Praise for The Ghost of Midnight Lake
“A pitch-perfect page-turner. Strange’s writing makes for a compelling read full of vivid descriptions and characters that are well-imagined and richly drawn. Agatha is a strong and capable female lead, vulnerable enough to be believable and brave enough to remake her life. The story hits the right note thanks to expert plotting and pacing, with each twist and turn setting up what’s to come.” – Kirkus, starred review
“In her third novel, Strange is at her assured, brilliant best.” – The Guardian“A spooky, addictive tale of friendship and family.” – The Times (Children’s Book of the Week)
“A beautiful, haunting ghost story, full of vividly written characters…brimming with magic and mystery.” – Booktrust
"Family secrets, a ghost girl and a forbidding manor house that goes up in smoke - this new story from Lucy strange is a classic gothic novel for beginners with affectionate nods to Jane Eyre and Rebecca." — The Times, Book of the Month
Praise for The Secret of Nightingale Wood:
Shelf Awareness best Children's Book of the Year
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Telegraph Top 50 Book of the Year
A Waterstones Book of the Month Pick
2018 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year
* "In an imaginative, compelling first-person narration, Henry wraps her story in fairy tales, exposing her guilt, grief, isolation, and fear as she unravels the stunning secrets of Nightingale Wood." — Kirkus, starred review
* "A brave heroine propels this strong and richly layered novel, a memorable portrait of grief, resilience, and rebirth." — Publisher's Weekly, starred review
*In her debut novel, Strange tells a lovely, extraordinaryily enchanting coming-of-age tale." - Shelf Awareness, starred review
"From the first page, I was entirely smitten and compelled to read on until I finished this mysterious and poignant story." — Pam Munoz Ryan, author of Newbery Honor Book Echo and Esperanza Rising
Praise for Our Castle By the Sea:
* "A plot summary can only hint at the satisfaction of reading this tightly interwoven story with its haunting setting and memorable characters." — Booklist (starred review)
* "Strange seamlessly blends a local legend of four girls turned into ancient standing stones on the lighthouse's clifftop into a larger story...A standout historical novel with a memorable protagonist, strongly sketched setting, and a compelling, twisty plot." — Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
* "Lucy Strange's second middle-grade work features elegant prose and an enchanting protagonist. Pet is earnest and unwavering, and the "small, mousy, and unimportant" girl at the beginning of the story is quite different from the strong young woman who emerges by the end... This haunting, historical novel is sure to touch young readers' hearts." — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"The slow dismantling of Petra's faith in her loved ones adds a delicious instability to the growing unease of this WWII thriller. - Kirkus
★ 2021-07-27
When her life changes overnight, Agatha finds herself in the middle of a ghost story, bravely unraveling her family’s hidden truths.
It’s the turn of the 20th century in England, and 12-year-old Agatha is forced into a new life. Upon her father’s death, she is disinherited from Gosswater Hall after learning that she was secretly—and not entirely legally—adopted, and her greedy, malicious cousin, Clarence, is taking over the vast estate. Agatha is sent to live with her biological father in his modest farm cottage, but she’s bent on undoing Clarence’s evil and fighting for what has been bequeathed to her—the Queen Stone, a priceless family heirloom whose whereabouts are unknown—and discovering the truth about who she is. Strange’s writing makes for a compelling read full of vivid descriptions and characters that are well imagined and richly drawn. Agatha is a strong and capable female lead, vulnerable enough to be believable and brave enough to remake her life. Others, like the midwife and mystic Moll Speedwell, a cantankerous goose named Susan, and Agatha’s friend Bryn, are irresistible, lively, fully formed characters. The titular ghost and other atmospheric elements evoke Brontë-an imagery just enough to spook but not terrorize. The story hits the right note thanks to expert plotting and pacing, with each twist and turn setting up what’s to come without being overly predictable. Characters are presumed White.
A pitch-perfect page-turner. (Historical mystery. 9-12)
