sure what was going on. It felt like Nova Ren Suma had tried too hard to obscure the truth from us, but had never let us all the way in.

However, this book would be great for students in excerpts or the whole thing. This would be a great mentor text for building suspense.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club.

The moment I read the synopsis for this, I just knew I had to sign up. Being such a huge fan of mystery and seeing as I enjoy reading about mother-daughter relationships, the premise of this book appealed to me. Now, after having read it, I’m glad to say that I quite liked the book.

This was a fairly quick read and offers an eerie and mysterious reading experience. Along most parts of the story, I was literally clueless as to what was going on. I like that in a book because it keeps me thrilled and doesn’t let my interest dwindle. The characters were mysterious to me and I wish I could have known the more. The author’s writing style was a bit different from those I normally read but regardless of that, I still really enjoyed A Room Away From the Wolves.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend this to fans of mystery and magic in books.

Atmospheric with beautiful descriptions this is a great read. I loved then genre-bending nature of it. It's just so beautiful!

This book is incredibly unique and kept me guessing the whole time. When I got to the end, I was honestly shocked and had to spend some time processing what had happened. It's spooky and mysterious, written in a completely unique style. I definitely recommend this title for YA readers who love mystery and suspense.

Nova Ren Suma's writing is phenomenal. It sucks you in and doesn't let go until the very last page. I can't wait to share this book.

So I wanted to love this book, I really did, especially because I’m a fan of paranormal and magical realism. And because the main character Bina is bisexual. (She doesn’t identify with that particular word anywhere in the novel, but we know she’s attracted to both boys and girls.) I wanted it to be a five-star read.

However, I needed more from this book, specifically more of the mystical and romantic elements. Basically the elements I most wanted to read.

More than anything, I enjoyed the mysterious atmosphere—and mysterious plot points—of this book. Greenwich Village, Catherine House, even Bina’s stepdad’s house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods. Each setting had creepy (and some super creepy) details that I was here for.

The atmosphere and setting (and the ghosts) honestly made this book for me. 👻

There were a lot of characters, but I didn’t get to know a single one of them well except for Bina and her mom. Even our sort-of-romantic-but-not-really interest Monet, another girl staying in Catherine House, wasn’t fully developed.

Mysterious, yes. Developed, no. Disappointing, definitely. 😢

But I did appreciate how flawed, seriously flawed, Bina was. She stole, she vandalized, she lied, she got together with her stepsister’s boyfriend, and the list could go on. She wasn’t exactly likeable, sure, but I’m not a fan of too-likeable characters anyway. And, like you’ll see below, there were lots of almost brooding descriptions of Bina’s thoughts that really resonated with me.

Last was the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but geez, it was not all I had hoped it would be. The magical realism elements took a confusing turn, and I didn’t get the on-the-page romance I NEEDED.

All in all, though, it was an okay, solid read that I do recommend. The elements I liked kept this at three stars, and the elements I didn’t kept this from being four stars.

FAVORITE QUOTES

🖤 “One by one, in quick succession, these thoughts struck me: She thinks my mother sent me here on purpose. She thinks I talked to a dead woman on the phone. Get up. Get out of the chair. Walk to the door. Get your suitcase. Go. But my body didn’t move. Only my mouth did.”

🖤 “The way she spoke made the sunny street dark for a moment. I heard the whistle of wind, as if I were back inside that gated garden, down on my knees in the dirt by the grave, where the city didn’t seem to touch.”

🖤 “The girls who lived in this house didn’t really have Monet’s back, not like I did. There was a point at which you threw your lot in with someone. There was a point when you were all in, and there was no scrambling out of it when you got scared, or found morals, or wanted to save your own skin.”

Nova Ren Suma was an entirely new author for me when I opened A Room Away From the Wolves. I’m still not sure I understand her writing style. Beautifully lyrical and haunting, Bina’s story was unusually poignant. Fans of books with wayward girls, boarding schools, and ghosts will enjoy this one!

The book vaguely reminded me of Eleanor and Park, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. A private diary and a creepy portrait complete the total package! I love ghost stories, so was really looking forward to this one. It’s a long story, and I didn’t have time to devote my full attention to it before my post, so I’m definitely going back to savor it in a re-read!

LOVED the first half of this, was so captivated by the ominous vibes. The second half let me down, and I lost all connection with the characters. Reviewed on booktube: https://youtu.be/u3msLQ8KJQc?t=6m30s

I think I need to revisit this one. I mean I finished but I still feel like I don’t know what I actually read. The prose was beautiful and lyrical, the concept was high and I know there are deep themes buried in here, but it’s such a bizarre mash up of seemingly random episodes and flashbacks that I found I kept losing patience with it. Some of my reading buddies really recommend the author so I’ll keep trying. Perhaps I was in the wrong head space for this one right now.

It’s been two long weeks of reading this book and although it was entertaining, I am utterly confused about what happened in this story. Every time I felt like a had a solid grip on what was happening, something changed, and I was right back where I started with a confused look on my face as I’m reading. Maybe I’m just not the type of reader that does well with speculative fiction. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Normally, I say interested readers should go into these types of books blind, however I don’t think even a summary will cause you to be less confused in the end, so...Sabina, Bina for short, decides to run away to Catherine House in New York where her mother stayed for a short period of time before Bina was born. Catherine House, a very secretive and magical all girls home/refuge, is run by Ms. Ballatine and there are rules you must follow if you choose to stay there. Here is where it gets real spooky...Bina arrives to a family looking for their missing daughter Lacey that was supposed to be under and Ms. Ballatine’s care. The family tells Bina they should never have left Lacey stay. Soon after the family leaves, Lacey is introduced to Bina. 🧐 If you enjoy speculative fiction, this is definitely a story you should check out, but if you don’t enjoy being confused, I would skip this one. The one thing I truly loved about this book was how spooky and atmospheric the writing was; I wish I had read this in October to put me in a Halloween mood.