First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for ARC copy of The girl at the Maywood Manor by S. A. Sebuchi before publication June 25th.
This was just an OK read for me. Characters Holly and Kat were a bit annoying. Holly total people pleaser and Kat just take take takes and only thinks of herself. Holly does improve and have some self discovery. The story line with her grandmother was very unique I dont think I have read or heard of a similar story line before.
The book just didn’t keep my focus very long and found myself getting easily distracted but not sure if it’s just with this being a YA, one of my little sisters who is 13 would probably love this book.

I think im not the target audience for this
Do not get me wrong it has everything a spooky thriller needs... haunted house, creepy old lady, chills, suspence, it was the writing.
I didn't enjoy the writing as it was clearly YA
However for young adults I would recommend this and if I was younger I'd imagine I'd have loved it.

Initial Thoughts: YA rewrite of the 2005 film "The Skeleton Key" with a small twist at the end.

Reviewer's Suggested Target Audience Age: 13-15

Overall: 3.5 ⭐
Plot: 3 📍
YA Spice**: ✅

(Full review to come)

** YA Spice Rating Scale:
I rate this wrt appropriateness: I believe anything written as YA (defined as audience aged under 18) should have ZERO spice. Maybe a chaste kiss. But nothing else.


❎ - Absolutely nothing. Anything remotely romantic is emotional or internal, but no physical touch. ("My heart fluttered")
✅- Some handholding, maybe a few nice hugs, a sweet kiss (forehead, cheek, maybe lips but not descriptive). Romantic, but nothing suggested.
🔘 - Some slightly suggestive descriptions, but implicitly nothing sexual described. ("The kiss deepened." But nothing past that)
❗- Very suggestive, pushing that "closed door" boundary.
‼️- Yeah, no. Open door scenes, this is New Adult or "higher." Absolutely NOT for Young Adults.

First, I want to say thank you for giving me this opportunity. This book had so much potential, and the story line itself felt original. The characters on the other hand was detached from the story and I personally felt like, I couldn't relate to them, I could feel there emotions, they were just very bland. When I first opened the book and looked at the table of contents, I had to look and make sure the book was not a book of short stories. although the it was very thoughtful and creative, the names of the chapters were long and slight annoying.

The Girl at Maywood Manor is about Holly who is invited to her grandmother’s manor for her 17th birthday. Every girl in Holly’s family has been invited to spend their 17th birthday with her grandmother and has been sent home with gifts each time. As Holly starts to unravel the mystery of the manor she realizes it’s not as simple as her grandmother inviting her to the manor to give her a present for her 17th birthday.

This was the first book I have read by S.A Sebuchi. I really enjoyed it. It was a quick read and I didn’t think there were any slow parts. The story kept moving throughout the whole book. I thought S. A. did a good job developing the characters throughout the story. This is one of the few books lately where I have not been disappointed by the ending. I would look forward to reading more books by S.A. Sebuchi.

Thank you NetGalley and Osoberry press for the ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

I was immediately gripped right from the start, the author wrote an incredible story that I didn’t want to put down which ended up with me flying through it.

This book has eerie vibes with suspenseful settings, it’s a gothic YA thriller, definitely more one the YA side which would be a good introduction to thrillers for younger readers.

I liked Holly, even though it was kinda annoying how easily influenced she was, that does get explained but I feel like she was a bit too gullible sometimes.

The ending was left a little open, not enough for another book, but definitely enough that it could have had more chapters, it’s left me asking multiple questions that will probably be left unanswered.

Overall, I did like this book, it was a nice short read, eerie atmosphere and very intriguing. I highly recommend this for people that enjoy YA books, especially if you’re a younger reader that wants to get into thrillers.

This was excellent! I was drawn in from the start and couldn’t read quickly enough to see how it all turned out. It was a fun and creepy ride with nothing gory! I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read more by this author.

This book was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

Rating is more of a 3.75 star but i've rounded it up to 4.
This was a quick, eerie, fun read. I think this is a perfect started book for teens who want to explore thriller books. I would of appreciated a bit more though as I feel like there was more to be discovered surrounding the story especially with Austin and I did feel like the ending was left a little open with some questions to be asked. But I did really enjoy the story and the development of Holly realising thingd about herself and finding some secrets within the Manor alongside Sawyer. It was a quick fun read and one I think many teens could enjoy.

It was ok. I really dig the spooky vibes and atmosphere to the story but I think the chapters were overly long and did not have a lot of depth to them.

Holly is always there for others. she lives with her father she never sees her mum. her father has nothing to do with her grandmother .and Holly gets her invitation to stay with her grandmother as she has done with her cousins. Holly decides to go. but Maywood Manor is not all as it seems. Holly needs to uncover the truth before her birthday Iso enjoyed it

Thank you, Osoberry Press for gifting me The Girl at Maywood Manor.

When the past beckons, some doors should remain closed…

Holly May always throws herself into fixing everyone else’s problems. So when her estranged grandmother extends an invitation to her grand, isolated manor for a "birthday blessing," Holly jumps at the chance to bring the family together again.

But from the moment she arrives, something feels off. The manor pulses with strange energy, her grandmother’s behavior shifts from charming to chilling and strange occurrences become increasingly sinister. As Holly uncovers the dark secrets lurking in her grandmother’s past, she fears the so-called blessing may actually be a curse—and there’s no one to help her escape.

Can Holly unravel the truth in time, or will the manor’s secrets claim her too?

The Girl at Maywood Manor is a gothic young adult thriller that masterfully blends suspense, eerie settings, and emotional depth—perfect for lovers of dark and twisty tales.

I will start my review by saying this is just my opinion, and I won't put in any spoilers.

I found the book to start off slow. The MC was far too easily manipulated. Too much of a people pleaser, and it really irritated me. (This does get explained but too close to the end) As I read more and more of the book, I came to the conclusion that it would be better suited as Teen fiction, not Young Adult. However, I would give this book a rating of 3.5 for ease of reading and the fact I wanted to know what would happen next as it was getting closer to the end.

This was fun! The writing was a little simplistic for me, but I think a younger reader would love. I definitely got engrossed in the story & had a great time with all the twists and turns !

The story carries an eerie, spooky atmosphere, perfect for younger readers, though it didn’t quite resonate with me. The chapters felt overly long, and despite their length, the narrative lacked depth and robust world-building.

It’s rare that I’ll DNF a YA book—especially a gothic thriller—but this one lost me almost immediately. The writing felt painfully simplistic and way too juvenile for the genre, like it couldn’t decide if it was aiming for middle grade readers or young adults. Holly didn’t feel like a real person so much as a walking checklist of “family issues” with no actual emotional depth. And if you’re promising me eerie, atmospheric suspense and all I’m getting is awkward dialogue and flat vibes? I’m out.

DNF at 10%—I don’t have the patience to wait for a plot when the prose is already testing my will to live.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book before the release date. I'm giving this book a 3.75 rating. The book held my attention and flowed nicely. The writing was excellent and the premise was interesting. However the ending for me was anti-climatic and I feel the author could have taken it a little farther with a bit more explanation. I will recommend this book. Also to note if you know a reader as young as 12, this book is perfectly acceptable for them to read.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read and review The Girl at Maywood Manor.

This read like VC Andrews meets Tangled. There's the estranged rich grandparent, a giant mansion with hidden rooms and passages, potential autophagy, and people who just take and take energy and power from those around them.

I liked it, but I really wanted more of Charlotte's backstory and how everything works. I would be really interested in a prequel that explains how we came to the present in this current story.

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

If you like haunted houses, spooky vibes and plot twists mixed with self discovery, self love and a bit of romance, this book is for you!