Thank you to NetGalley, the author Sylvie Perry for the free copy of this audiobook.

I think this is a book that I would enjoy but not really love. if I was reading it with my eyes only. I liked the use. of different voices to help break up the parts of the book that was not as interesting.

The Hawthorne school didn't take the characters deep enough to really. like or dislike them and that would have made it better if the were described more but it was still an okay read.

This book takes you on a journey. With all the pressures of being a single mom, how do you ever know if you are making the right choices for your child? When do you listen to your brain and when do you start trusting your instincts?

The author did an amazing job at showing how one little decision can add up over time.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook.

I enjoyed this a lot! I would have enjoyed a little more depth to the characters but overall this was an interesting read with some good intrigue. I liked the narrator a lot as well.

Hawthorn School follows a struggling mother, Claudia, who is just trying to do her best for her four year old son, Henry. After Henry has issues at his current preschool Claudia goes out to a prestigious school where she is offered an opportunity for Henry that she couldn’t pass up. After being at the school for some time Claudia beings to notice that some things at the school are very suspicious and tries to find answers for her and her son.

I did not like the main character at all or any of the characters for that matter. They were all super flat and nothing about the writing made me care about them in any matter. The idea of this super gothic and mysterious school is very intriguing to me but the fact that the mom didn’t question one thing about the school before sending her son there just shows idiocy not “gothic mystery” and that was a huge let down.

The concept of this book was amazing but unfortunately it fell very flat. It was dragged out and if Claudia was actually a character who was being brainwashed or was manipulated into falling for what the school was offering this could’ve been a good book, but Claudia is a beyond careless mother and makes the absolute dumbest choices without any thought. It wasn’t mysterious or anything, it was simply a mother who didn’t question anything dealing with the consequences.

I listened to this book in audio form and I did really enjoy the narrator but that was unfortunately the most enjoyable part.

Claudia is a single mom and she is struggling with balancing everything. Her son, Henry, is such a handful and is at risk of getting thrown out of his preschool. Claudia hears about a school that has a very unique approach and decides to give it a change.

The Hawthorne School is in the middle of the woods and seems very...eclectic. They focus on playing outside, music, and creating art. Claudia start noticing that Henry's behavior problems magically disappear and he becomes subdued.

Is this school working a miracle? Or is something a little more sinister happening....

I really liked this book! Didn't love it, but I liked it. I could see what was coming a mile away, but some ending details still got me. Overall I'm happy I had the chance to listen to The Hawthorne School early.

The Hawthorne School
by Sylvie Perry
A haunting story about the manipulative power of cult groups. Claudia Morgan is overwhelmed, as a young mother there is a lot of problems. The struggle was heightened by her isolation. The father had walked out, when the child was three months old over whelmed. Her mother passed from a long illness. Leaving her pray to a cult that used a process of helping parents to help other families. Based off of forest schools that had been popular during the 70's. This new system may just be the thing to help her with her difficult child, while she was coping with her grief.
The voice of the narrator was interesting and added to the haunting nature of the story. I tried to see if the claims that the story was based on a historical events, but could not find the original case. The book leaves warning to those families that thing that good things happen without working for it.

This is about a single mom with a four year old child with behavioral issues, no family to help her, baby daddy long gone, new surroundings, money issues and this mom is truly physically and emotionally exhausted.  The child’s present  school is unable to control/work with her boy and she doesn’t know where to go until she hears about a special school: Hawthorne House.

Suddenly, here’s a door opening to her that could help her situation. At the first visit they assured her they could help her son and he did seem happy to be there in their short visit. They offered decreased/free tuition with the understanding that she would “volunteer” hours every week as payback.  She could arrange her hours as a massage therapist to do that. It was all falling into place……….her son was calmer, he slept well but was somewhat back to his “normal” ornery behavior in the morning but mom just chalked it up to him liking the school and wanting to get there.

But throughout the story we read about the tea drink the Hawthorne School offers its staff and the children…..the smoothies, the cold drinks, the food sprinkled with this green mix……it all started on the first day at the interview when she was offered some tea.

As the listener the red flags were jumping out at me but as a desperate mom it’s easy to overlook the obvious when you’re seeing results ini your child’s behavior.

This psychological themed book leads you deeper and deeper into a dark story of mental and physical control.  It was interesting to discover the architect of this facility and how it grew into the famous institution with worldwide distinction.

A good read about the deftness with which cults operate under the cloak of normalcy.

In this book, we meet an earnest single mom with a preschool-aged son. She is discouraged by her difficulty coping with his behavior. When his Pre-k teacher calls her in for a conference, she is desperate and feels like a failure.

