Wow…. OK, so no hate on this book, seriously, but after 4 weeks of really trying, I finally have to move it to the DNF pile at 50%.
The premise sounded very interesting, and the cover captivated me. However, this was one of the most challenging reads I can remember ever undertaking.
Right off the bat I felt lost. There were several times during the first few chapters that I had to go back and reread because I was so confused. I can appreciate a slow build and the author keeping us in the dark until the time is right, but I felt like I never left the dark. There are so many characters, each of which has their own set of issues. And so many questions that leave you feeling disoriented and ungrounded. When you do finally get one question answered, it just opens the door to even more questions. Personally, I just couldn’t hold onto the story.
I set the book down for a while and decided to come back when I was in a different state of mind. Big mistake. It was even harder to get back into the story and collect my bearings. This is the type of book you need to give your FULL attention to at all times.
And truthfully, it deserves it. I see the potential. I believe this is a great book. For the right reader. Unfortunately, I am not that reader.
If you like slow build, are into dark and mysterious vibes, and aren’t easily distracted, then this is definitely the book for you.
I would still recommend this book to most reader friends and I would never discourage anyone from picking it up, but I would also recommend with a caution.
My lack of interest in this novel will in no way deter me from reading any of the author's future works.

I am very grateful to Random House Children's Books, NetGalley, and Kiersten White for the eARC and the opportunity to read this.

A life changing procedure that gives poor children a chance at a better life, a procedure that elicits powers from them. Sold! The House of Quiet is where children go to recover from said procedure. Birdie is searching for her sister, Magpie. I loved Birdie's character. Kiersten White did a phenomenal job with character development! While working as a maid in the House of Quiet, Birdie meets a group of kids who are altogether strange but intriguing. This was a refreshing novel ripe with amazing characters and plot!

Beyond thrilled to see Kiersten White doing horror YA after absolutely shaking the world of adult horror. This was everything I wanted it to be. The characters were so well written and relatable. The plot moved at just the right pace, and I could not put it down.

This author ends up being a bhit or miss for me. I was really hoping for a hit! The book starts off well, but I did struggle with the world building. It just wasn't enough, and I kept wishing for it to develop further. The characters were plenty and the names weren't confusing, but I don't feel like they were different enough from each other, so i had a hard time identifying who the narrator was. Unfortunately, my enjoyment didn't increase whole reading this one, so in the end it was a miss.

I was so excited to start this book. The premise of it sounded so interesting but unfortunately, in my opinion, it wasn’t executed very well. I had a really hard time connecting the with the characters and didn’t feel fully invested into the story until halfway in. The pacing was incredibly slow which I think is one of the reasons I really struggled with this book. The main character, Birdie, has no idea what’s happening until the last 50-100 pages and even then there were loose ends.

The thing I did like about the book though was the powers that the kids were given. One of the characters had a power I’d never heard of before so that was fun to see play out. I also really liked the writing style and the POV switches we got to see.

Overall, the book wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. If you like slower paced books with a dark mysterious vibe you would enjoy it!

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!