Book Review for The Hawthorne School
Full feature for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that the description mentions Riley Sager, I knew that I had to read this book right away. I am a huge fan of Riley Sager's books. His book Lock Every Door is on my list of top 5 favorite thrillers. As I read more and more thrillers, I find that I am drawn to atmospheric, gothic thrillers about haunted or creepy locations. I've read The Sanatorium and Madam, both released this year, but I didn't really enjoy them On the other hand, I feel like The Hawthorne School is on the same level as Riley Sager's, and I will be adding it to my list of favorite thrillers. Thank you again to the publisher for this opportunity to review the book before it's released!

The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry is about Claudia, a single mother to enrolls her young child Henry in an out-of-the-way convent-turned-school with a very liberal, almost strange teaching philosophy. She can't afford a lot, so she's thrilled when they allow her to pay what she can and make up the rest by volunteering at the school. The school turns out to be a lifesaver, too, as Henry enjoys it a lot more than his previous public school. But soon, strange things start happening. The local townsfolk say that there are rumors about the school, and Claudia starts to notice that not everything at the school is what it seems.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 when the school itself is introduced:

"THE HAWTHORNE SCHOOL stands rooted on its hill, surrounded by woods and fields. A breeze rustles its coat of wet and trembling vines so that it seems to breathe in and out like a living being. Its black window panes glint at the tiny boy, and he pulls on the arm of his young mother. She pulls back, not letting him go, although he twists his little hand in hers, trying to get free, trying to run from her and toward the enchantment.
...
Once a convent, The Hawthorne School reaches its gothic peaks toward heaven while small pale faces carved into the moldings gape in mute astonishment at the two people below.
The air is heavy with the scent of wood fires and damp earth. Green maple leaves shake with each breeze. The sun sends spears through the clouds, and the vines and trees sparkle.
...
This is the moment when The Hawthorne School inhales new life."

Overall, The Hawthorne School has the best Gothic atmosphere in any thriller that I've read this year. It blows similar books like Madam and The Sanatorium out of the water. It definitely deserves comparison to the great writers of this genre, such as Riley Sager. It reminded me of his books Lock Every Door and Home Before Dark. I didn't want to put this book down, but I had to at night, because I didn't want to get nightmares about buildings in forests. If you're intrigued by the description above, or if you're a fan of creepy locations and Gothic atmospheres, like me, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in December!