I first fell in love with #KierstenWhite's writing when I read The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein and I have been absorbing her works ever since. There is just something unique about her story telling that pulls the reader in and fully immerses you in the thoughts and emotions of the characters that are springing to life off the pages.

#TheHouseofQuiet is yet another of her wonderful works of fiction.

In Birdies world living within Sootcity everyone knows their stations and if they want to become more or want their children to become more than it comes at a cost. Grieving the loss of watching her sister Magpie grow Birdie sets out at a young age to work and send home money to her family so that Magpie can have the Procedure that will rise her higher in life dependnig on the kind of ability that she ends up with. Birdie hopes that Magpie will be an empath those are the ones rich folk want because they can project their feeling onto those around them.

However when Birdie goes home to see her sister after the procedure all she finds are her parents in a home far too grand and much too empty. Magpie is no where to be found, seems her parents sold her off after the procedure and now Birdie is deteremind to find her sister and keep them together. Finding her sister though leads her to a house unlike any other.

Out in the middle of a peat bog sits The House of Quiet where Birdie is certain she will find her sister and with the help of a sponser who seems to know when the house will be in need of new staff she becomes a maid on staff. Things aren't what they seem though, the other maids starting with her don't seem to actually know what they are doing she is fairly certain that they aren't actually maids and for a home that is somewhat large the staff is just them, the cook and The House Wife.

Several others seem to be staying at the house and they seem to be children of the rich that somehow caught abilities and are here to get treatment and have those abilities taken away. For that to happen they must go with The House Wife into a locked room and each time they come out they are fazed.

Birdie is determined to get into that room and find Magpie and with the help of the residents around her she just might. However her death and anothers has been seen, the thing with those that have abilities is that you never know what you can and can't trust.

#TheHouseofQuiet is a great book that I would reccommend over and over again!

I want to thank #Netgalley and #Delacourt for the chance to read this eArc in return for a fair and honest review.

claustrophobically interesting novel with some tight corners and intensely creepy charaacters. twists are kinda expected but still great. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

The House of Quiet is a slow-paced, gothic tale that pulls you into its eerie atmosphere piece by piece. Birdie’s search for her missing sister leads her into a crumbling estate full of secrets. If you like a slow burn, surreal read, this one might be for you. It was a bit too slow for me.

House of Quiet was brilliant. The eerie atmosphere of the house and all it's inhabitants were interesting. Birdie is a great main charcter who was exploring this dark mystery and leading to suspenful and charged moments between characters. The ending was beautifully tragic and bittersweet.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

Kiersten White continues to be a Queen of Horror!

I loved this story. From the haunted house, the characters (Forest is my favorite), and the magic system. I loved the slightly gothic vibe of this story, with the sense of dread that you feel from page one. White is able to weave a haunted house story with her own twist on it, adding a much needed new story to this subgenre. I really loved the way the story ended, with the hope we feel but also the realistic dangers the main characters are still in.

I do wish one character had gotten a proper burial, I feel so bad for her. But, at least she got revenge.

House of Quiet was so engaging, it was perfect to settle into and read in one day. The pacing kept things moving and the mystery of the House of Quiet was really interesting. It felt gothic and dark, and I imagine this house just full of shadows. The only thing that really makes this feel YA is a bit of a lack of depth in the characters, but the writing does make up for that some.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of Kiersten White, having greatly enjoyed Mister Magic and Hide. Her stories always trend to the beautifully strange and The House of Quiet is no different, though I had a hard time getting into this story.

The world building for the story is quite slow and readers not familiar with White's work may be frustrated (I was at times as well) by some of the many odd details handed out sporadically. While I love White's work, this was not the book for me.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The House of Quiet sets up an eerie and atmospheric premise: a sinister bog, a foreboding mansion, and a secretive institution where children with uncontrollable powers undergo a mysterious “Procedure.” Kiersten White’s writing immediately draws you in with its gothic tone, unsettling setting, and the promise of secrets lurking behind every door.

Birdie makes for a determined and resourceful protagonist, sneaking her way into the house in hopes of finding her missing sister, Magpie. Her perspective gives the story a strong emotional anchor, and her relationships—whether with the enigmatic Forest, the clever River, or the vulnerable younger children—bring much-needed warmth and tension to the otherwise bleak environment.

However, while the atmosphere is chilling and the mysteries compelling at first, the story sometimes struggles with clarity. The house itself brims with aristocratic teens who feel more like pieces of the puzzle than fully realized characters, and the pacing leans heavily on drawn-out suspense. The constant layers of secrecy and intrigue can start to feel repetitive rather than revelatory, making the eventual revelations hit with less impact than they should.

