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Nov 18, 2017samcmar rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Thornhill is easily the creepiest middle grade book I've read. Hands down. It's a book that is spooky, unnerving, and heartbreaking. It's a story from two perspectives, Mary Baines who is writing a diary in 1982 while living in Thornhill Institute, and in present day we have Ella, who has moved next door to the historical site and becomes entranced by the idea of uncovering the mystery behind the building. What makes this novel even more interesting is that Mary's sections are written as a diary, and Ella's are fully illustrated without dialogue. Mary's sections are difficult to read given they focus on her lack of friendship, her deeply rooted abandonment problems, and that she has been bullied her whole life. Her diary entries are dark and uncomfortable to read. You really feel for her even though towards the end of the book you see that her sanity and emotions are deteriorating. I really felt for her. Meanwhile, Ella continues to see Mary from her window, which is why she becomes fascinated by Thornhill. She even breaks in the abandoned building because she is convinced she has seen a young girl from her window. She leaves Mary messages and gifts. She wants to befriend her. What I loved in Ella's sections is that Smy's illustrations do a great job of capturing the emotions and intent behind the story. You get a sense that Ella has empathy for Mary and wants to gain a sense of understanding so many years later. The art is mostly great, though it has some awkward moments as well. Thornhill is a book that is very dark and comes from a deeply emotional place. It's not for reader's looking for a whimsy time, and that's where I'd recommend this to older middle grade readers who can understand concepts such as bullying and death. The ending hurts, and there's no other way to describe it. Pam Smy's Thornhill is a unique but difficult read. Reader's need to be in a particular headspace to really grasp how loaded this story truly is.