This book starts off a little disjointedly as it hops from character to character, but once you get use to the style and writing it slowly draws you in like the peat bog it takes place in. As more and more mysteries slowly are answered you find yourself frantically reading to see how it ends.

4.5⭐️

Loved the friendships and character development, loved the spooky setting of a bog, and surprisingly enjoyed Birdie’s genuineness!

I received this book as an arc, and I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the chance to read this book early. My opinion is my own.

This book is very eerie and there is a lot going on. This is a book about a group of children who have been "mutated" to have superpowers of sort by the government. The main character, Birdie is looking for her sister who seems to have gotten lost in the system, and we get to ride with her on this wild ride to find out what exactly happened to her little sister. I spent most of the book absolutely, blissfully lost. I kept turning the pages wanting to know what was going on. I've read a lot of Kiersten White books at all levels of reading and I have always felt welcome and enjoyed reading them. She can write most genres and keep her audience. The only complaint and the reason why I only gave it four stars versus five was that the ending seemed to fall slightly flat. I kept waiting for the punch at the end. I hope that, because it was left open, that we will be seeing these characters again as they continue on their hero's journey.

The House of Quiet has a strong premise, with a girl sneaking into a mysterious institution to find her missing sister. The setting is eerie and well-drawn, and the central mystery kept me turning pages. Birdie is a compelling lead, and the book touches on themes of class, medical horror, and found family in interesting ways.

That said, the pacing lags in the middle, and the supporting characters felt more like familiar archetypes than fully developed people. The relationships didn’t quite land for me, and while the ending wrapped things up, it leaned too heavily on tropes I’ve seen before.

There’s enough here to recommend it to fans of gothic YA or dystopian fantasy, but I wanted it to push further into the strange and unsettling territory it flirted with.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

3/5 stars

This one was okay for me. The premise is eerie and intriguing—a mysterious house surrounded by a deadly bog, missing children, and dangerous secrets. The setup had all the ingredients for a strong dark fantasy with high emotional stakes.

Birdie's journey to infiltrate the House of Quiet and find her sister Magpie had some compelling moments, and I appreciated the unique worldbuilding. There is definitely creativity here, and the atmosphere is suitably creepy. But the pacing dragged in parts, and some of the reveals felt underwhelming. I struggled to connect with a few of the characters, and the story leaned more on setup than satisfying payoff.

Still, fans of dystopian fantasy with gothic vibes may find something to enjoy here. While it did not blow me away, The House of Quiet has enough originality to keep readers turning the page, especially those who like locked-room mysteries with a supernatural twist.

This book was a wild ride. It starts out a little slow and confusing as we get glimpses of different unknown perspectives, easing into more and more mystery to where I started to feel confused at times, but then you’re slowly fed more details that bring everything together in the end. The characters were heart-warming in their quirkiness and the plot was wound in an incredibly unique and thought-provoking way that made reading until the end absolutely worth it. Loved the found family with the friendships the characters developed in here. Worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

While initially excited about the story, I just could not vibe with it. So, unfortunately, this was a DNF for me, but I'll still grant the three stars because I have no idea if it gets any better or not. I will not tank a rating on a book I didn't finish by giving it one star.

It starts with a search for a sister, taking many twists and turns and dips and dives along the way. I had no idea where this story was going when it started, and it kept me questioning the entire way. The revelations and discoveries made in the House of Quiet are as horrifying as they are hopeful, and this includes the identities of the House’s occupants. Birdie is there to search for her missing sister, Minnow and Rabbit are there for work (supposedly), and the children are there for treatment (also supposedly). What actually happens kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book, the ending was DELIGHTFULLY satisfying and I’m hoping this is not a standalone (though it definitely could be) because I would LOVE to see where this little gang of miscreants go next.


It starts with a search for a sister, and ends with a family forged, determined to set their corrupt world on fire and build a better one in the ashes.

"The House of Quiet" is a dark YA novel set in a world where youth can be triggered into having powers through a mysterious procedure. Birdie's younger sister, Magpie, was sent to get the procedure and never came back. Birdie thinks that she has found where Magpie is and has snuck into the house as a maid. An atmospheric mystery that made me wish that the worldbuilding was described more. A recommended purchase where Kiersten White is popular.

This book was such a fantastic read and I struggled to put it down once I had started. It captivated me from chapter 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The naming scheme for the characters was interesting and the overall narrative kept me on my toes and I didn't see most of the twists coming. It was very close to being a 5 star review but the ending didn't pack the punch I was hoping it would and there were a lot of elements to the story that I felt didn't get enough attention. I think with another 50-100 pages this book could have easily been a 5 star read for me. This was my first experience with this author and I am looking forward to reading more from them in the future.

One of the oddest, darkly gothic and cryptic books I have read in a long, long time. Honestly, looked at the cover just to confirm I did not hold an Erin Craig book in my hand!! White has created a deeply disturbing and moving book - disturbing only in the fact that at times I honestly had the thought of "what have I picked up and what world have I fallen into??" - meant in the most deliciously amazing way possible.

This book starts off a bit slow and the names threw me at first - Magpie, Birdie. Although I smiled because my nickname for my second oldest is Bird. Then one you get through the set up you are sucked into a world that is dark, complex, cryptic, strange, and all encompassing.