Enter the Hawthorne School-- an institution that feels too good to be true, with a pristine campus and a discovery-based curriculum. Mom almost can't believe it--and she probably shouldn't.

This book was a slow burn and a fascinating read. Watching the main characters be drawn in at a moment of weakness and trying to guess the motivations behind the central characters is tantalizing. Like our characters, we don't know who we can trust.

I enjoyed The Hawthorne School and have already discussed it with others. The intrigue is potent, though I sometimes wished for more intensity.

I feel like this book could have benefited from a much slower and subtler reveal. Additionally, I wish I had gone into it without reading the description, as it gives much of the premise away.

However, the concept of using a children’s school as a recruitment tool was very clever. Some might call the main character naïve, but I found her desperation to find a solution to her child’s behavioral problems believable. Overall, this book is highly entertaining, and it serves as a great example of cult recruitment tactics.

Claudia enrolls her four year old son, Henry into the Hawthorne School, a "Scandinavian Nature School", after numerous attempts at fixing his behavioral issues. Henry seems to love the new school, and Claudia begins to find herself drawn to the school and its enigmatic headmaster. However, not everything is as it seems at the Hawthorne School.

This book explores cult environments and the psychology of cults in an interesting way. I found the story to be very engaging, but the execution was a bit underwhelming. I think the exploration of influence that is a part of this book was very well done, and I found it interesting to see Claudia unravel the mystery of this school and come to conclusions about their intentions. My only issue is that I felt we were told the stakes were high, but I personally did not feel the thrill of unraveling this mystery.

Overall, the narrator was good and it was a very interesting story!

The Hawthorne School was an enjoyable book to listen to. I found myself surprised quite a few times. It was a good story and I was consistently invested in the plot. I would definitely recommend it to a friend, I already have.

The plot was a giveaway in the first few chapters and I feel bad for Claudia she needed a true friend to help her see because she was very oblivious to everything that was going on. However the author, Sylvie Perry, writes amazingly. She is very captivating with her words that made the book enjoyable even if it was predictable. I also loved the gothic theme of the book. It was what drew me in to read it in the beginning. I would definitely read this book. Just now sure if it would be a reread.

The Hawthorn School ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

By Sylvie Perry 

ARC - published by Dreamscape Media

Available December, 7th 2021

Mystery and Thrillers 

A story about a mother and her 4 year old son Henry. Henry is having trouble in school and his mother hears about the Hawthorn School. With the tuition be very expensive mom ends up volunteering to make up for the finance obligation to the school. With rules being no outside food no cell phone aloud. 

It is not long before mom starts to notice changed in  her son he is happy and peaceful at school but angry at home mom is experiencing headaches as well. Both only find relief while at the school. Many strange things start to happen leading us down a surreal path along the lines of every parents worst fear. The loss of a child in any form. 

I enjoyed the Hawthorne School safe to say it stress me out in the most entertaining of away. Going through the motions with Henry and his mother and experience  indoctrination second hand was quiet surreal. Strong plot and a steady release of information through the story. I did not feel a low point in the story flow found it to be an very smooth read. 

Trigger warningKidnapping Drugging Cult Mind control Murder 

#privateschool #outdoorlearning #gaslighting #abuse #selfthinking #gaslighting #overshare #babydaddy #salvia #theteaching #scary #controle #ceremony #costume #triggerwarnings #bookreview #audiobooks #netgalley #mystery #thriller #dreamscapemedia #adoptionfraud

CONTENT WARNING: drugging, addiction, murder, suicide

I grew up being told to be wary of something that looks too good to be true. And it felt like the main character, Claudia, would have done well to hear that as well. But … this book really showed how people can get sucked into a cult so easily.

Claudia is a single mother, alone in the world after her mother passed away, and struggling to raise a difficult child. Her son, Henry, struggles with behavioral issues both at home and at school, She doesn’t have a lot of support, and isn’t in contact with Henry’s father. So when her neighbor reaches out and welcomes her, it seems like a good start for Claudia. And when Henry’s teacher mentions that he might fit in better at the mysterious Hawthorne School, Claudia starts to consider it. Especially when she sees how much it helps her new friend’s daughter. The only problem is the cost.

But when she’s given an incredible opportunity to offset the cost of tuition by volunteering at this amazing school, Claudia jumps at the chance. Henry starts responding positively almost immediately, and Claudia is thrilled at how well everything seems to be going. Except … not everyone is as supportive of this change. And this is where alarm bells started to go off for me. Unfortunately, Claudia didn’t notice them. It’s a lot like an abusive relationship — first you see only the great side of it, then you slowly get cut off from various supportive relationships until you’re completely isolated, and then when you realize how much trouble you are in, it’s too late and you have little to no resources available to escape. And watching it happen to Claudia in slow motion was horrible.

