I was definitely in the need of a good psychological thriller and add a setting that's a beautiful monastery that has turned into a nature school? Say no more. The writing in this book is absolutely flawless. The character development was great as well, but I could have used a bit more development with the main character's son, Henry. I just felt that he could have offered a bit more to the story. The tag line that drew me into this book was it's great for fan's of Riley Sager and that is 100% true. Sager fanatics will love the way this book is set up.

Claudia is a single mother of a four year old. Along with all of the normal struggles you have managing a child at that age, Henry has an uncontrollable temper that constantly has Claudia in the teacher's office reprimanded. Exhausted with his conduct, in and out of school, Claudia is told about a new-age school called the Hawthorne School and schedules a tour. Greeted with open arms by the head of the school, Zelma, Claudia begins to think that she just has Henry enrolled in the wrong school. Given a very generous financial aid offer, Claudia transfers Henry to the Hawthorne School and begins their journey with them. The school appears to be everything she could ever ask for, but more and more questions seem to arise the more time she spends there.

Thank you to Sylvie Perry, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book will be out on December 7th, 2021!

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4070140144
Blog link: www.instagram.com/whataginger.reads (review and feature for the book can be found early December to coincide with book launch)

I wanted to like this story but ultimately did not get into it. I found the prose to be dry and hard to follow and the world did not stick out to me. This is definitely going to work for some people, it just did not work for me.

Enjoyed the dark, gothic, academic setting. Twisted with family drama, strife, turmoil. Characters who you cheer for and love to hate. This is the type of book you wait for and relish the read.

That was a very interesting read! Creepy gothic school, a hidden cult, a mother struggle. I love the dark atmosphere and this book approach to "hawthrone cult".

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

What drew me is was definitely the premise and the cover. Once I began reading, the author delivered on the creepy factor, and the novel read like an 1800's gothic novel more than someone who had written it in today's world. I *loved* that about the book, and I actually got through it in a couple of sitting because it was that interesting to me. In a way, it kind of reminded me of Mexican Gothic -- except with the school setting. I'd absolutely recommend this!

Creepy Cult story + Gothic vibes + Fictional school setting: what's not to like in there? I was sold even before I started to read this book.

Creepy Cult story + Gothic vibes + Fictional school setting: what's not to like in there? I was sold even before I started to read this book.

The Hawthorne School was a hit for me from the beginning. Claudia, a single mother who is struggling with the upbringing of her somewhat difficult 4-year-old son, befriends her neighbour who suggests an exclusive private school for her son. Claudia who can't possibly afford the school is surprised to know that she could just volunteer weekly hours at the school instead of paying the school fees and just like that, she and her son are absorbed by the mighty Hawthorne School. As time passes by, she realizes that the school is a cult under wraps and there is no way out of it!

Perry's writing is gripping and holds your attention. The description of the school with its gothic infrastructure and sinister staff members fascinated me beyond measure. I loved Zelma's behavioural transitions and her ominous wordplay, especially her ability to brainwash Claudia with such effortless ease - wow!

Even though the story was nightmarish, it was quite predictable. I could see from the start where the story was headed and was able to predict all the twists. It reminded me of Stephen King's The Institute, but only superficially; while The Institute was more drawn out, this felt rushed towards the climax which was the biggest downside. If only the climax could have been better structured, this could have been a perfect 5-star read.

Overall, an enjoyable mystery thriller. Recommended to lovers of cult and dark academia settings.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC! The Hawthorne School is due to publish on 7th December, 2021.

4/5 🌟.

TW: Cult, Murder, Hallucinations, Substance Abuse.

I really enjoyed the academic setting and the creepy gothic feel. However, everything felt pretty straightforward and obvious and what you think happens is exactly what happens-no twists here. I guess I wanted more excitement throughout or at least a bigger payout at the end, which wrapped up very quickly.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting…I really enjoyed reading this..amazing job! The reality of struggling as a single mom and wanting to do the best for your kids. Loved that

I think it’s safe to say this book wouldn’t know what good pacing was if it slapped it in the face. This was genuinely one of the slowest books I have ever read and when things did speed up, the plot was all over the place.
I understood the point of this story - a mother’s love for a child and how far she will go - but this felt like a book I had read before.
There was nothing too original about it. I thought the gothic school setting would be a great atmospheric read but this was just dull.
I also felt the writing was simple and boring and I didn’t care for any character as I had expected.
The plot was predictable and the answers were so obvious you did wonder if our MC was stupid.

This is a book with a stunning cover that sounds promising but fails to deliver.
<i>I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

3 stars

Grief, guilt, and love are a powerful combination in this psychological thriller novel perfect for fans of The Babadook. Single parent Claudia enrolls her difficult and defiant four-year-old son Henry into an alternative, nature-focused school that seems to adore her child as much as she does—and maybe more. By the time Claudia realizes there’s something off about The Hawthorne School, it may be too late to unenroll.

