Pages:
256
Publisher:
Scholastic
Release
Date: 2nd
June 2016
Edition:
UK paperback,
review copy
Other
Titles by this Author: Ally’s World series, Stella Etc series, Indie Kidd
series, You, Me & Thing series,
The OMG Blog, Catching Falling Stars and
more!
Ellis
is losing track of time…
After
leaving her friends to move to a crumbling Scottish mansion, Ellis is overcome
by anxiety and loneliness. Then she hears whispers in the walls…and finds
herself whisked back in time to 1912.
At
first, she feels like she's finally home. But the past may not be as perfect as
it seems – and is there more to hope for in the present than she first thought?
Karen McCombie’s Ally’s World series was my very
favourite series for a long time when I was an early teen so I jumped at the
chance to revisit her books with The
Whispers of Wilderwood Hall.
Ellis suffers from anxiety and
her mum’s whirlwind romance with RJ, a rich and famous musician, and their move
from their cosy London flat to a crumbling mansion in Scotland feels like a bit
too much for her to handle. She's terrified of losing her mum to RJ, of being
misplaced in this new little family and of the visions she has inside
Wilderwood. Ellis’s anxiety was handled really well, I think. The way Ellis’s
family slowly realise how all-consuming it is for her and gradually move from
thinking it’ll just go away to eventually understanding that it’s something
that she’ll need a little help with.
I really loved how the time slips
were handled in The Whispers of
Wilderwood Hall. Ellis’s trips back to 1912 feel organic and scratchy and
there are no clear trigger or rules which was refreshing, and I loved the way
the past mingled with the present. This became more and more fascinating as
Ellis learned about the history of the great house. It was also cool to watch
the friendship that developed between Ellis and Flora the housemaid as they
both navigated life in Wilderwood Hall, I especially liked the dramatic revelations
at the end!
But my favourite element of this
book was the family dynamics. The joining of families always causes tension and
I think every feeling of Ellis and Weezy’s (RJ’s daughter) felt spot on,
whether it be jealousy, fear, closing yourself off, betrayal – everything. Most
of all, though, I loved that this new, ramshackle family unit ended up being a
happy one.
The
Whispers of Wilderwood Hall is
a touching and engaging story about family and new beginnings and I loved it.
Thanks to Scholastic and Faye
Rogers PR for the review copy.
Sophie
Aww, sounds like a really nice read. Adding this to the wishlist :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLovely timeslip book - the ending gave me shivers!
ReplyDeletePenelope
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