I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one, but boy did I enjoy it! If you love the gothic vibes, you’ll for sure love this book! I will say there were depressing moments and your heart aches for Violet, but boy was it a good book!

Thank you Netgalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC ♥️

Set in 1938, it's a tale of friendship, family secrets, and tragedy, all wrapped up in a deliciously gothic package.
We meet Gillian, a shy and quiet girl who's sent to an English boarding school after her mom dies and her dad remarries. She's desperate to fit in, but it's not until she meets Violet, a quirky and captivating new student, that things start to look up.
Violet's family is...well, they're a piece of work. They live in this crumbling English manor house, Thornleigh Hall, which is steeped in history and secrets. Gillian is drawn into their world, and it's like she's entered a whole different universe.
The author's writing is pure magic. The way she describes the setting - the cold, grey English winter, the decaying manor house, the dark lake - so good🔥
But what really gets me is the way Emily Critchley explores the complexities of female relationships. Gillian and Violet's friendship is at the heart of the story, and it's so beautifully nuanced. They're both flawed, they both make mistakes, but they're also fiercely loyal to each other.
And then, of course, there's the family drama. Violet's family is hiding secrets, and when they finally come to light, it's like a powder keg explodes. I won't give too much away, but let's just say it's 🤪 😳

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of The Undoing of Violet Claybourne.

3.5 rounded down to 3.

This was such a strange story. Gillian and Violet become friends at their boarding school. Gillian goes back to Violet's family home for Christmas break and things go quite awry. I had a pretty good idea what was coming from the moment the characters were introduced. Soon after I clued in on the details of what I thought was going to happen. There was a lot of book before and after the the unfortunate circumstances and I'm not even sure if most of it was relevant. I'm thinking back on the book now and wondering why it was so long? There were quite a few details in the parts 3 and 4 that strange twists, but not surprising given the personalities of the characters. The ending was so strange. Maybe understandable, but also too little, too late? I'm not sure. I'm very confused about my thoughts on this one and would love to talk to someone about it!

All I have to say is ~ JUSTICE FOR VIOLET!

"Maybe it really was all over. I had proved my loyalty, gained Emmeline and Laura's trust. I was part of the family now, blind forever to the sisters by the secret we shared. I was Cousin Gilly. I was somebody."

A hauntingly beautiful gothic mystery.
Gillian is a quiet outcast at her boarding school. That’s all about to change when her roommate, Violet, invites her to Thornleigh Hall for the holidays. After she meets her family, Gilly is yearning to be apart of the Claybourne world. After a terrible tragic accident, things go spiraling down and she is stuck in a web of lies.
An atmospheric gothic mystery that explores the intoxicating pull of belonging, the weight of betrayal, and the devastating cost of loyalty.

I tried really hard to get into this book, and I just couldn't. Very slow start that struggled to keep my interest. I could not connect with any of the characters. I have a feeling that I picked up this book at the wrong time, and I am open to giving it another try in the future.

Three and a half stars rounded up. Emily Critchley’s “The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” is a hard book to review. I’m not sure what, exactly, I expected the book to be about, but what I read wasn’t it. Things took a dark turn about a third of the way through, but I knew that from the book’s description.

Set primarily in the late 1930s, the book tells the story of Gillian (Gilly) Larkin and her interactions with the Claybourne family. Violet Claybourne is her new roommate at the boarding school she’s been attending for years. They become friends and Violet invites Gilly to spend the holidays with her & her family at her home, Thornleigh Hall.

Gilly readily accepts because Violet has told her about Thornleigh Hall, as well as her parents and two older sisters, Laura and Emmeline. Violet has also been receiving letters from her sister, Laura, with stories about what’s been happening at home in her absence. As I read about Gilly’s arrival to Thornleigh Hall and the things she experienced, the words were tinged with a sense of dread awaiting the “tragedy.” Once it occurred, it was a doozy and tainted the rest of the book for me. Primarily because of how the aftermath was handled by Gilly and the Claybourne sisters.

