• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12

After hearing voices among an eerie copse of trees in the woods, seventeen-year-old Curtis must confront his worst fear: that he has inherited his father’s mental illness. A desperate search for answers leads him to discover Gravenhearst, a labyrinth mansion that burned down in 1894. When he locks eyes with a steely Victorian girl in a forgotten mirror, he’s sure she’s one of the fire’s victims. If he can unravel the mystery, he can save his sanity . . . and possibly the girl who haunts his dreams.

But more than 100 years in the past, the girl in the mirror is fighting her own battles. When her mother disappears and her sinister stepfather reveals his true intentions, Mila and her sister fight to escape Gravenhearst and unravel the house’s secrets—before it devours them both.

Hope Cook has been obsessed with all things Victorian and gothic since she was a small child and her parents let her watch one too many atmospheric BBC dramas. She lives in Edmonton, Canada, and holds degrees in literature and art history. House of Ash draws from her personal experience with mental illness and family violence.

Hope Cook's profile page

"Mila’s portion of the story is what will draw readers in, as she navigates not only Victorian-era restrictions on how a girl should behave but also tries to survive a house that, through years of dark magic, has been given life and requires certain sacrifices to keep “living.” An interesting addition to collections in dire need of horror offerings."

Booklist

"Strong on mystery and suspense, this gothic story will be a good choice to put in the hands of readers who devour horror stories"

VOYA Magazine