I adored this special, magical book. The writing itself has an almost otherworldly quality to it that is so transportive, and Guin is a spiky, fascinating heroine. Her relationship with Ennis was both intriguing and realistic-feeling, and I loved what felt like a behind-the-scenes peek at the publishing world. I think this novel will be a big hit.

I’m normally a fast reader but I have to admit this one took me a while to get through. Not because I didn’t enjoy it though – rather, because the writing is so beautiful, the atmosphere so mesmerising and the characters so engaging that I wanted to take my time and really take it all in.

This is such an unusual book. It tells the story of Guinivere, the daughter of a novelist famous for her books about a mythical world and featuring her two children, Ennis and Guinivere, as the main characters. Both her parents are long dead and Guin is now estranged from Ennis, a famous artist in his own right, as she does publicity for the long awaited memoir she has written about her very unconventional childhood, isolated in an old wooden house deep in the forests of Vermont. The book splits between the present day as Guin tries to contact Ennis (also in New York the opening of a strange new art show), her past attempts to contact him and mostly the events of their childhood.

The descriptions of the house in the woods and the fairy tale atmosphere throughout are completely engrossing but you are never quite sure how many of the unusual events are true and how many from the imaginations of the children, who spend almost all their time alone together, neglected by their parents. The events are intriguing as they slowly unfold and all the characters are beautifully written and believable, seen through Guin’s eyes with all their flaws and strengths.

I really can’t recommend this book highly enough. The writing is beautiful, the storyline unusual and once I started I just couldn’t put it down, completely transported to this strange place and the lives of these people. A truly wonderful book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Melissa Albert’s The Children is haunting in the truest sense — eerie, intimate, and threaded through with a kind of dark enchantment. The writing is stunning, full of rich, unsettling imagery that makes the farmhouse setting feel almost alive. There’s a constant sense of unease, but also something strangely nostalgic woven through it, reminiscent of the darker edges of childhood fantasy.

I was especially drawn to the fractured family dynamics and the fierce, complicated bond between the siblings. The dual timelines worked beautifully for me, slowly revealing old wounds while deepening the mystery in the present. Both timelines felt equally compelling, and I loved how much tension and foreboding Melissa Albert maintained throughout.

What stayed with me most was how much the novel has to say about childhood, trauma, and the fragile line between wonder and damage. Beneath the gothic atmosphere and paranormal touches, there’s a deeply emotional story about what survives after a difficult upbringing.

The pacing slowed a touch for me in the latter half, but the mood, prose, and unsettling final notes more than made up for it. Strange, immersive, and beautifully eerie, this is a perfect read for anyone who loves literary horror, haunted houses, and dark fairy-tale energy.

A very imaginative story, it has a dreamlike quality to it with a touch of the supernatural and more than a hint of menace.

The Farmhouse, a house in the woods in Vermont which no-one has lived in for years plays a big part in the story after it becomes the home of the Sharpe family. The childhood of Guinevere and Ennis in the countryside in this magical house was my favourite part of the novel, an idyllic, bohemian-like time for them but always the sense of unease, even fear, lurking around who knows what corner.

It is told mainly in two timelines, which work well, keeping the plot moving in parallel. Most of the characters seem to be flawed in some way, finding life difficult and not always able to be what is expected of them.

Although I thought it slowed a somewhat in the middle of the story, in the later chapters the tension builds up and it becomes a gripping page-turner - but the ending, I’m not sure, it left me pondering.

The concept is quite brilliant, a fantasy with horror for adults, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like a book which has something different to offer and this has it in spades.

Many thanks to Melissa Albert, Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the much appreciated opportunity to read an early copy.

Melissa Albert is a delight, I’ve read several of her books and always been impressed. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a dreamlike story, where things are constantly blurred. There’s a sense of unreliability about the characters and a constant feeling of being unmoored. We follow Guin, both as a young adult woman, and as a child, seamlessly gliding back and forth between past and present. Guin’s mother wrote a famous series of children’s books featuring Guin and her brother, which she never finished due to her tragic and untimely death. Guin is now promoting a memoir, while at the same time, her brother, who is estranged and has refused to talk about their family, is doing an art show called Mother. Guin’s panic over what her brother may reveal has her chasing down strange rabbit holes, whilst reconciling with her past and breaking down her present.

