Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House
Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House
Lucy leapt to her feet, startling Mr. Mews, who ran back out of the room. She spun in a circle, searching the dark corners for shadowy figures. She saw nothing, but felt it all around her: a presence that was growing stronger and more intrusive with every breath. A sickly sweet smell, like strawberries and medicine permeated the air. Lucy backed out of the room slowly, then turned on her heel and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. She grabbed a small suitcase from the hall closet and filled it with random toiletries and clothing, and then quickly changed. Mismatched and untucked, Lucy hurried back downstairs to discover that the strange smell had grown even stronger; it nearly choked her as she ran to the kitchen and filled three bowls with cat food and a giant mixing bowl with water for Mr. Mews. “It’s tea time.” A deep voice spoke from behind her. Lucy turned around. The voice belonged to a man with heavy eyebrows that nearly disguised his eyes, dressed in a butler’s uniform and holding a tray with a silver tea set. She backed away from him and into the front hallway where she almost tripped over a woman wearing a maid’s uniform mopping something red and syrupy off the floor. She was humming softly to herself as she worked. Without uttering a word, Lucy picked up her purse and keys and rushed out the door, locking it tightly behind her.
One year out of high school and Lucy Crisp still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. That is, until she gets accepted to a small but exclusive arts college called Ladywyk Lodge. Lucy moves to the small town of Esther Wren where it’s located and lives in the old 19th century house her father buys as an investment. Then strange things start happening in the house. Lucy hears voices and footsteps in the empty rooms, and she sees people and things that don’t belong. Gradually, Lucy figures out that the town and its residents are hiding many secrets, with Ladywyk at its center. As the strange happenings increase, Lucy worries that she’s being threatened, but she’s determined not to let anything scare her away.
Janet Hill’s debut novel is a charming supernatural mystery that incorporates themes of being true to yourself and gaining independence. The book has a beautiful package, and the author draws on her background as an illustrator to create several full-colour paintings interspersed throughout the text.
Lucy is a strong, resourceful, and intelligent female character, and readers will identify with her quest for independence. Lucy’s move to Esther Wren is her first taste of being on her own, and the author does a good job of balancing Lucy’s conflicted desire to handle challenges on her own and leaning on her father or other people in the town for help.
Like many kids who are finishing high school, Lucy is also struggling to figure out what she wants to do and what she’s good at. She likes to write but hasn’t considered this as something she could or should do. Her job in a flower shop leads to an invitation to an arts college, and she thinks she’s found her path. Older readers will certainly identify with Lucy’s plight as they face pressure to decide on post-secondary education and employment, and they will enjoy her unique path to finding it.
Supernatural elements, such as the disappearing house, weather-controlling teenaged witches, and ghostly servants, add a layer of mystery and create suspense but never amount to being truly scary.
Where the story falls flat is in its old fashioned feel. Had Lucy and her father not been texting back and forth, it would be easy to assume that the novel was set much earlier, and the characters, themselves, don’t feel like they belong in modern times. In this age of fast-paced, thrilling novels, the novel’s gentle and slow pace might be too slow for teen readers and feel more appropriate for the upper middle grades. The secondary characters and especially the villain also lack development and seem placed merely to move the plot along rather than be part of the story.
Overall, Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House is an enjoyable read, but it likely won’t leave readers clamouring to read about any further adventures of Lucy Crisp.
Rachel Siegel is the Adult Fiction Selection Specialist at the Library Services in Ontario and an author.