The slow buildup of events, watching Claudia get sucked in, and seeing the children used as leverage, before finally realizing the terrifying vision that this school stood for was masterfully done. Claudia, while she was fairly easy to empathize with, was also a little stubborn and completely unwilling to see notice anything that was right in front of her eyes. Even when it was directly pointed out to her. Even though I could kind of tell what was going to happen, I was still shocked when things finally came together.

Since I listened to this as an audiobook, I also want to touch on the narrator, Nan McNamara. She did a great job of drawing me into the story, although I did notice that Claudia’s distinctive New Jersey accent kind of came and went during her dialogue. And there were parts where she spoke Spanish that was meant to be fluent, by several different characters, but it sounded anything but. I struggled to understand the choppy words, read without inflection and any tone. It sounded like anything but fluency, and rather someone just reading the words off the page, unlike her English delivery, which was much more nuanced and smooth.

Overall, this was a chilling story and gave a lot of insight into how people get pulled into cults and coerced into committing acts that they’d never normally perform. It also spoke to the people who lead such groups, and how these groups may start with lofty goals but get off-track. It brings to mind the quote: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to listen to the audio book The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry.

Claudia Morgan is a single mother trying to deal with her difficult four year old Henry. Even the preschool he attends has no idea how to handle him. Thanks to her neighbor, Maggie, she hears about a school called the Hawthorne School. Set in a creepy old mansion, the school appears to be the answer to her prayers. Henry fit into the school like a glove. In order to place him in this private school. Claudia must volunteer at the school also. As she volunteers the reader (or listener) becomes aware of many interesting characters and extremely curious ongoings.

Everyone at the school drinks a green smoothie, or green tea, or green juice. Things start to become even stranger when Derek, Henry’s dad, knows that the green drink is made from a plant that is a drug. Derek mentions it to Claudia, but she doesn’t believe it. Even stranger, at this point of the story Derek disappears. The entire book I thought I might know what happened to him, but it was like he just disappeared from the story.

Although at times you might want to scream at Claudia for being so clueless, the thrill of the book is still there. I found the characters to be intriguing and the story a very good read. A perfect school becomes a cult and the ongoings even more ominous. The end of the book tied everything together which I like in a book.

Looking for an interesting, fast-paced read or audio, get this one! It is released on December 7, 2021.

This book wasn’t for me even though I enjoyed the narrator. I kept waiting for more—a twist that I didn’t see coming, more to be added on to the story, an interesting character…just something!

I thought the premise of this book had a lot of potential, but it totally fell flat for me. It seems like the author took elements of the Waldorf schools and threw in some Heaven's Gate. The whole thing was so outlandish that it almost came off as satire. I hate leaving negative reviews because I know how much hard work goes into writing and publishing a novel, so I'll leave this with some positive comments. The author knows how to write narcissistic characters- the love bombing, gaslighting, and control from one of the authority figures at the school was super creepy and effective! Also, Claudia's worries about her son's behaviors and desire to find support and community felt very realistic.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to review this audio.

Claudia wants nothing but the best for her son Henry with his behavior issues. When Henry is accepted into the exclusive Hawthorne School on scholarship, Claudia is overwhelmed, but all is not what it seems when Henry starts to change. Don't drink the green smoothies!

I actually liked the majority of this audio. Good engaging narrator. Book got a bit odd near the end and Claudia was a bit dim with all the red flags going off around her,but still enjoyed.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development. A school that is full of children but where are the adults? It looks like such a wonderful place for this new single mom to place her son - she needs help and this is going to help her make it through life and offer her peace. Or will it? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is probably the first fiction book I have ever read that deals with a cult environment to such a large degree. You can really tell that the author knows a lot on the subject, but because of that, certain conversations feel stilted and over explained.
Claudia is a young, single mother who has just lost her own mother, who happened to be her entire support system. She is trying so hard to be a good mom to a rather difficult child and is thrilled when she discovers a school with a unique, forward-thinking method of teaching. As she becomes more and more involved in the school, she begins to realize that things are darker than they had initially appeared.
I found the plot of this book to be interesting and compelling, but the character development and dialogue were lacking. The atmosphere was also not as strong as I would have liked and I felt very mediocre about the ending.
The audiobook was ok. It wasn’t painful to listen to, but I didn’t love the fake child’s voice that the narrator used for Claudia’s son, nor did I care for the Southern Belle accent that kept slipping into random characters at random intervals. This was especially annoying as the characters were largely Chicago natives or, in the case of the main character, from New Jersey. Both places have fairly distinct distinct patterns and they are definitely not Antebellum South.