The book manages the pace excellently, with a perfect level of exploring the past and present storylines. The book is dark, the past a fairytale setting. A farmhouse in Vermont, dreamy, but harbouring a nightmare. The inexplicable behaviour of their mother creating anxieties. The book is horrifying at times but always walking a line where that fairy tale feel is maintained.

I was riveted by this fascinating, dark and unnerving book.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up The Children by Melissa Albert, but I certainly didn't predict I'd enjoy it as much as I did.

Guinevere Sharpe is the daughter of Edith Sharpe, deceased author of the legendary — and unfinished — children's fantasy series, The Ninth City books. Guinevere herself featured as a main character in the popular series, alongside her now-estranged brother Ennis, and in the present day exists as a goodwill ambassador of sorts for her mother's work.

While in the middle of a promotional tour for her ghost-written memoir about her childhood, her independently successful, mysterious, and deeply controversial brother resurfaces. Sharpe discovers he is mere days away from launching an art exhibition called 'Mother', and upon hearing the news, her carefully crafted PR persona begins to unravel.

The Children is told across dual timelines, jumping between past and present with ease. Supernatural elements are hinted at throughout, though they remain peripheral rather than central.

The novel is first and foremost about trauma and toxic, broken relationships. It is deeply character-driven, and while Guinevere doesn't always come across as fully fleshed out — which feels intentional given her childhood — the supporting cast more than compensates.

Albert's prose and her wonderful turns of phrase are a genuine joy throughout. The atmosphere is foreboding and heavy from very early on, setting the tone effectively for everything that follows.

While I'm still digesting the ending and debating internally whether it fully worked for me, I can't deny how well everything came together.

I hadn't read any of Melissa Albert's work until now, but I'll certainly be seeking out her other books on the strength of this one.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to Bloomsbury for the ARC

An enjoyable, suspenseful read. We meet Guin as an adult and flashback to her childhood with her brother Ennis and her laissez-faire parents Llewellyn and Edith as they grow up in the "Farmhouse". The author hints at a rift between Guin and her brother, and to stranger goings on during her childhood. She keeps the suspense flowing right up to the end, keeping you hooked as you read on to find out what is going on!

The Children by Melissa Albert is a dark delight. The reference to Ray Bradbury in a review from Stephen King caught my eye and I just had to request on this basis. It is fair to say however, that while the reference is well earned, Albert stands strong on their own merit with this book. The Children is the first I have read from this author and I am enthralled, hooked in by such an eloquent, vibrant writing style that is a real pleasure to read

The story is centered on Guinevere, the child of a famous novelist (Edith Sharpe) and is framed around the production of Guinevere's memoir. The story is told in dual timelines; Vermont in the 1900s and contemporary New York. Guinever is raised with her brother (Ennis) and both are the inspiration for the characters in their mothers books. Their father is an actor and this completes the basis for a creative home, free thinking and happy, albeit isolated. However, life's trajectory takes a tragic turn when both parents are killed and as is often the case in bereavement, Guinevere and Ennis drift apart

The contemporary setting sees Guinevere preparing for a book launch and Enis preparing for an exhibition of his artwork, each successful in their field, each in the same city, however each being unaware of the others proximitiy until Guinevere seeks out her brother, hoping to reconnect. Guinevere is desperate to reconcile and understand the events of their childhood, where they lived in their own cocoon of siblings in isolation from the world and having to make their own entertainment while their parents followed their own creative paths, often neglecting Ennis and Guinevere. What follows is a story full of events that could perhaps only come from the imaginations of two lonely children, but then again, were they imagined or were they real?

