And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

Release date: September 6th, 2016
Publisher: Little Brown for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 352 Pages
Format: ARC
Source: From publisher
Reason: For review
Find the Author: Website

Stay away from the woods…

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the manor is cursed. The endless creaking of the house at night and the eerie stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too—questions that Silla can’t ignore: Why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Who is the beautiful boy who’s appeared from the woods? And who is the tall man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at night… a man no one else can see?

“Rotting in your skin

rotting in your mind

you are rotting in this house

in this house you'll die.”  

Dawn Kurtagich, like the Trees in Python, sucked me in with The Dead House. When I learned that she would be releasing another spine-tingling tale, I couldn't wait to get my roots hands on it!

And the Trees Crept In will keep you up all hours of the night; both from not being able to put the book down and from being too spooked to sleep! Author, Dawn Kurtagich definitely won me with her eerie tale The Dead House but she definitely amped up the creep factor with this one! 

We are immediately plunged in the woods when Silla and Nori are escaping from their father's abuse. Hoping to find refuge at their Aunt Cath's manor, La Baume, or also (fittingly) called the "blood manor". Cath was such a whimsical character. There is a quirkiness to her that will make you fall in love with her instantly. She is wacky and wild, and her character comes alive and leaps off the pages! She reminded me of a cross between Nanny McPhee and Miss Peregrine. 

Silla is such a strong and complex character. There are many layers to her that unfold throughout the entirety of the novel. I adored her and the fierce love she had for her sister, Nori. Nori is another fantastic character. It was obvious the author crafted Nori with so much care! Nori deals with her own difficulties that I'll leave for you to discover for yourself, but Kurtagich did an outstanding job at delivering her dialogue. 

And the Trees Crept In is not penned like your average novel. Like the "blood manor", it is filled with nooks, cranny's and hallways that have all kinds of shadows and darkness lurking within them. It is a mind-bender and it will take you on one haunting adventure! 

With Halloween right around the corner, what better way to spend it than reading And the Trees Crept In...that's if you're not too scared...