From School Library Journal
Gr 4–7—Elizabeth and Zenobia are friends. Elizabeth is timid, and Zenobia can best be described as unusual and fearless. They arrive at Witheringe House, a creepy manor where Elizabeth's father lived as a child. Zenobia loves it at first sight and is convinced that it is haunted. Eager to make contact with any spirit presence that might be found in the many secret and "off-limits" spaces in the house, Zenobia immediately begins holding seances and trying to commune with the dead. Elizabeth, however, is leery, so she is relieved when Zenobia's efforts seem unsuccessful. But strange things begin to happen in the East Wing, one of the areas that Elizabeth and Zenobia have been forbidden to explore. Flowers and vines in the wallpaper seem to come to life. The girls find a strange book whose words and images morph into different stories after the stroke of midnight. Strangest of all, Elizabeth discovers that her father had a sister, Tourmaline, who disappeared in the house when she was a young girl. With themes on courage, friendship, and imagination, Miller's novel is spooky and inviting. Older middle grade readers who have read widely in the genre might find it predictable and lacking a satisfying climax. There are questions throughout the story dealing with Zenobia's existence. Is or isn't she Elizabeth's imaginary friend? Is she a ghost? These questions will bother some readers, but others will enjoy the weirdness of it all. VERDICT Give this debut novel to readers looking for an accessible read and a bit of a scare.—Amy Caldera, Dripping Springs Middle School, TX
Review
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Miller's painstaking crafting of language and attention to atmospheric detail create a clever story where nothing is as it seems." ― Kirkus
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Spare, evocative language and direct sentences contribute to the suspenseful pacing...Comical characters, ghost story tropes, and a lively pair of intrepid protagonists help keep this spooky novel from getting too scary, and Brykenskova's faux-naive illustrations contribute."
― Booklist
"...an ideal mix of eerie gothic mysticism and realistic interpersonal dynamics, and fans of Auxier’s chilling The Night Gardener (BCCB 3/16) will find an excellent readalike here, right down to the eerie plant involvement in all that’s going wrong." ― Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
**STARRED REVIEW**
"A vaguely Victorian setting, the snootily funny exchanges between the title characters, and the frequent references to other, cozier works of literature may lull readers into a false sense of security. Zenobia’s love of Poe gives a better idea of the story’s direction, as do the Gothic-feeling black-and-white illustrations." ― The Horn Book
"Miller’s novel is spooky and inviting...Give this debut novel to readers looking for an accessible read and a bit of a scare." ― School Library Journal
"Zenobia’s voice is the best part of this novel. Her macabre sensibility and world view make for a highly entertaining, sometimes hilarious, read." ― VOYA Magazine
"Bryksenkova’s stark b&w spot illustrations add to the overall creepiness. Readers will be absorbed by Elizabeth and Zenobia’s conversations, the complex and chilling plot, Elizabeth’s transformation from meek to brave—and the mystery of what, exactly, Zenobia is." ― Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Jessica Miller is a children’s writer and PhD student from Brisbane, Australia. She currently lives in Germany. Elizabeth and Zenobia is her first novel.
Yelena Bryksenkova was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia; grew up in Cleveland; and studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore (BFA, 2010) and the Academy of Applied and Decorative Arts in Prague, Czech Republic. She lives in Western New York.
