Horrific for kids and adults alike
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The Clayton-Fenn kids—Gwen the eldest at thirteen, ten year old Henry and the six year old twins Hazel and Hester—have only their new stepdad Henry to look after them. On the death of their beloved grandmother, Henry moves the whole family to the House, Grandma’s home, on Gloam Island, which is not the idyllic it once was. Forced to find work off the island, Henry leaves the children in the care of Esme Laverne, a seemingly perfect childminder, but as Gwen soon realises, appearances can be deceiving…

Billed for 9 year olds and over, this is a real horror novel of the creepy local folklore kind, almost Stephen King’s It for tweens, but the book is more than horrific enough for adult readers. Seriously, I got goosebumps throughout reading it; for younger readers, I think it might be worth reading it together, as the scares, although not of the jump kind, are sure to linger and as a lot takes place in children’s bedrooms-dot-dot-dot.

Four and a half stars

Gloam is a deliciously dark, spine-chilling gothic horror, a thrilling, tension-filled and atmospheric story, that completely captivated me.

After the death of their mother, the Clayton-Fenn siblings, and their stepdad, are relocating to Gloam Island where they have inherited their grandmother’s old, neglected house which has been empty since her death a year before. Strange amulets, each with a painted eye, hang in each room and, when Gwen is frightened that night by a noise and sees yellow eyes staring at her, she assumes it is the amulet, but could something more sinister be in the house?

When their stepdad gets a job on the mainland, he hires a babysitter, Esme Laverne, to look after the siblings despite Gwen insisting that she can take care of her younger siblings. Whilst Henry and her siblings seem immediately charmed by the delightful, kind-mannered Esme, Gwen is instantly on her guard against this stranger in her home. When her suspicions are confirmed, and she is given a dire warning, Gwen is determined to protect her family by getting rid of the intruder.

And so begins the most gripping, spine-tingling story as Gwen finds herself in a battle against a great evil, determined to destroy the family, using manipulation and control, hiding beneath a sickly layer of sweetness. Just as the rot creeps and festers over the hall, this insidious sinister babysitter steals into the lives of the family, pitting them against each other and awakening their worst nightmares. Can Gwen convince her family of the danger in their midst before it is too late? Will she be able to protect those she loves by facing the living nightmares that haunt them?

What an absolutely gripping gothic horror story that absolutely sent frissons of fear down my spine as an ominous threat of danger follows the family. I’m just glad I was reading it in glorious sunshine in my garden, but I must admit that this will be a perfect spooky season read – but one where you’ll probably need to sleep with the lights on afterwards – or is that just me? I loved the setting on an island (aptly named) that is cut off from the outside world when the tide covers the causeway, the chilling, bleak weather and the old, neglected house with spreading rot. I really enjoyed the palpable tension, and frights, that kept me on tenterhooks as I read, making this an unputdownable read.

Gwen is such a sympathetic young girl. She is grieving the recent death of her mother and that of her grandmother, but is keeping her grief trapped inside. She feels protective towards her younger siblings and feels a responsibility, and willingness, to take care of them. Like her siblings, she shows incredible strength and courage in facing her fears, but perhaps, for Gwen, the greatest fear that she must face is allowing herself the time and freedom to grieve. I really enjoyed the relationship between the siblings which felt really authentic with their close bond sometimes being tested by arguments and falling outs, but always being there for each other when it really matters.

There are no illustrations in the e-ARC that I read but I have seen some illustrations online which look absolutely fantastic and I have no doubt will add to the eeriness of this story. I will definitely be adding a finished copy of this to our school library as so many children are huge fans of horror and I have no doubt that this one will prove very popular.

A superbly spine-tingling read – dark and creepy – perfect for readers of 9+ to read before the summer ends or on a cold, dark evening as spooky season approaches – if they dare!