I sympathized with Violet, but did not find Gilly, Emmeline, or Laura (among others) likable. I understand the book was exploring issues of the time like class hierarchy, but the chapters after the tragedy were hard to read.

Overall, I hesitantly recommend this book, but other readers should it’s not an easy book to read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Emily Critchley is a very talented author, and I loved her debut novel, One Puzzling Afternoon, the story of a senior with dementia trying to solve the decades-old mystery of the disappearance of her closest childhood friend. (I highly recommend it.)

However, this book, a slow-burn gothic mystery, wasn't my cup of tea. It begins in 1999 when 75-year-old Gillian returns to a place she hasn't been in 60 years - the former home of her boarding school roommate, Violet, where Gillian spent the Christmas holidays with Violet and her aristocratic family. Gillian, neglected by her widowed father and his second wife, desperately tried to ingratiate herself with the Claybourne family, especially Violet's older, glamorous sisters. But she soon learned the family had many secrets.

I found the main characters to be unlikeable/unsympathetic. Something happens (that I won't spoil), and to keep themselves out of trouble, Gillian and the sisters gaslight Violet so she won't give them away.

Going into this book, and not having read the synopsis, I thought it would be either a thriller or have a paranormal element. Instead, this is a tragic story of a young teen girl, desperate to fit in, and sacrifices her friend's health and others, in the process.

Initially, I felt bad for Gillian Larking. She has no real parents to speak of (her mother passed and her father has ignored her, focusing on his new family). At school, she never really fit in, basically being an outcast. But one day, she got a new roommate, Violet Claybourne, and at last, a friend.

Violet has her peculiarities, her "undoings" as she calls them. Trying to make up for what she perceives as doing wrong - something that started after an accident at home. But she is kind and offers Gillian an escape over the holidays with her family at Thornleigh Hall. And that's when my opinion of Gillian began to sour.

Emmeline and Laura, Violet's sisters are not as kind. Sure, they are polite to Gillian, but there are moments when I just didn't trust them. Things only get worse after a tragedy, and accident caused by Laura. But the two older sisters find every way to cover it up, and for some wild reason, Gillian follows along. Ruining two lives in the process. I wanted to strangle her, that is after I strangled the two other sisters.

While this book doesn't have a happy ending per se, let's just say, there is some much deserved retribution. In the end, Violet has the ultimate undoing, good for her!

Wow! While heartbreaking, and downright uncomfortable at times, this was a story so well woven that you feel every emotion that Gilly (Gillian) and Violet feel. Gilly befriends Violet as teens away at school, and when she's invited to Violet's house for the holidays in the winter of 1938, events take place that will change their lives forever.

This is told from the POV of Gilly, but the way that Critchley is able to evoke emotions for each character is unmatched. You love some, you hate others, and it all comes together to create a story of loss, mental health, betrayal, lies, secrets, fitting in, and friendship that you won't soon forget. it's sinister and at times, infuriating, but there's a satisfying ending that I was rooting for.

Deeply character driven, historical fiction, with a tension that keeps you turning the page. Highly recommend!

I have some mixed feelings on this one - the start was a bit too much of a slow burn for me and I found it hard to get into, but once I pushed through I did ultimately enjoy the story! The setting was extremely dark and atmospheric which I also enjoyed.

Downton Abbey meets The White Lotus in this dark, twisty mystery. The story of English schoolgirl, Gillian, and her time with the upper crust Claybournes is creepy while also captivating, a peek into the lives of the English aristocracy at its worst. Critchley’s descriptive writing heightens the tension of the story as the dread of what’s to come hits you. My heart was racing, and just when I thought I knew what was happening, another door was opened that deepened the horror. It’s not scary but atmospheric, and it includes many historical details about the time period. I would have loved even more about WWII in the later chapters and could have kept reading. It’s a book I definitely won’t forget!

