Before starting I had a fellow reader clue me in that this is a slow burn read. The first half is the set up, with all the action coming in the second half. I’ve been enjoying getting to know the Dozen, the island, and what is starting to feel like a familial curse. The tension is building with the stepmother (oh, I do love a good stepmother trope), the sisters themselves, and the mainlanders. The focus is on the character building, with small hints of the world they sit in. Annaleigh starts to realize something isn’t quite right after speaking to the youngest sister, Verity. (Who by the way, has an uncanny artistic ability at age 6.) Verity is speaking of the sisters who have met untimely ends as if they still walk the halls of the manor. And for her they do. Once Annaleigh’s eyes have been opened, she starts to notice the strange occurrences around her.  

And then, shit gets weird. You think you know how weird. You do not. You really, really do not. Even with the knowledge that the book picks up in the second half, I was not prepared for the pace. From the midpoint on, my jaw was on the floor. Every twist and turn had me reeling. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, I didn’t. Not all the way. And it got faster and faster. I was shocked when I found myself on the last page in a little over two hours from the midpoint. If you want a spooky story with a little bit of everything, this is one you don’t want to miss!