The Creepening of Dogwood House by Eden Royce

The Creepening of Dogwood House Reviews

• 
  Kiki

  In Eden Royce’s third middle-grade novel we see the return of some of her favourite themes within the walls of a haunted house novel. Those themes are: death, loss and associated traumas; ancestors and how to maintain ties with them even through death; how to sustain cultural, familial, and individual memory but also how to cope with loss of same, some of which is inevitable, some of which was and is violently erased; and the power of love to bring together those within and across different boundaries. All in a richly developed Gullah Geechee context. Twelve year old Roddie’s mother Layla died in a vehicle accident. It takes two months for his Aunt Angie to hear and return from her world travels with her new husband Erik in order to take over guardianship of Roddie. They take him from a children’s home to the somewhat run down family home from Charleston city to further north in a South Carolina forest in an effort to restore both the house and their distant, frayed family ties.
  
  The things I love about Royce’s writing are all here. She is deft at writing adults alongside her child protagonists such that they are convincing individuals even as Royce emphasises the importance of community. This helps in allowing the reader to know Layla through Roddie’s and Angie’s memories as both a mother, a sister, and a person with her own interests and mysteries which will never be fully known to either of them. Creating different circumstances and family configurations in each of her MG novels requires Royce to detail a mourning process and family bond recovery/reclamation particular to each, ensuring her books never feel repetitive. (If all one got from this book was another “dead mother trope” the reader was not paying attention.)
  
  The once beautiful but now rather creepy, stinky house itself was well done. As I read descriptions of its high ceilings, the many rooms with custom wallpaper, and huge, ornate, commissioned fireplace, it occurred to me that narratives around this kind of house–family owned for multiple generations, indicating some wealth, with historical value and artistic investment–are almost always white-owned. As usual, Royce does important work in passing on histories neglected in the mainstream. I would love to read a short story about that fireplace.
  
  My favourite aspect was how Royce wrote in hair as a major motif. I expected the usual preachy “Black is Beautiful” messaging. Instead, what I got was a story element that evoked connections to fairy tales from across the world about hair and creatures/beings who use it to fuel their power, as well as specifically African diaspora folklore. (It was a Vincentian woman who first told me about practices around disposing of hair. I think she always flushed hers and her daughters.) It was such a refreshing surprise for me to see a story about Black hair written this way, to not have to cringe at hair descriptions and to see Layla’s straightened written in a way that didn’t insult her personhood or intelligence.
  
  Here is yet another Royce novel in which my heart ached and cheered for a family to overcome obstacles with the help of both the living and the dead. This is the richly developed centre of her novels. I will always be excited to read more from her.
  
• 
  Ms. Woc Reader

  When Roddie's mother dies in an accident his life is uprooted and he has to move in with his estranged aunt and her new husband to Dogwood House, a home that was in his family for generations. As his aunt and her husband fix it up Roddie notices strange things happening. Once his mom starts talking about reconnecting with her roots he starts to discover many things kept hidden from him.
  
  
  One thing Eden Royce does well is adding pieces of her culture into the narrative. Her Gullah Geechee history and the hoodoo traditions shine here just like in Root Magic. And I read one of her short stories where I loved her unique take on magic as well. Where this book fell short for me was the pacing and the reliance more on sympathy towards Roddie's situation to drive the story. Dead mother trope is such a go to in middle grade and I feel like sometimes authors rely on it to do the heavy lifting for them. Readers of course will instantly feel for Roddie for losing his mother and then having to move to a new town with an aunt he barely knows. But putting him in such a new environment I wish we would've gotten more building upon getting to know his aunt and navigating the new school and town.
  
  
  I received an arc from Eden Royce and Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Therearenobadbooks

  Very cool. This is my favorite book from the author. It is such a well-balanced story of parent loss, courage, and suspense horror.
  
  "Gotta keep pushing through the dark, baby. Keep going no matter what."
  
