The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh is an atmospheric horror that is prefect for the fall season. Following a girl who takes an internship at a haunted house, this one contains spine-chilling images and a strong main character who is also diabetic. I especially enjoyed the eerie descriptions of the house, which leave the reader with the unsettling feeling that something sinister is going on.
Title: The Girls Are Never GoneAuthor: Sarah Glenn Marsh
Publisher: Razorbill
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: September 7, 2021
Rating:
The Conjuring meets Sadie when seventeen-year-old podcaster Dare takes an internship in a haunted house and finds herself in a life-or-death struggle against an evil spirit. Dare Chase doesn’t believe in ghosts. Privately, she’s a supernatural skeptic. But publicly, she’s keeping her doubts to herself—because she’s the voice of Attachments, her brand-new paranormal investigation podcast, and she needs her ghost-loving listeners to tune in. That’s what brings her to Arrington Estate. Thirty years ago, teenager Atheleen Bell drowned in Arrington’s lake, and legend says her spirit haunts the estate. Dare’s more interested in the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death—circumstances that she believes point to a living culprit, not the supernatural. Still, she’s vowed to keep an open mind as she investigates, even if she’s pretty sure what she’ll find. But Arrington is full of surprises. Good ones like Quinn, the cute daughter of the house’s new owner. And baffling ones like the threatening messages left scrawled in paint on Quinn’s walls, the ghastly face that appears behind Dare’s own in the mirror, and the unnatural current that nearly drowns their friend Holly in the lake. As Dare is drawn deeper into the mysteries of Arrington, she’ll have to rethink the boundaries of what is possible. Because if something is lurking in the lake…it might not be willing to let her go.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: The Girls Are Never Gone, Sarah Glenn Marsh
After breaking up with her boyfriend, who also happens to be the co-host of her supernatural YouTube series, Dare decides to go solo and continue her work on her own ghost-themed podcast. When a fan suggests she investigate the Arrington Estate, which rumours say is haunted by the spirit of a girl who drowned in the lake, Dare takes an internship at the house for the summer. Despite her podcast, Dare doesn’t believe in ghosts, even when she meets the house’s current (and cute) inhabitant, who is convinced the estate is genuinely haunted. However, as the summer goes on and Dare starts to have frightening experiences of her own, she is forced to call her supernatural skepticism into question as she works to uncover what really happened in the lake.
❀ Clever main Character
Dare is a clever main character, and I enjoyed her voice. She is very rational, and because she likes an explanation for everything, she doesn’t believe in the ghost that is said to roam the halls of the Arrington Estate. I found this to be an interesting dynamic with her supernatural-themed podcast, and I enjoyed the way she is forced to question what she believes as she begins to experience the unexplainable at the house. Dare also has diabetes, which plays a significant role in the book. Chronic illness is rarely represented in horrors and thrillers, and I appreciated how the author works in information about what it is like to be diabetic alongside the more harrowing elements of the plot. Additionally, Dare has the most adorable service dog. I’ve never seen a service dog in a book before, and I am so glad this one provides this representation.
❀ Immersive Atmosphere
One of my favourite parts about this book is its immersive atmosphere. Sarah Glenn Marsh has done a masterful job bringing the haunted house to life, and the Arrington Estate is so well-written that it feels like a character itself. The occurrences in the house that become gradually more threatening make the story perfectly suspenseful, and there are some truly terrifying images that make the spirit of the house jump off the page. I always love an immersive setting, and even though this is by no means a place I would want to visit, the writing sucked me in.
❀ A Suspenseful Read
The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh is a suspenseful read that is sure to keep readers up at night. The concept of interning at a haunted house is so intriguing, and I enjoyed the main character and the way her diabetes is worked into the story. The house itself is also vividly described, making this a great read for those looking for an tense horror with great representation.
About Sarah Glenn Marsh
Sarah Glenn Marsh writes young adult novels and children’s picture books. An avid fantasy reader from the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life, she’s been making up words and worlds ever since.
When she’s not writing, Sarah frequents the pottery studio, volunteers her time to sighthound rescue, and raises awareness about her autoimmune disease, Type 1 diabetes. She often enjoys pursuits of the nerd variety, from video games to tabletop adventures. She’s never met an animal or a doughnut she didn’t like.
Sarah lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and their tiny zoo of four rescued sighthounds, two birds, and many fish. She is the author of Fear the Drowning Deep, the Reign of the Fallen series, and several books for younger readers.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
The cover looks so creepy! And the story itself sounds equally creepy. I love that the MC has a podcast. You know I love that! 😁
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Yes! I thought of you when I read about the podcast! 😉
That cover is creepy! I don’t know that I could read this book because it might be too much for me. I’m glad it was good, though!
I have somehow become desensitized a bit with horror in books. Movies are still not my thing, but this was fun for the start of the fall season. 🙂
My favorite genre. Sounds like a great story!
I hope that you enjoy it if you give it a try! 🙂
I like the sound of this one!
This sounds like a great page-turner!
I love when houses can become a character of their own in a book, and Arrington Estate definitely sounds like a creepy place!
Absolutely! Super creepy! 🙂
This sounds like a unique story idea – but I could see it possibly being corny! Worth a read though to find out
I hope that you enjoy it if you give it a try! 🙂
I love that the author includes a chronic illness in a non-contemp book. Like you said, you don’t normally see that. This one sounds like a great read! I definitely want to check it out.
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Right?! Such a unique book! 🙂
Sounds like a great horror!
Great review! I can’t wait to see what Sarah does next, although I’m hoping it’s a sequel.
Same! 🙂
This sounds really good.
Thanks for the great review! The book sounds wonderfully creepy. Great cover! Matches the book’s tone.
It’s never a good idea to spend the night in a haunted house
this sounds so scary and thrilling!!