The Children is an engaging, multifaceted read that had my full attention from the moment I picked it up until the moment I put it down. Read over multiple sessions, I did not want to devour it in one go, because this is a story to be immersed in fully in order to appreciate the depths of description and scene setting, the well structured timelines and character building, let alone the gorgeous descriptions of Vermont (a particular favourite)

A thoroughly enjoyable read that is destined to become a classic. Absolutely stunning

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I was not expecting this to be as heart breaking as it was, like why did I cry?! Melissa Albert's writing is just so rich and beautiful. Perfect balance of fantastical and reality. Sadly for Guin and Ennis, not a great reality. I didn't want this to end. It's been about a week since I finished reading this and I want more. I want the Ninth City books. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

GRIM(M) AND GORGEOUS

I have a confession to make: The Children was my first Albert book. I took a chance on it based by the synopsis alone, not really knowing what to expect (except for dark-fairy-tale vibes, according to the reviews of her backlist) - but upon parting with the last page, I immediately proceeded to add all her previous novels to my TBR list, top priority. Yes, it's THAT good. But you want to know what, precisely, is so good about it, and it's not easy to explain without entering spoiler territory. Anyhow, I'll try...
So: I won't tell you if The Children is a contemporary book with an unreliable narrator, or an exquisite (if dark) exercise in magical realism, or a straight-up supernatural tale, or all these things combined. But I will tell you this: The Children is an ode to the power of art - the power to save, or the power to damn, depending on certain circumstances. It's a dark fairy tale (yeah, indeed - in the vein of Albert's past books) unleashed in the real world. It's the story of a dysfunctional family and a predatory house. It's horrifying and spellbinding, bitter and beautiful, very meta yet unmistakably human (with all that entails). If you're like me, these things alone will probably seal your deal with this novel. But in case you need more practical details, feel free to read on...

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

The story, told from the point of view of Guinivere Sharpe - daughter of an iconic children book author and a former actor turned amateur painter; sister of a controversial artist who fell into disgrace after tragedy stroke at one of his installations; lately, poster child for her dead mother's legacy - alternates chapters set in the present and in the past (starting when the titular children were four and six) that will both morbidly fascinate readers and make them want to give younger Guin and her brother Ennis (but Guin especially) a hug. In the present, Guin (now 31) has to maintain the facade of a well-adjusted adult whose childhood was the most unconventional thing, yet for all purposes magical; except that facade is cracking both under the pressure of her having to perform a scripted role, and her childhood having being mined - along with Ennis' - for writing material by her mother. Add to it that Guin hasn't been able to reconnect with her brother since when their parents died, and not for lack of trying on her part - but he seems to have perfected the art of disappearing, all while his infamous installations are very hard to miss (by the way, some of them are included in the story, and they took my breath away...especially, ahem, the last one). In the past, the siblings are having a quirky, yet deeply dysfunctional childhood, neglected by their parents, exposed to very apparent or more subtle horrors, and thrust into the public eye by their mother's books, in which they unwittingly feature. Chapter by chapter, Albert peppers the narrative with clues that SHOULD make her readers figure out what's happening, except they CANNOT be prepared for what the last leg of the journey will throw at them. It's both gutsy and earned, and I swear it's the only possible ending, but I didn't see it coming AT ALL, and so won't you.

MARK MY WORDS

In conclusion, I want to address the author's stylistic choices, that seem to be very divisive - and I can see why. At its best, Albert's writing style is both evocative and sharp as a knife; in many other instances, her prose gets purple for the sake of it, devolving into awkward metaphors. I'm going to quote from my ARC copy, so I don't know if all these sentences will make it to the finished book, but here are some of the similes she uses: "leaves moved in green waves, shushing like librarians", "mosquitoes flashed like loose change in the trees", "She flicked the dark lake bed of the bruise". As a rule, I would detract at least half a star for these - except I inhaled this story in the course of three (feverish) days, and I would have read it in a single sitting if I could, and sure, that must count for something. I already can't wait to read all the books Albert has put forth so far, and to buy a physical copy of this one both for my shelves and for reread. Yes, it's THAT good.