Publishers Weekly - Audio
01/22/2018
Actor Arserio’s crisp narration of Miller’s middle grade novel captures the moody atmosphere of its gothic setting and the endearing nature of the friendship between its two protagonists. Mixing elements of ghost story and coming-of-age tale, the story follows a young, timid girl named Elizabeth, who, after being abandoned by her mother, moves with her distracted scientist father into his childhood home, an empty mansion called Witheringe House. Lonely and unable to attract her dad’s attention, Elizabeth finds companionship in Zenobia, a snarky friend who no one else can see. As Elizabeth and Zenobia roam the mansion, they detect ghosts and spirits that Elizabeth’s father and the stoic housekeeper dismiss as figments of Elizabeth’s imagination. Arserio reads the tale in low and mysterious tones that add intrigue and suspense. The book balances gruesome, spooky elements with the friendly banter between Elizabeth and Zenobia; Arserio’s narration provides the right proportions of tension and humor. Ages 9–13. An Amulet hardcover. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly
09/25/2017
After Elizabeth Murmur’s mother abandons Elizabeth and her father, they move into his childhood home, Witheringe House. Accompanying Elizabeth is her constant companion Zenobia, who her father dismisses as an imaginary friend but who Elizabeth knows is something... else (“There’s a faintness about her that makes it hard to tell where she ends and the rest of the world begins”). Unlike timid, scared-of-everything Elizabeth, Zenobia adores the gloomy, fog-shrouded mansion and is obsessed with conjuring a “Spirit Presence.” Elizabeth reluctantly follows Zenobia to the forbidden East Wing of the estate to perform séances, where they unravel a mystery surrounding Elizabeth’s father’s sister, who disappeared at age seven. Rounding out the gothic atmosphere of Australian author Miller’s first children’s book is a lurking housekeeper, a magical storybook, a cemetery, and a garden tended by a gardener who the adults claim doesn’t exist; Bryksenkova’s stark b&w spot illustrations add to the overall creepiness. Readers will be absorbed by Elizabeth and Zenobia’s conversations, the complex and chilling plot, Elizabeth’s transformation from meek to brave—and the mystery of what, exactly, Zenobia is. Ages 9–13. (Sept.)
Booklist
**STARRED REVIEW**"Spare, evocative language and direct sentences contribute to the suspenseful pacing...Comical characters, ghost story tropes, and a lively pair of intrepid protagonists help keep this spooky novel from getting too scary, and Brykenskova's faux-naive illustrations contribute."
The Horn Book
**STARRED REVIEW** "A vaguely Victorian setting, the snootily funny exchanges between the title characters, and the frequent references to other, cozier works of literature may lull readers into a false sense of security. Zenobia’s love of Poe gives a better idea of the story’s direction, as do the Gothic-feeling black-and-white illustrations."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"...an ideal mix of eerie gothic mysticism and realistic interpersonal dynamics, and fans of Auxier’s chilling The Night Gardener (BCCB 3/16) will find an excellent readalike here, right down to the eerie plant involvement in all that’s going wrong."
VOYA Magazine
"Zenobia’s voice is the best part of this novel. Her macabre sensibility and world view make for a highly entertaining, sometimes hilarious, read."
From the Publisher
"Narrator Shiromi Arserio whisks listeners into a world in which ghosts make pleasant companions, gardens hold treacherous secrets, and kingdoms can be found inside wallpaper remains." ---AudioFile
Booklist
**STARRED REVIEW**"Spare, evocative language and direct sentences contribute to the suspenseful pacing...Comical characters, ghost story tropes, and a lively pair of intrepid protagonists help keep this spooky novel from getting too scary, and Brykenskova's faux-naive illustrations contribute."
