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Ghosts in the gallery
136 pages
A deliciously gloomy middle-grade gothic where a hidden identity must be reclaimed from the shadows of a sprawling, secret-filled mansion.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a classic Victorian melodrama, complete with flickering candlelight, sprawling mansions, and wicked adults harboring dark secrets. The atmosphere is deliciously gloomy and thick with creeping dread, perfectly capturing the helplessness of a child trapped in a web of adult deceit. The narrative moves at a steady, suspenseful pace, drawing the reader deeper into the shadowy corridors of the grandfather's house alongside the earnest, resilient protagonist. It is a story built on the satisfying emotional architecture of the underdog orphan fighting to reclaim her rightful place. Fans of Dickensian mysteries and gothic middle-grade tales will devour this atmospheric journey from gaslit isolation to hard-won belonging.
- Mood
- gloomy
- mysterious
- shadowy
- gothic
- Tone
- earnest
- suspenseful
- melodramatic
- atmospheric
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- hidden identities · cruel authority figures · reclaiming belonging · childhood resilience
- The writing
- Slightly formal and richly descriptive, leaning into classic Victorian gothic tropes to build a deliciously chilling atmosphere.
- The arc
- Moves from the disorienting despair of being erased and mistreated to the triumphant reclamation of identity and family.
- Who it's for
- Young readers who love curling up with a spooky, Dickensian mystery where a brave orphan outsmarts wicked adults in a creepy old house.
Content notes
- child mistreatment
- gaslighting
- orphanhood
- emotional abuse
About the book
When eleven-year-old Jenny arrives at her grandfather's house but is not recognized as one of the family because of a servant's intrigue, the young orphan endures a difficult fate.
"This edition is only available for distribution through the school market"--Page 4 of cover.
Description from Open Library.
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