For over a century, the Blackwells have protected the town of Hollow Cliff from vengeful spirits. Seventeen-year-old Nev is ready to take over for her ailing grandmother as the town’s witch protector—unlike her mother, who left when Nev was a child and never looked back. When a stranger arrives at Blackwell House of Spirits to fill a tour guide opening, Nev reluctantly offers him the job. Nev doesn’t trust Cal Murphy. He knows more than he’s letting on about Blackwell House—and about Nev herself. But Nev soon learns that she has been lied to her whole life. By following the trail of clues left behind in Blackwell House by her most powerful witch ancestor, Nev uncovers an unspeakable legacy of murder and lies…and realizes that a stranger may be the one person she can trust.
- Title: The Lies of Alma Blackwell
- Author: Amanda Glaze
- Publisher: Union Square & Co
- Publication Date: August 27, 2024
- Genre: Horror
- Source: Print ARC via Publishers in exchange for an honest review
- Targeted Age Range: YA
- Content Warnings: drowning, death, parental death (past), parental abandonment, cancer, underage drinking, physical violence, attempted murder (strangulation), grief, suicide (on page), child death, fire, imprisonment, blood
- Rating: ★★★★.5
Words that can be used to summon me to read a book: seaside town, gothic, horror, haunted house, witches. Therefore, once I saw that The Lies of Alma Blackwell included all of these things I knew that I had to put it on my radar. I read Amanda Glaze’s debut The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond and really enjoyed it, so I had a feeling that I would enjoy this one as well, and I really did!
The atmosphere of this book was absolutely phenomenal. I literally read the first sentence and took the following note: “through the first sentence and already the atmosphere is incredible”. I felt this way about The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond as well. Glaze writes so descriptively. I felt like I was in the town of Hollow Cliff; I do think that it being set in Northern California, just past San Francisco (I believe, I know that SF was mentioned as being in somewhat close proximity) really helped because I live not too far from San Francisco, so I definitely had a reference point, but I really did feel like I was in this town while reading.
Not only were her descriptions of the seaside town so vivid and lush, her descriptions of Blackwell House were incredible. As someone who grew up visiting the Winchester Mystery House (and still has quite a fascination with it) I loved the inspiration that Glaze drew from the story of the Winchesters for The Lies of Alma Blackwell. Blackwell House definitely reminded me of the Winchester Mystery House, and it really made me want to take a trip there again soon. I was especially obsessed with the séance room (an iconic thing to have in a house, honestly) and the hidden door/trap door in the room. That part of the book where we get to follow Nev when she’s guiding one of the house tours was so much fun. I also loved when they’d talk about the shadows in the house and hidden panels and floorboards that were used as hiding places; the house felt alive and felt like a character in the book and I love that.
Nev was a great main character to follow; I really liked the exploration of family duty and obligation through her storyline. I found Nev to be an easy character to root for; she’s dedicated, trustworthy, and intelligent, she loves fiercely and is very protective over the things and people that are important to her. I thought Cal was a great love interest and was glad that while the romance was there, it didn’t detract from the main plot and actually ended up being essential to the main plot. I appreciated how their relationship developed, and they ended up having one of my favorite romance tropes, so that was definitely a plus!
I had some theories regarding the hauntings and what Alma’s lies could’ve been, and let me tell you, I came up with some crazy theories and was even correct about a few of them, but nothing could’ve prepared me for all of the details that made up the truth. It was just gut punch after gut punch honestly; it was heartbreaking. Glaze wove together such a complex story, I really was blown away by everything that we found out throughout the story. You learn about the 1903 massacre early on — that is, you learn the widespread story, but the truth is slowly revealed throughout the entire book and I thought it was incredibly well done. I also loved how we learned the truth — I can’t go too far into detail because then I’m venturing into spoiler territory, but the magical element to the truth reveals was so interesting, and I thought it was a very creative way to tell this story. It added an extra sense of urgency and drama that I really enjoyed.
If you’re a fan of gothic horror with a side of mystery, then I absolutely recommend picking this one up!
Links for The Lies of Alma Blackwell: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Amanda Glaze writes witchy books about determined girls. Her bestselling debut novel, The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond, was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick and a Rise Booklist Honoree. She grew up in Northern Cal ifornia where she spent most of her time with her nose in a book or putting on plays with friends. Since then, she’s lived many lives: as a
bookseller, a theater director, and an Emmy award-winning film and television producer. When she’s not running off to the mountains, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and
their two cat familiars.