Simply a book that must be read and experienced and certainly adds to White's already great line of written books.

Wow! Kiersten White does it again! What a great atmospheric, terrifying, and emotional book. Finally an author writes a book that’s actually scary!

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dark, atmospheric, with all the high emotion and deep dread that White’s fans (like me!) love. She keeps the tension high while managing a large cast and rich lore. I was hooked from the first page!

4.75 stars rounded up!

This book was incredible! Kiersten White is amazing at writing dark and sinister stories that are still filled with hope and meaning. House of Quiet is part fairy tale, part Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets New Mutants, and follows Birdie on her search for her sister, Magpie. Birdie

The setting was incredible and I adored the large cast of characters in the House of Quiet. I did have a little bit of a harder time tracking all of the characters and remembering their names and powers when first arrived at the House of Quiet but by the last third I had a really solid understanding of who everyone was and was extremely attached to them individually and as a group.

Discovering Forest's identity and power was one of my favorite parts! I thought it was going to go a certain way based on some of the hints (a trick that I fall victim too repeatedly so now I'm always paranoid and on the look out for) but I was only partially right and it was so good!

I identified too much with Birdie for her to be my favorite character, but she genuinely may be one of the best YA protagonists I've read in a long time- she has a singular focus that can only be expanded by the amount of love and empathy inside her. As much as I loved all the children, I loved Lake especially, as I'm a sucker for a character with powerful abilities who is driven slightly mad by it.

While it took a minute to fully understand the characters and the world, I love a YA book that can perfectly balance it's message and exploration of class structures and societal issues alongside a genuinely creepy and engaging storyline and a full cast of interesting and endearing characters, and House of Quiet really delivers that.

Read it if you love...
Isolated, gothic homes
Teens with terrible powers
Found family
Eldest sisters
The power of empathy
One hell of a maid(s)

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC- all thoughts my own!

With The House of Quiet, Kiersten White has wowed me and proved yet again that she’s in a league of her own. This book feels like if Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children had a spooky lil baby with the Haunting of Hill House and it’s a nightmarish offspring that I will gladly raise. 🙌

This story throws us right into a bizarre world with a country divided by North and South (affluent and impoverished), where there's an expensive, life-changing procedure meant to give poor children a chance at a better life. A better life sounds great, but the reality hiding within the unexplainable House of Quiet where the children are sent to recover, is far more sinister than anyone realizes. 😱

Our glimmer of hope in the dark is Birdie who spent her childhood working as a housemaid to afford the procedure for her sister Magpie. When Birdie returns home to find her sister vanished and her parents strangely unbothered, she sets out on a quest for answers in the only place that has them: The House of Quiet.

I could write a dissertation on Birdie. I know her…and I love her. She’s a girl from nowhere, in a dangerous place surrounded by an even more treacherous landscape without a soul in the world watching her back; but the secret sauce is that it doesn't even remotely hold her back. She learns everything she can about the house, its secrets, its staff and the curious children with abilities staying within it. 🧠

What absolutely destroyed me in the best way were the characters: each one puzzling in their own right, yet they all find their own moment in the sun. River especially stole my heart with her determination and endless bite. Seeing this ragtag group of children find different ways to work together for good, for connection, for togetherness and for their own god damn place in the world broke my heart and rebuilt it with hope. If you know me, you know I love a weakness turned strength and THIS CREW IS GIVING.

What makes this book so uniquely compelling is how Kiersten masterfully builds an atmospheric mystery where every answer spiders into more questions (questions that she makes you desperate to answer). As Birdie ventures deeper into the house's secrets, and the kids begin to understand the parts of themselves that make them special, the danger they find themselves in hits a fever pitch. And I was completely captivated by how unpredictable and unconventional it all was. 🤯

This smart, hauntingly original gothic storytelling demands your full attention. It's stunningly rich and symbolism-forward, so if you're craving something fresh that breaks away from predictable formulas, this is absolutely essential reading. If you struggle with unorthodox storytelling, I beg you give this a shot and stick with it, even if it tickles your brain, because the journey is worth it.

Tropes:

🦇 Gothic/atmospheric setting
❓Locked room mystery
🏡 Found family with teeth
🧠 Supernatural abilities with consequences
🏭 Dark fantasy/dystopian vibes
⚖️Class warfare/power dynamics

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for providing me with an arc of this incredible story.

This one confused me throughout the whole book, but in like the best way possible. This is a dark fantasy full of abilities, secrets, and risks. It is also chock-full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed the writing style in this one, it had me locked in from the very start. I also thought the world was super interesting and unique. Everyone is named based on their class, so everyone has super unique and interesting names. I think I would like a little bit more into where our main character is from, but I understand why we did not get as much of that, based on the contents of the book

I think this will be an absolutely perfect read for the fall, which is amazing since it comes out in September!

3.75/5 stars

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I laughed and I cried, but mostly I just had a great time.

The characters of this book were incredibly well written and made for one of the best found families I've read in a long time. This is the perfect spooky season read!

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I think I'm one of the odd ones out on this one, but The House of Quiet just didn't hook me like I had hoped. Overall a good read, just wasn't for me.

At one point I had to start over at the beginning because i felt like I lost track of what was going on.
an i am not sure ever figured out what was happening in this house.
But i loved every minute of this book!