This was a solid story, if rather predictable and not particularly innovative. The atmosphere, of a gorgeous old-world building deep in a midwestern forest, and the almost otherworldly children who attend it, is spotlessly executed. The book reads very quickly (I sped through it in a day) and it’s easy to get invested in this fragile young family. It doesn’t linger with me much, but not all stories are supposed to, and I think it will prove particularly gripping for parents who already feel the pressures of raising a child in today’s world.

I thought it was going to be scarier or like Harry Potter but overall I enjoyed it. Didn't connect with any character and the mom was sometimes off. Other than that,this was a nice, quick and fun read for me.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I am a sucker for Victorian Gothic vibe anything, and this book was an easy afternoon read, and for the first few chapters you can trick yourself into thinking there might be some fantastical/supernatural elements to really seal the deal. That said, it becomes rapidly evident this was a heavy-handed story about a cult, and was apparently trying to make this a surprise twist, when it is so painfully obvious it might as well be physically slapping you in the face screaming CULT.
I still read it, I was entertained, but thats really all I can say for it. 3/5 stars

I think overall I enjoyed this story. The plot was predictable, but the suspense was well-written and I was rooting for Claudia the whole time. The atmosphere—the school itself, the woods on the property, how rural and isolated everything was—was tangible. The author did a really good job of getting into Claudia’s head, and her struggle was believable.
I had a difficult time with the dialogue—it felt forced and cheesy at times.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC version of this book.

It started off slow but eventually picked up! I would rate it a 3/5 it wasn’t the worst but I’m not sure if I would want to read it again. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy read!

The Hawthorne School by S. Perry, published by Crooked Lane Books, is a full-length, stand-alone, thriller.
The story is suspenseful, full of twists and unexpected turns, the writing is great, the characters are easy to connect with.
A great read, 4 stars.

This book was very well written! You get sucked right into the gothic school's atmosphere. I liked the idea of the plot, but I found the story was very obvious and easy to predict and the end was a bit anti-climactic.

Sylvie Perry has done an interesting job of combining the inherent fear for children, and the terrors of cults. Claudia is a bit of a clueless idiot, though, and this can get old very quickly.
The issue I found with this story was that the tension simply wasn’t there. As the story progresses and comes to a peak, I felt disconnected from it. There wasn’t much to it, and it wrapped up rather quickly.
Overall, this story was interesting and a good start for the author. There were some clear ties to common horror movie tropes and the grounds for something truly terrifying. However, if you don’t have a fascination with cults and cult-based thrillers, this may not be the book for you due to the pacing.

Full review November 29th

I really liked this book. The beginning, especially, was so well written. The description and feel of the Hawthorne School and it’s grounds, as first seen through the eyes of Henry and Claudia, brought the school to life for me. It became a mysterious and magical character in itself.

I normally prefer fast paced, plot driven novels, but there are always exceptions. This was one of those exceptions for me. The story slowly unwound as we got an inside look into the way the school worked. I often read a book without knowing anything about it. This time, I hade read the synopsis and a few reviews, so I already knew that something not quite right was going on. I wonder if my experience in the story would have been different if I didn’t go into the story already questioning and suspecting the purpose of the school.

This was definitely a psychological tale. I found it very interesting.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheHawthorneSchool

Overall, the book did let me down a little bit, I am a lover of psychological thrillers so when I started this one I was so excited. however, in the end it let me down.

While I feel the book has great elements to it, it just was not for me. It was seemingly predictable and only a few moments in the book were surprising.

Thank you Crooked Lane and Negalley for the ARC copy!

The Hawthorne School promises a gothic thriller story and opened on a very strong note.
The story unfolds in an estate outside of Chicago that very much emits an aura of mystery. When the main character, Claudia, and her 4-year-old son, Henry, first entered the Hawthorne school, The school looked prestigious and perfect. The giant ground and woods on the estate, an emphasis on a healthy diet, and the unconventional idea in education seemed to suit Henry's learning style, everything seemed perfect...

I really loved the setting of this book. The Hawthorne School has a certain charm that is almost Fae-like, and the author conveyed its charm very well. I wish I could have visited the place myself! However, the latter half of the plot didn't seem to have been very well thought-through and that was really a shame. There are multiple points where the story felt very rushed, and at the same time, it also felt like there's not enough built-up/explanation. The motivation of the main antagonist and the mechanic seems too weak to be plausible to me. BUT, I must say the seemingly lack of sufficient motivation could also be just I do not have the necessary experience to connect to this particular set-up.

In any case, this book is still very entertaining and enjoyable to read. I think many will enjoy a walk in the magical setting that is the Hawthrone school.