Belladonna

June 1, 2022
In this gothic fantasy, a girl must negotiate her relationship with Death. Signa Farrow has spent 19 years pursued by Death, starting with her first party at the age of 2 months, at which every other guest drank poisoned wine and died. Death attempted to take Signa that night as well, but while she cannot die, she can see him. Now 20 and only months away from receiving her inheritance and taking her longed-for place in society, Signa deliberately poisons herself with belladonna in hopes of confronting Death. After a slow and confusing start--that poisoned party is never addressed again--Signa finds herself living with previously unknown relatives at the beautiful but haunted Thorn Grove, where one person has recently died and another lies in bed, mysteriously wasting away. Gothic trappings and a vaguely 19th-century pastiche of England provide atmosphere; Signa's decision to discover the poisoner propels the often languid plot. Most of the action is between Signa and the two men who help her, Sylas, a mysterious stableboy, and Death, who turns out to contain surprises. Signa's character arc--she goes from wanting to be a proper young lady to an independent, freethinker--is propelled largely by her burgeoning sexual desire. Secondary characters are mostly White with a few expressly stated exceptions among the well-to-do. Lots of mood, less substance. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

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August 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Death has been following 19-year-old Signa for her entire life. After her parents died, Signa was forced to move from guardian to guardian hoping for somewhere to call home, until coming of age to receive her inheritance. She has come to realize that she has some immunity to dying and can even see and communicate with Death itself. When Signa finds herself at Thorn Grove she begins to settle in with her estranged family, but quickly realizes that her cousin is being poisoned. Uncovering this mystery alongside Death, Signa finds herself confronted with societal and moral quandaries. Grace provides an intriguing gothic-infused fantasy, focusing on the supernatural concept of Death personified. The novel is slow to start, but as Signa and Death develop a relationship, the story becomes more alluring. There are continuous difficulties that Signa must face, and her actions and decisions deliver a suspenseful narrative. Readers will be drawn into the mystery presented but may also find themselves uncovering secrets well before the characters do. A twist at the end provides an interesting opportunity for the sequel. VERDICT Put into the hands of readers looking for a dark fantasy with a hint of mysterious intrigue.-Aliza Mangefrida

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 From the best-selling author of All the Stars and Teeth (2020) comes a new series that follows orphan Signa Farrow, whose life has been filled with omens of death. After nearly 19 years of greedy guardians being bent on gaining her inheritance and meeting unlikely demises, Signa is summoned to Thorn Grove, the estate of her mysterious distant relatives, the Hawthornes. As the family's unsavory secrets unravel and their matriarch's ghost reveals the truth of her murder, Signa must follow the trail of clues to protect her new family. Grace's gothic murder mystery is abundant in gorgeous illustrative prose surrounding Death himself, who figures to be a bigger player in the plot than Signa would have liked. As her relationships with the Hawthornes grow, Signa realizes she may have to take control of the powers that have been lurking in the shadows all of her life. The result is an immersive, romantic atmosphere with dangerous secrets about inherited wealth, death, love, and danger embedded in every page.

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August 29, 2022
Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow forms an alliance with Death in this atmospheric tale by Grace (the All the Stars and Teeth duology) set in an alternate industrial-era England. Signa, who was orphaned as an infant when her wealthy mother was poisoned, believes she cannot die; every time she arrives on Death’s door, be it purposefully or accidentally, he refuses to take her. Her slew of guardians are not as lucky, each succumbing to varying inexplicable fatalities until she’s sent to stay with distant relatives, the Hawthornes. The family is reeling from the sudden death of their matriarch, Lillian, and struggling to navigate Lillian’s daughter Blythe’s mysterious ongoing illness. Seeking answers, Signa successfully summons Death, who allows her to speak with Lillian’s spirit. When Lillian reveals that she was murdered and Blythe’s illness was caused by poison, Signa enlists two unlikely allies—Death, who is kinder than he seems, and snarky stable boy Sylas—to search for the killer. While a predictable plot and dropped threads occasionally distract from Grace’s lush and deliciously eerie prose, Signa’s burgeoning attraction to both Death and Sylas lends heady romance to the ethereal read. All characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park and Fine Literary and Media.