"The artful weaving of ghostly horrors with the off-kilter creepiness of films and fandoms creates multiple layers of fear in this deeply unsettling page-turner [...] Haunting, intense, and eerily spooky."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Haunting and unsettling [...] De Becerra's narrative is both dreamy and tight, creating a disorienting, nightmarish atmosphere."
—Booklist, starred review
“An expertly calibrated pace builds tension, maximizing the moody atmosphere between the nightmarish encounters with the ghost to keep readers constantly on edge.”
—BCCB
"A satisfying and imaginative haunted house story that uses its influences to great effect. Fans of books like Marisha Pessl’s Night Film and horror movies like The Ring will undoubtedly make themselves right at home in Cashore House."
—BookPage
“Haunting and hypnotic, WHEN GHOSTS CALL US HOME gave me the goosebumps! Perfect for fans of NIGHT FILM and RULES FOR VANISHING, the mysteries of Cashore House will grab you by the throat and refuse to let go.”
—Erin A. Craig, NYT bestselling author of HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS
Combining cult horror, internet fandom, and a truly terrifying haunted house, de Becerra weaves an addictive tale of artistic creation and sisterhood, occult magic and impossible belief. You'll be drawn in page by page, until you're drowning in the book's deep mythologies.
—Melissa Albert, NYT bestselling author of The Hazel Wood series and OUR CROOKED HEARTS
"Katya de Becerra's WHEN GHOSTS CALL US HOME will linger in readers' minds just like the delightfully layered mythology surrounding Cashore House lingers in our heroine's nightmares. Becerra's rich storytelling forces you to do a double take, wondering whether you imagined what Sophia endures, the intricate fan theories that may or may not be offering clues, and what she'll face next in the search for her older sister."
—Amparo Ortiz, author of LAST SUNRISE IN ETERNA
“Fans of the Haunting of Hill House will want to plan a trip to Cashore today. The pages almost turn themselves in this one. Come for the chills, stay for de Becerra’s gorgeous prose.”
—Kelly deVos, author of EAT YOUR HEART OUT and GO HUNT ME
"When Ghosts Call Us Home feels like Crimson Peak for the internet era, dreamy and familiar until you put a foot wrong and fall."
—Alison Ames, author of TO BREAK A COVENANT and IT LOOKS LIKE US
"An utterly atmospheric, original masterpiece. De Becerra will have you on the edge of your seat with this addicting tale.”
- Candace Robinson, author of the bestselling Faeries of Oz Series
"Eerie, atmospheric and truly compelling. Enter Cashore House—if you dare..."
—Kristina Pérez, author of the Sweet Black Waves trilogy
"When Ghosts Call Us Home delivers unsettling chills, inexorable twists, and tender romance, counterbalanced with a beautifully written narrative driven by sisterly love."
—Rachael Craw, award-winning author of the Spark trilogy and THE RIFT
"Equal parts chilling and clever, this Gothic page-turner will haunt you long after you've finished wandering the shadowed halls of the mysterious Cashore House."
—Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of THE GIRLS ARE NEVER GONE
10/01/2023
Gr 8 Up—Five years ago, when Sophia was 12, her older sister Layla directed a horror film called Vermillion, set at the creepy old Cashore House their parents were renovating at the time. Sophia was the star, and the ghosts were not real—or were they? The film was a found footage, paranormal watch that has since received cultlike status, including an online legend known as "The Path" that can only be taken by true fans. Two years ago, Layla disappeared without a trace. Sophia gets the chance to look for her sister when a director wants to go back to Cashore House for a new documentary about Layla's viral movie, but what horrors will she find? This story starts out slowly, taking time to set the eerie mood of a missing sister and a life-changing horror film. The book is broken up into several parts: one focusing on the house itself, the setting, and background information; then the second part focuses on the path, and gets a little more confusing for readers, yet the mystery will keep most turning the pages. The final sections pick up the pace and reveal more of this twisty mystery to its out-of-the-box conclusion. VERDICT A quiet paranormal horror that, because of its slow pacing, would be a secondary purchase in libraries where these kinds of stories are popular.—Molly Dettmann
★ 2023-08-11
An amateur horror movie star returns years later to the haunted house where the film was shot, hoping to get answers and resolve her fears.
Sophia Galich was 12 when her older sister, Layla, made her the unwilling star of Vermillion. Cashore House’s reputation is haunted by the film’s startlingly realistic and disturbing footage, combined with the dark lore surrounding the tragic fate of a well-known Russian ballerina who died there in the 1930s, both of which make it a cult favorite among V-heads. These ardent fans believe everything in the film was true and claim that viewing it leads to paranormal experiences. Sophia, however, chooses to believe it all was fake, accepting the reassurances her sister gave her about special effects. Two years ago, Layla mysteriously vanished; eager to find her, Sophia, now 17, agrees to play the lead in a documentary that includes an on-site reenactment. She’s convinced the house holds the answers to her sister’s disappearance and the question of whether Vermillion’s ghosts are just memories of her fears, or if she was—and still is—embroiled in a demonic game of identity, possession, and death. An intricate paranormal backstory imbues the book with robust terror that may provoke readers to wonder whether it’s all real. The artful weaving of ghostly horrors with the off-kilter creepiness of films and fandoms creates multiple layers of fear in this deeply unsettling page-turner. Main characters are cued white.
Haunting, intense, and eerily spooky. (Horror. 14-18)