From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY
"Narrator Shiromi Arserio whisks listeners into a world in which ghosts make pleasant companions, gardens hold treacherous secrets, and kingdoms can be found inside wallpaper remains." —AudioFile
School Library Journal - Audio
04/01/2018
Gr 4–7—After Elizabeth's mother runs off, Elizabeth's botanically inclined father takes her along in a retreat to his childhood home of Witheringe House, a many-roomed mansion on a fog-shrouded green, with an atmosphere that emphasizes the "wither" in its name. Elizabeth's invisible friend, Zenobia, is excited by the change in location: she's always preferred dead trees in a landscape. The possibility that spirits may inhabit the house makes it more enticing to Zenobia, if not to Elizabeth. With Mrs. Purswell keeping house, and Miss Clemency for a tutor, Elizabeth, urged on by Zenobia, still finds time to explore for spirit presence. The story is delightfully creepy, with flickering candles, an amateur séance, a tumbledown gardener's shack, a missing aunt, and wallpaper with a mind of its own. Shiromi Arserio narrates with a gentle English accent, adding just enough petulance to Zenobia's tone when Elizabeth hesitates at entering Witheringe's forbidden East Wing. The black-and-white illustrations channel the spirit of Edward Gorey and are included as a PDF with the audiobook. VERDICT Just the right mix of mysterious and creepy for those not quite ready for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Consider for most middle school collections.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX
School Library Journal
08/01/2017
Gr 4–7—Elizabeth and Zenobia are friends. Elizabeth is timid, and Zenobia can best be described as unusual and fearless. They arrive at Witheringe House, a creepy manor where Elizabeth's father lived as a child. Zenobia loves it at first sight and is convinced that it is haunted. Eager to make contact with any spirit presence that might be found in the many secret and "off-limits" spaces in the house, Zenobia immediately begins holding seances and trying to commune with the dead. Elizabeth, however, is leery, so she is relieved when Zenobia's efforts seem unsuccessful. But strange things begin to happen in the East Wing, one of the areas that Elizabeth and Zenobia have been forbidden to explore. Flowers and vines in the wallpaper seem to come to life. The girls find a strange book whose words and images morph into different stories after the stroke of midnight. Strangest of all, Elizabeth discovers that her father had a sister, Tourmaline, who disappeared in the house when she was a young girl. With themes on courage, friendship, and imagination, Miller's novel is spooky and inviting. Older middle grade readers who have read widely in the genre might find it predictable and lacking a satisfying climax. There are questions throughout the story dealing with Zenobia's existence. Is or isn't she Elizabeth's imaginary friend? Is she a ghost? These questions will bother some readers, but others will enjoy the weirdness of it all. VERDICT Give this debut novel to readers looking for an accessible read and a bit of a scare.—Amy Caldera, Dripping Springs Middle School, TX
NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Shiromi Arserio whisks listeners into a world in which ghosts make pleasant companions, gardens hold treacherous secrets, and kingdoms can be found inside wallpaper remains. Elizabeth and Zenobia are inseparable friends who are determined to uncover the secrets of Withering House, their new home. Arserio characterizes Elizabeth, a child dealing with the loss of her mother, with calm tones and quiet inquiries as she seeks her father’s love and approval. Zenobia, whose most recent fascination is the study of clairvoyance, commands Elizabeth’s attention with her confident air and direct accusations. As more characters are introduced, Arserio skillfully gives each his or her own distinct sound. Her captivating narration brings to life a fantastical tale with an unexpected ending. V.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-05-24
Debut novelist Miller concocts a blend of Gothic horror and spine-tingling mystery. Elizabeth feels lonely and forgotten when her father moves her to his ancestral home, Witheringe House, after her mother abandons the two of them. At least best friend Zenobia has come along, though with her contrary nature, Zenobia is not exactly a comfort. She's also not exactly real. That is, not to anyone except Elizabeth. Aussie Miller sets her tale in the gauzy nebulousness of the early 20th century, delivering a stunning slow burn full of creepy atmospheric tension and heartbreaking loneliness. The back-and-forth dialogue between Elizabeth and her imaginary companion is laced with tension—give and take—illustrating the tumultuous extremes of Elizabeth's psyche. Add a family nursery and wallpaper gardens in which the plant life appears real, a family cemetery, plus an alter ego in search of spirits from beyond and an ending as unpredictable as the beginning or middle—and what readers get is a fascinating tale that feels like Edgar Allen Poe, revisited. Miller's painstaking crafting of language and attention to atmospheric detail create a clever story where nothing is as it seems. Drawings reminiscent of Gorey and references to gloomy classic poetry add beguiling texture. Eerie and dazzling—a perfect book for a dark and stormy afternoon or a favorite graveyard reading spot. (Horror. 9-13)