White’s lush, haunting prose and her ability to create a vividly oppressive mood are undeniable strengths. Yet the plot’s execution doesn’t fully live up to its chilling setup, leaving the resolution feeling rushed and less satisfying compared to the atmospheric build-up.

Verdict: A moody and mysterious tale with flashes of brilliance, but one that doesn’t quite deliver on the high stakes it sets for itself. Worth exploring for fans of gothic settings and slow-burning suspense, though it may leave some readers wanting more depth and payoff.

What did you do to me Kiersten White?

It took me a little while to get into the magic/power system in this one. Its fairly unique and I would love to see more of it. But once Birdie got into The House of Quiet, I was very invested. I loved meeting the residents and staff of the house, learning the ins and outs of their histories, powers, hopes and dreams, and trying to figure out how they could possibly figure out what is going on in The House.

Had I read this in my teens, it definitely would have become part of my personality.

This book stands alone, but I'd LOOOOOOVE to see where these characters go next.

When Birdie enters The House of Quiet as a maid searching for her sister, she doesn’t expect to find a group of young people who have all undergone the procedure and now live in the house. They soon become her allies, and that’s where the story really shines.
What stood out most to me was how unique each character felt, every one of them had their own personality, which made the story engaging. The pacing is definitely a slow burn, but it wraps up with a quick and satisfying ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press for the ARC!

The House of Quiet is a mysterious read that had me wondering what was really going on in the House of Quiet. Birdie gets a job working as a maid there in hopes of finding her missing sister Magpie. She is helping look after some teens that have powers you would not expect. There is something sinister afoot and Birdie is running out of leads to find her sister and discover what is really going on in the House of Quiet.

I was not sure what to expect going into this book, but I can confidently tell you I never would have expected this. While the characters were interesting, it just felt a bit flat for me. The story started picking up in the last half and you get a lot of answers to questions you have been asking the entire book. Overall, it was an interesting read and a unique story. If you are a fan of Young Adult Fantasy books with a touch of horror, you should try this book!

"The House of Quiet" is a gothic fantasy brimming with political intrigue, eerie magic, unique powers, and the kind of found family dynamics that keep you invested. Kiersten White creates a world that feels both claustrophobic and dangerous, full of secrets, questions, and unexpected twists.

The story follows Birdie, a determined girl who blackmails her way into the mysterious House of Quiet, posing as a maid. Her mission is simply to find out what happened to her sister. Nothing in this house is what it seems. The bog that surrounds it is as deadly as the secrets within, and every room seems to hold its own dangers. As Birdie navigates hidden agendas, strange abilities, and shifting alliances, she’s drawn deeper into a web of power, rebellion, and survival.

I’ll admit it took me a little while to settle into the world, and at times the story felt confusing, but once it clicked, I couldn’t put it down. The writing isn’t lyrical, but it’s immersive enough to keep you turning pages, always wanting to know what lies behind the next door.

Overall, this is a chilling, and emotionally charged gothic fantasy perfect for readers who love dark atmospheres, layered mysteries, and stories that have you questioning everyone’s motives.

Kiersten White is in her element with The House of Quiet. This gothic tale sees Birdie, a maid on her way to The House of Quiet searching for her lost sister. Featuring children with powers, political intrigue, and a focus on lost and found family, this book is sure to entertain!

Kiersten White’s The House of Quiet is the kind of gothic fantasy that creeps in slowly and then refuses to let go. It starts with Birdie, a girl who has sacrificed everything for her younger sister, only to be betrayed by the very system she trusted. Determined to get answers, she blackmails her way into working at the mysterious House of Quiet—an eerie mansion in the middle of a bog that feels alive in all the worst ways. What she finds inside isn’t what she expected: not the struggling poor, but rich teens with dangerous abilities and even darker secrets.

Birdie is the kind of heroine who keeps this story sharp. She’s fierce, sarcastic, and willing to throw herself into danger if it means protecting Magpie. Her point of view cuts through the gloom of the setting and makes the slow build worth it. The atmosphere is pure gothic—haunting halls, locked doors, and a constant sense of dread—but the story also has teeth, digging into ideas about class, privilege, and who gets access to power. It’s moody and unsettling, but also deeply emotional in the way it explores loyalty and sacrifice.

This isn’t a book that gives you easy answers, and it does take its time to get going, but once it does, it’s all secrets, revelations, and found-family vibes wrapped in shadows. If you love stories that feel a little disorienting, a little dangerous, and a lot atmospheric, The House of Quiet will be right up your alley. It’s messy and haunting in the best way—and exactly the kind of story that lingers after you close the book.

A twisty, gothic tale of psychic teens fighting societal injustice in an isolated mansion haunted by much more frightening threats than ghosts? Yes, please.

