Review of The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor

[Standor5865]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor" by Kae Harvey.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Think about ghosts, decades-old secrets, unexplainable situations, and time travel. What do you get when you incorporate these elements together in a story? Throw in an extremely inquisitive main character, and you'll get the gripping plot that forms the basis of Kae Harvey's The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor.

Set in the 1900s, The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor is a historical fiction novel that follows Claire Falmer, a sixteen-year-old girl, who lives with her mother, Marney, and has seen her fair share of life struggles. Nevertheless, a job for her and her mother as housekeepers in "Rookery Nook Manor" on the Dorset hillside presented a chance at a new life for them. The pay was great, the living conditions were an upgrade to anything they had ever experienced, and they could leave past debts behind. However, a lot of things did not seem normal. Besides the spooky nature of the house, Claire keeps seeing things that make her question her own sanity. As Marney would say, "There’s a reasonable explanation for everything." What are the secrets that "Rookery Nook Manor" holds?

The first aspect of the book that I was most excited by was the intense level of suspense and mystery that spread throughout the story. From the very first chapter, the book will have readers questioning a lot about the new life the main characters are going into, from the weird name of the manor to the suspicious conditions set by their employers. I fell in love with Claire's curiosity despite her mother trying to dismiss her fears, but the author had a way of presenting answers for the unusual happenings at the beginning of the story, which led Claire and even me to doubt her sense of reasoning. Nevertheless, her paranoia draws you in, as you get the feeling that there must be more to this house and the people in it.

Kae Harvey also does a wonderful job in depicting the periods the story is set in. We follow the story through the 1980s and then 1945 when Claire discovers the possibility of time traveling under mind-blowing circumstances. I enjoyed watching her cope with fulfilling certain expectations that came with that discovery, which was central to the story. The author also explores certain events around the ending of World War II and does well to spark fascinating conversations around the effects of changing the past on the present through the story.

One aspect of the book that presented some concerns revolved around the pace of the story. It felt really slow at times, which made it tough for the book to retain my attention until the mysteries in the book started to unravel around the eleventh chapter. I also found about five errors while reading; however, they were minor errors and did not affect my reading too much. Therefore, The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor is a professionally edited book.

All things considered, the book is a light, fascinating read, comprising elements that I thoroughly enjoyed. Claire and Marney running from their past at times provided an injection of excitement to the story as well. The complaints I discussed above mean that the book is not perfect, but it deserves a rating of three out of four stars. Readers who enjoy well-thought-out mystery novels and historical fiction stories will enjoy reading this book. Also, the profanity included indicates that the book is best suited to a mature audience.

******
The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Eddy E]

I just love this book already! Horror, suspense, mystery , the three ingredients for any book I'd like to read. Great Review it really pulled me on from beginning to end.

[Hogwarts03]

This book sounds great! Mystery and suspense is right up my alley and I'm really intrigued.

[Uzo_Reviews]

Not my genre so I'd pass. Hope other people find it interesting. Thank you.

[Snigdha Pandey]

Horror, mystery and time travel? Sign me up for this book. Now that I already know it gets good after chapter 11, I perhaps wouldn't mind the slow beginning.

[Soumya Chauhan]

Mystery and suspence never fail to draw my attension and such a thorough review has made me want to read this as well.

[Reader-247]

Time travel just pushes it over the edge for me. I still would like to read it though. Thanks for a riveting review

[marta baglioni]

Think about ghosts, decades-old secrets, unexplainable situations, and time travel. What do you get when you incorporate these elements together in a story? Throw in an extremely inquisitive main character, and you'll get the gripping plot that forms the basis of Kae Harvey's The Haunting Of RookeryNook Manor.

I was already hooked on this paragraph! I love ghost stories and this looks like an intriguing one.
Great job with the review!