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Thanks to Edelweiss and Little, Brown Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 6th, 2016

352 pages

Synopsis: When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the “blood manor” is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too–the questions that Silla can’t ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that’s appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one els? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?

And The Trees Crept In has been one of my most highly anticipated books of 2016. I absolutely LOVED Dawn Kurtagich’s 2015 Dead House and thought it was a wonderful example of YA Horror at its best. So, to say I’m disappointed with her latest book is putting it mildly. Maybe it’s because my expectations were too high. I will say the setting was definitely creepy, and Dawn Kurtagich’s writing is beautiful and hauntingly descriptive just like it was in her previous book, but the beginning was unbelievably slow and it seemed to take forever to get to the heart of the story. My other issue was with Silla. I tried so hard to like her and feel empathy for her plight, but I just couldn’t. I found her to be a cold, uncaring character, even at times with her younger sister Nori, who she supposedly loved more than anything else in the world. The “big reveal” near the end was not a surprise to me as I had already guessed what was happening midway through the book. The ending did explain why Silla acted as she did, but for me, it was too little too late. I do want to say I am definitely in the minority in regards to my feelings about this book. There are many 4-5 star reviews on Goodreads. If you’d like to read a more positive viewpoint, please check out Lekeisha’s excellent review at:

http://lekeishathebooknerd.wordpress.com/2016/07/01/and-the-trees-crept-in-by-dawn-kurtagich/ 

Although And The Trees Crept In wasn’t for me, I’m still a fan of Dawn Kurtagich and I’m looking forward to her next book.