A whimsical thriller? Not sure how to describe this book, filled with talking animals, a ghostly girl explorer, and a menacing cousin trying to claim Brightwood Hall as his own...
Brilliantly written. Highly recommended.

received as an ARC. ( )

About to depart for a trip with her family, Caroline noticed that her doll's shoe had fallen off on the dock below. Not realizing that she had gone back to retrieve it, the skipper of the Everlasting pulled away from the dock.

"The photographer's picture had been made large and filled almost the whole of the front page. There were words above it, written in thick black letters almost as big as Caroline's hand:

TRAGEDY AT SEA—FITZJOHN FAMILY LOST!
The massive explosion yesterday on board the Fitzjohn family yacht is believed to have been caused by engine failure. There are no survivors."

But, of course, Caroline had survived. Her grandmother had picked her up from the dock and taken her home to Brightwood, the family mansion. Now many years have passed and Caroline lives alone with her daughter, Daisy. Daisy has never passed through the gates of Brightwood. Why should she? She and her mother have everything they need at Brightwood.

"Daisy listened as the sound of the car grew fainter and fainter and then disappeared. She curled back under the covers and closed her eyes. Wherever she was going, her mum would be back by eleven o'clock. She was never late."

But this time, her mum didn't come back.

Brightwood is a middle-grade thriller with a strong female protagonist and a focus on mental illness. Adventurous readers will love it!

My copy of this book was provided by Workman Publishing.

https://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2018/04/brightwood-review.html ( )

I received this book as an uncorrected digital proof from the publisher, via Edelweiss.

Daisy Fitzjohn knows there are two worlds: the outside world and the world of her home, a secluded mansion called Brightwood Hall. But only Brightwood is real for Daisy--she’s never once set foot outside its grounds. Daisy and her mother have everything they need within Brightwood’s magnificent, half-ruined walls, including Daisy’s best friends: a talking rat named Tar and the ghost of a long-ago explorer who calls herself Frank.

When Daisy’s mother leaves one morning, a peculiar visitor, James Gritting, arrives on the estate, claiming to be a distant cousin. But as the days tick by and Daisy’s mother doesn’t return, Gritting becomes more and more menacing. He wants Brightwood for himself, and he will do anything to get it.

At its heart, Brightwood is a tale about mental illness and coming to terms with one’s past. Through no fault of her own, our main character, Daisy, finds herself isolated at Brightwood. She’s never had contact with a human being besides her mother, and her friends include a rat, a statue, and a topiary horse. When her mother disappears and a mysterious stranger shows up at the house, Daisy is forced to not only fight for her life, but to confront the fact that her life is not normal, and that her mother may have mental problems. Daisy’s internal monologue is smart, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking. The interactions with her “friends” depict Daisy’s frustration at having no one from her own peer group to communicate with. There are sections of the book that depict some dark topics, but not in a way that would be outside the understanding of a middle-grader. Some mysteries are allowed to remain mysterious, such as the identity of Daisy’s father, but I love a book that isn’t afraid to leave some strings untied. I would recommend this book to kids 8 and older, who enjoy an (at times dark) adventure.
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Almost all of Daisy Fitzjohn's family are killed when the family yacht sinks. Only her mother survives. Daisy has spent her entire life never leaving the family estate Brightwood. One day her mother leaves to go to town but she never returns leaving Daisy alone (with her pet rat and ghost friend Frank). A mysterious relative shows up who becomes frequently threatening to her and she suspects fowl play with regard to her mother's disappearance.The mid portion of the book drags some but the ultimate conclusion should satisfy the young readers for which it is intended. ( )