Review by Booklist Review
With its neo-Gothic architecture, imposing bell tower, and tucked-away location, Elm Hollow Academy has long inspired rumors. Centuries ago, witch trials took place on the school grounds, and more than one faculty member has been interested in the study of the supernatural, both practical and academic. New student Violet, 16, falls under the school's spell immediately. She befriends a peculiarly close-knit group of girls, prone to whispering in the hallways and holding secret meetings. Violet soon learns that the girls share a dark secret and is drawn into their orbit after supplying some secrets of her own. Lowe's dark, suspenseful debut combines the teenage sisterhood of The Craft and Emma Cline's The Girls (2016) with the violent schoolyard vengeance of Heathers. Poetic, lurid prose captures the girls' teenage self-possession, while a heady swirl of adolescent hormones, drugs, and alcohol adds a layer of distortion to the plot. The pacing swings between languid and rapid fire, adding to the off-balance feel of Elm Hollow. Fans of Greer Macallister, Paula Hawkins, and Janelle Brown will devour Violet's journey.--Stephanie Turza Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lowe's powerful and atmospheric debut features a troubled young woman who becomes entangled in witchcraft and murder at a private British all-girls school. Soon after starting at Elm Hollow Academy, teen Violet Taylor falls in with Alex, Grace, and their chain-smoking, impossibly cool ringleader, Robin, and begins drinking, shoplifting, and taking drugs. She especially bonds with Robin and joins an exclusive study group where the girls explore the "great women of art and literature," including the rumors that Elm Hollow's founder was a powerful witch. After Violet is sexually assaulted , she and her friends perform a dark revenge ritual involving animal sacrifice. When the brutalized body of student Emily Frost, who was missing for months, is found in the elm in Elm Hollow's courtyard, the girls pin her murder on the dean, leading to further shocking violence. Lowe's sinuous prose weaves a disturbing tale of friendship, obsession, and revenge, and readers must decide whether Violet is a trustworthy narrator. Those who thrill to dark coming-of-age tales with a dash of the uncanny will find much to enjoy. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Caskie Mushens. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT With a history of burning "witches" at the stake and rumors of men dying by the dozens for harming women, mystical Elm Hollow Academy's art teacher forms a secret society of four art students to discuss feminism and culture. Violet, still reeling from the sudden loss of her father and younger sister, is the newest recruit, who immediately forms an unhealthy strong bond with the vivacious and drug-obsessed Robin, who is emotionally unstable after her best friend Emily was murdered. Violet and Robin decide to dabble in magic to seek revenge for those who have wronged them, and soon multiple men are found dead. One final question remains: Were the deaths the result of witchcraft, bloodthirst, or coincidence? VERDICT Drugs, sex, magic, and murder infuse this quick-paced read that will entertain teen and adult readers alike, weaving multiple layers of deception. While the characters are not quite fully developed, the relationship dynamics help form a solid story.--Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Four troubled teenagers study witchcraft, female rage, and revenge at a private girls high school on the outskirts of a seaside town in Britain.When 16-year-old Emily Frost is found dead at Elm Hollow Academy, new girl Violet Taylor is thrilled to get a look at the body, which is clad in white and seated upright on a swing with its eyes open. At school, Violet and her three friends, Robin, Alex, and Grace, become the favorites of arts instructor Annabel, who adds classic stories of revengeful women throughout the ages to their secret lessons. Robin introduces Violet to shoplifting, marijuana, drugs, wine, and Tom, a university student. Tom rapes Violet, propelling the four girls into a ritualistic act intended to harm him. Dark woods, dead flowers, candles, a church graveyard, knives, a stolen vial of deadly nightshade, and other well-chosen details weave a subtle, persistent, and unmistakable creepiness into Violet's story. When the dean of students, Matthew Holmsworth, makes Violet his private research assistant, she discovers what he believes really happened to Emily. Violence, betrayal, and abandonment result. Violet is then forced to choose what kind of girl she is going to be and figure out how far she'll go to make sure "the cruel and rotten bliss" of her obsessive friendship with Robin never ends.Murder and witchcraft mix with a heady cocktail of drugs, booze, and revenge in this elegant, pitch-perfect coming-of-age story. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