I grew up on YA novels like Tannith Lee's "The Claidi Journals" and Isobelle Carmody's "Obernewtyn Chronicles" -- White's "The House of Quiet" is very much in the spirit of these classics.

Sootcity is a society reminscent of Industrial Victorian London, complete with smoke and rigidly enforced societal stratification. Birdie, a member of the poor lower classes, is sent away from her family and her home to work as a maid at ten years old in the grand houses of the wealthy.

The product of Birdie's (child) labour is all in aim of funding a mysterious and coveted "procedure" for her little sister, Magpie. A procedure which can induce psychic abilities and hopefully lift the whole of the young siblings' family from poverty.

When Magpie goes missing after her procedure, Birdie is determined to find her at any cost. Even if that means insinuating herself into the sinister and secretive House of Quiet where it's rumoured post-procedure patients are sent to recuperate.

I won't deny that at times this novel was slightly *too* opaque in it's mystery. It became frustrating at points, trying to wade through the the obfuscations of the author to get to the actual plot, but in the end, the reveal was very much worth it.

The found family aspect of this narrative was certainly a high point for me. Not only did I appreciate coming to discover all the character's abilities, but just *how* those abilities supported a tale of anarchy, acceptance and eventual justice was wonderfully done.

Now, even more than ever, we need to fight the encroachment of old, rich, self-satisfied men on the rights of all of us to autonomy and freedom. I really look forward to any future novels White sets in this universe.

Burn it all down for us please.

The House of Quiet by Kiersten White is a chilling dystopian fantasy, one that compels readers to ask questions about family, sacrifice and rebellion. The mood is brilliantly set--dark and gothic and creepy. This book is layered and complicated, fierce and feminist, crafted in a masterful way, as readers have come to expect from White who does not disappoint!

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was initially very intrigued by it. I love reading books that feature a spooky setting and a creepy house. This book is about a place called the House of Quiet, which is located in a bog and houses children who possess powers after having the “Procedure” performed on them. The main character of the book, Birdie, wants to infiltrate the House of Quiet in order to find her missing sister Magpie. However, Birdie realizes that the House of Quiet is not what she expected and that the house has a lot of secrets. The first few pages of this book caught my attention but I found myself feeling lost and a little confused as I read more of the novel. Unfortunately, the story did not flow easily for me and didn’t go in the direction that I thought it would. I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have, so I would give it a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE HOUSE OF QUIET by Kiersten White (Sept 9)

Thank you Netgalley, RHC (Delacorte), and Getunderlined for the earc

The House of Quiet is a place for children to go after a Procedure is done that triggers power. Birdie's sister was sent here, and Birdie has blackmailed her way in. All to find her missing sister. What she finds is more than she could have imagined: wealthy teens with powers instead of poor children forced into the Procedure. Birdie grapples with ignoring them, helping them. But she is drawn to them, concerned for them. As she searches for Magpie, what she uncovers is dangerous.
THE HOUSE OF QUIET is a YA fantasy book with multiple points of view. I was so excited to dive in, having read the PARANORMALCY trilogy many times when I was younger (a favorite read and reread of mine). Suffice to say, THE HOUSE OF QUIET lives up to the hype that I built for it in my head...
THE HOUSE OF QUIET creeped me out. (1).The setting is a strange house, (2) there's clearly something sinister going on, and (3) there's talk of a Procedure that gives people powers. It screams terror just from the cover alone.
Not only did I find the characters likeable, but there's a mystery that Birdie is working to solve---one that is dark and threatening, which adds to this. At any given time, except for the end, I never knew what exactly to expect. I didn't know how the mystery would unravel or how deep the conspiracy would go because (minus the likeable characters) there are some shady characters. There were times where I was slightly confused (1) by what was going on, (2) who could be trusted, (3) a name change that seemed like a mistake at first, but was eventually explained in a way that made sense---though I did have to go back and reread this part to make sure I was understanding correctly.
I flew through THE HOUSE OF QUIET just because I had to know what was going on and what happened to Birdie's sister (this is what I wanted to know the most). I didn't think the ending was as satisfying as I wanted. I was left with more questions than answers(iykyk), so hopefully there's a sequel to help clear things up better.
I've been reading a lot of books that are super atmospheric at heart, and THE HOUSE OF QUIET has a thrilling and chilling atmosphere that really caught my attention. The vibes are spooky and all out Halloween/fall-like, making it perfect for this time of year.

Thank you, NetGalley for the digital copy of The House of Quiet.
I recommend this book to people who enjoyed Ransom Riggs series which began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and or the books written by Roald Dahl.

This book was slow and confusing at first, but as you keep reading it gets better. By the end everything makes sense and hopefully there is a sequel!