When Gwen's grandmother dies, she discovers that her house has been left to Gwen and her siblings: Roger, and the twins Hazel and Hester. With their mother having recently died as well, the kids' step-father Henry moves them all to the house, which is located on a quiet island accessed only by a causeway. With Henry needing to be on the mainland for work, he decides to employ a childminder to look after the children during the day; however, as soon as Esme arrives, Gwen knows something is not right. The question is can she figure out what and convince her siblings to her way of thinking before it's too late?

Gloam is one of those books that is deceptively but genuinely creepy because for a great part of the story, everything is perfectly believable in a real-life setting. It's a book that will give you chills and I'm really quite pleased I read it in the sunshine whilst on holiday!

The children have had such an awful time of things, having lost their grandfather, their mother, and their grandmother all in quick succession. The house should be a safe haven for them and Henry is determined to build that for them, which is why he thinks that hiring Esme is the right thing to do. Gwen has spent so long looking after her younger siblings that he feels it's time for somebody to take the responsibility from her. But despite her grief, or perhaps because of it, Gwen is instantly on edge and knows there is something not right when Esme arrives.

Gloam is ultimately a fight against the monsters under the bed and the daemons in our heads. It's a story of love and loss, of learning how to grieve, of trusting your instincts and learning how to be brave. It's creepy and unputdownable, but be warned... it's likely to leave you with a lump in your throat and a tear in you eye (thank-goodness for sunglasses!).

Gloam publishes on the 14th August. Read it whilst the nights are still light and the monsters don't lurk under your bed!

I really enjoyed Gloam. Jack Mackay built suspense really well and, considering it's a "middle grade" book, the monsters were suitably scary!

The story was fast paced, the characters were well written and the setting description enabled easy imagining.

A great read!

At first I wasn't sure about this one, as it seemed too much like your typical 'kids left with evil nanny' trope, and I wasn't enjoying it that much. But then it really stepped it up, introducing the monsters/fears of each child. It changed the main character too, as for a while, she seemed very whiny and annoying, but once her siblings were on her side, I started to like her a lot more.
So it takes a while to get going, but worth a read, very creepy!

Usually when I review a book, I pick out the things I particularly liked. I can’t do that with this book because that would just be listing the whole thing. I absolutely loved reading this book and I know for a fact 12 year old me would have loved it as well! I would recommend it to kids who crave creepy books, the atmosphere was haunting.

Our main character Gwen is the oldest child (at 13 years old) and I think so many kids who are older siblings would love and identify with her character. She’s fiercely protective over her siblings and takes on the responsibility of getting things sorted with the evil babysitter. We also get chapters following Roger who is her younger brother. Lastly of the siblings are Hazel and Hester. These younger siblings definitely remind me of my siblings and I love books that follow siblings as they navigate their adventures. Though this particular adventure is harrowing and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat. You feel for Gwen who has gone through so much and is grasping to keep her siblings safe and happy. You feel for Roger who doesn’t understand why his older sister is acting so different. You feel for Hazel and Hester who at only 6 years old need to be so brave in the face of danger. I just wanted to scoop them up away from harm (which Gwen was certainly doing her best to do).

The adults are Henry (who looks after the children) and Esme (the babysitter). Oftentimes in books, the adult who is clueless is just that. Infuriatingly ignorant to the children’s struggles and while Henry not believing Gwen is infuriating (a feeling most people can relate to when they are a child trying to get help from an adult), I do commend this book for giving him a bit more nuance. He does deeply care for the children and is simply unprepared and eventually does come to realise Gwen was telling the truth. I don’t really know what to say about Esme other than she’s evil and very scary which we realise very fast. Her manipulation on the younger children feels chilling and you definitely feel how Gwen is feeling as well as Roger in these moments.

The setting of the Grandma’s house is perfect and the horror of the nightmares and rot made this story compelling and enticing. Once again I love this book and will definitely be making my siblings read it.

I enjoyed this, very simple and quick to read, good early horror for middle grade readers, gives Coraline vibe for sure. The story was good, I think it could have been darker (would love a ya version) but overall a great read, good characters and just the right amount of description thought without getting lost.