Eleven Houses Published by Simon and Schuster on October 22, 2024 Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Supernatural
Pages: 416
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest
Goodreads
Twilight meets The Mist in this “fresh, atmospheric paranormal romance” (Booklist) about a mysterious island and the houses who have stood for centuries to guard against the dreaded nightmare of beings waiting to strike from the ocean’s depths.
On a forgotten part of Nova Scotia, there lies an island.
On that island are Eleven Houses.
In those houses sit eleven ancient families.
And they are waiting…Mabel is one of the last surviving members of House Beuvry, one of the eleven houses on the haunted island of Weymouth. Her days, like all the other teens on the island, are spent readying her house for The Storm: a once-a-decade event that pummels the island with hurricane-level wind, water, and waves. But that’s not all the Storm brings with it—because Weymouth Island is a gate between the worlds of the living and the dead.
When Miles Cabot arrives on Weymouth Island after the death of his mother, he realizes quickly it isn’t like other places—and Mabel Beuvry isn’t like other teenagers. There’s an intense chemistry between Miles and Mabel that both feel, yet neither understand—nor the deadly consequences that will come with it.
With the suspicious death of an island elder, a strained dynamic with her younger sister Hali, and the greatest Storm in years edging ever closer, Mabel’s life is becoming as chaotic as the weather. One thing becomes clear: if the fortified houses of Weymouth Island can’t stand against the dead, then she—and everyone she loves—will pay the price.
Fares Well the House That’s Ready.
Review:
Eleven Houses is a story of isolation, paranoia, growing dread, family dynamics, and a heavy sense of impending doom written by the author during the pandemic when we all experienced these feelings. Eleven Houses is a delicious, creepy tale of a lonely island that is the gateway to death. The eleven standing houses are the final defense before death can attack the world. Maddie is an interesting character, an actual awkward teenage kid who wants to blend in with everyone but reluctantly stands out like a sore thumb. You would think on an island where everyone grew up knowing the strange going on and the extreme measures they must take to protect themselves from the dead, everyone would like everyone else as there is no one else to enjoy. One day, something that had never happened while Maddie was alive, a new kid arrived, and the weird became even weirder.
The author does a fantastic job of creating a creepy atmospheric island and slowly unpeels how vital the eleven houses are to the protection of the world. I could see the whole story unfold, and I bit my nails the entire time when the showdown during the storm happened. Eleven Houses is a perfect choice if you are looking for a deliciously creepy book with a sweet romance, a genuine acceptance of what grief can do you, and a small glimmer of hope after the storm.
About Colleen Oakes
Colleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts Series, The Black Coats, the Wendy Darling Saga, and Sister of the Chosen One. She recently moved to New England with her husband and son, and now spends most of her time marveling at trees. Colleen has her Master’s in Library Science and would love to chat with you about building diverse book collections.
Her first middle-grade book The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club was released in April 2024, and her stand-alone YA paranormal thriller, Eleven Houses came out in October 2024.