Hmm- this one has got me feeling a bit confused. Not due to the story per se, but my feelings towards it.

As someone with OCD, it def struck a chord. I wasn’t keen on any of the characters but that might be due to my own personality, not the authors fault.

It felt a bit too slow for me and I did find myself wanting to know ‘what happens next’ for quite a big chunk. However, I want to say that this eARC was good and still an enjoyable read, just a slow one that I kept coming back to. Overall 3.5 rounded to 4

I went into this one completely blind and was absolutely blown away. It was heartbreaking, shocking, and all around captivating. The amount of times I audibly gasped, hand flying to my mouth, was definitely a new record. The characters were so wonderfully written and kept me hanging on. From the first page to the last I didn’t want to put it down. Highly recommend!

Well, I always love gothic/dark moody novels. This one definitely fit that bill for me. I so enjoyed the author's writing style. It was so atmospheric and the descriptions were so detailed that everything played in my head like a movie. It does move a bit slowly during the first half, and at times, it was hard to hang on and keep going. Other than that, I so enjoyed this toxic friendship story. 4 stars!

I am so glad that I took a chance on reading this after stumbling upon it on NetGalley. What an incredible gothic story.

Recently I’ve felt a bit under wowed by many gothic books. They have felt very similar and dare I say mediocre. I’m happy to say that was not the case with this book.

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a slow burn gothic mystery filled with unlikable characters and dark secrets. These characters are nasty. They take Mean Girls to a whole new level. The true colours of the girls are shown pretty early on following a terrible accident that occurs on the estate. This accident sets up the entire story and the sequence of events that follows is nothing short of horrifying. It builds to the most satisfying climax.

Those looking for a gothic book that will keep them turning the pages until late at night will find this a satisfying read. Be warned though, it’s a lot darker than it initially seems.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my eARC.

I continue to be amazed by Emily Critchley's ability to handle sensitive topics with poise and ease. She has become and auto read author for me.

In this story a young girl visits a wealthy friend from her boarding school. The chaos that ensues makes for a dark gothic mystery. The representation of Violet's OCD tendencies and anxiety was unsettling as she was gaslight by those around her. It made for an uncomfortable but compelling read just as her depiction of dementia did in One Puzzling Afternoon.

The gothic features of the house and a family with such dark secrets made for a gripping story. I highly recommend this read for fans of gothic stories, family secrets and darker, historical fiction.

Trigger warnings for death of a child, OCD, anxiety, gaslighting and probably more I missed.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the review copy.

Wow. The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a wild ride. I loved the writing and my gosh, I had no idea where this story was going to end. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books about giant manors and the secrets within them.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for this wonderful ARC!

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a slow burn, gothic, suspense novel that left me both intrigued and frustrated. Violet is a compelling character, showing clear signs of OCD (though undiagnosed in the 1930s) but nearly everyone else was infuriating and unlikeable. The book isn’t a mystery—it’s a tense, psychological exploration of trauma and isolation. I went into this book completely blind and was absolutely loving it until it became mean girl.

Thank you Sourecebooks for an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
Release date: 03/04/2025!

This books cover is what instantly drew me in because it is gorgeous so kudos!

Also, I love Gothic fiction so I knew this would be a book I'd love it read.

It had a fantastic ending and it moved along pretty quickly for a Gothic story. There were some parts that felt like a dragged a little but over all great pacing.

This book is crazy, there is a huge mystery when it comes to Violet who Gilly meets in school. Violet is different and so is Gilly but Violet is something special, and her family does not fall short from that lol. Gilly comes to visit her family when she invites her and Gilly gets into trouble with Violets sisters who also have so much going on. There is this family mystery going on and Gilly is intrigued, there are literal things going on here and its crazy. It was hard to connect to the characters, I didn't feel that I finished the book, I was left hanging throughout the book and even the end.

Thank you Netgalley the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.