REVIEW: This House Is Haunted (book) by John Boyne

This House Is Haunted is gothic horror. I bought my copy used.

Review:

In 1867, 21-year-old Eliza Caine's father dies. When she learns that they were only renting their home, and that her teacher's salary isn't enough for her to continue living there, she impulsively accepts a position as a governess in the country. When she arrives at Gaudlin Hall, she discovers that several important details were omitted from the job ad - there are indeed two children (Isabella, 12, and Eustace, 8), but other than the two of them there are no adults around. Eliza will not only be a governess, but also a cook and whatever else the children need. 

Something strange is going on at Gaudlin Hall, and everyone who could give Eliza answers seems determined to avoid her. As she grows to care for the children, however, she begins to worry that both her life and theirs might be at risk if she doesn't learn Gaudlin Hall's secrets.

This was a nicely done classic ghost story, although there weren't very many surprises once the general situation was finally laid out. That said, Boyne did manage to trick me where one particular detail was concerned.

I did get a bit tired of the way Eliza kept imagining herself married to any reasonably attractive male she encountered, from the man she encountered at the train station to Mr. Raisin, the lawyer who paid her on the children's behalf. There wasn't even any point to it, beyond reminding readers that she wasn't very attractive and was likely to be a spinster for the rest of her life. 

The way things were handled with the children annoyed me somewhat as well. Eliza definitely had a favorite, and it was Eustace. Yes, Isabella was more standoffish and self-possessed to an unusual degree for a 12-year-old, but she was a child too, and it bothered me to think that Eliza might have been more inclined to leave if Isabella had been the only child in the house.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, despite my issues with Eliza. It took a bit to get going (Charles Dickens gets a brief on-page appearance as Eliza's father's favorite author and, in her opinion, the reason why he died), but once Eliza got to Gaudlin Hall the setup and overall creepiness kept me glued to the book.