  These are the last words his mom tells him before the accident. Then Roddie moves into his mom's childhood creepy mansion with his aunt and her new husband to restore the house that is beyond ruined and creepy. With hoodoo roots, this family will suffer at the hands of an evil entity, but the memories of the house will do what is possible to help Roddie through. Set in South Carolina. A good-mannered child who is very kind and conscious of other people's suffering, loss of parents, and grief. Lots of art, architecture, and house restoration facts as well. We always learn about many things from this author's books. Awesome ending.
  
  Some of my favorite quotes:
  
  "Be proud of your efforts, even if no one else is."
  
  "It was considered the right thing to do at the time. But times change."
  
  "Even if you have to give bad news, there's no reason to be mean about it."
  
  Thank you, publisher, for the copy.
• 
  CYBILS Awards

  Thanks, Ms. Yingling for introducing us to this one. *We think.*
  
  
  https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
• 
  Ms. Yingling

  E ARC provided by Netgalley
  
  Roderick and his mother, Layla, a bank accounts manager, had a comfortable life and were very close until her untimely death in a car accident. Unable to locate any relatives, the authorities put him in an orphanage, where he is at least taken good care of by Ms. Penny, who understands the depths of his grief and lets him help her in the kitchen. When his Aunt Angela is finally found, she rushes home from her extended honeymoon with her new husband, Erik. Both are involved with refurbishing old properties, so it's not a big surprise when they tell Roddie that they will be moving into Layla and Angela's childhood home in South Carolina, not far from where Roddie had been living. The house has been rented since the death of the grandparents, and is in rough condition. It's liveable, but there's a lot of work to be done. Roddie is clearly struggling, but his aunt and new uncle strike a good balance with being glad to be with him, and being sad about the reasons for this. Dogwood House, so called because of the dogwood trees that used to be growing nearby, was built by Roddie's great-great-great grandfather, and there are some surprises that show up in the renovation, like the grandmother's porcelain jewelry box. There's a persistent, fetid smell, but this is dismissed as part and parcel of the damp climate and the poor condition of the house. Roddie throws himself in to renovating, even stripping the wallpaper from his room. There are creepy things in the house which are not made less creepy by Angela's attempts to embrace the family's hoodoo past. She gives Roddie a bowl to use to burn any hair that comes out in his comb, saying that there was a belief that spirits could control you if they have some of your hair. Roddie's hair has been neglected since his mother's death, since she would braid it for him. Layla always had a very short hair cut, and Angela has locs, so Roddie tries to condition and style his hair by himself, although Angela does offer to help. When Roddie starts getting headaches, he starts to worry that the family lore about the Bridgeweaver, an evil spirit who is taking people's hair and using it for malevolent purposes, might be real. Will he be able to harness his mother's spirit of "keep pushing through the darkness" to save his new home and family from destruction?
  Strengths: If I were a tween who had read a lot of books, I would be utterly terrified of moving. New homes are ALWAYS haunted, from Wright's 1984 Ghosts Beneath Our Feet to Sutherland's The Nightmare Night Door and several K.R. Alexander titles. This had a bit of a spin to it, with the hoodoo surrounding the hair, and the family backstory about previous hauntings that caused the house to be abandoned to renters. Angela and Erik are fantastic relatives who step up to take care of Roddie and are so sensitive to his needs. The build up to the Bridgeweaver is well done; it took me a while to figure out why there were so many details about hair, but it all paid off. Roddie's grief is realistically portrayed, and I did appreciate that he had been in counseling. This is on trend with the idea that you can't get rid of bad memories without getting rid of good ones as well.
  Weaknesses: I wish that the mother hadn't been killed, but it does at least forward the plot. It seems more likely that Roddie would have gone into foster care, but maybe there are still orphanages in the South. The hair in the wallpaper grossed me out, but that's more of a more of a "me" thing that should play well with students.
  What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Royce's Conjure Island or Root Magic, or other books involving Southern US creepy folklore like Smith's Hoodoo or Bourne's Nightmare Island. This was creepy enough that I will buy a copy.
• 
  Haleigh Gravgaard

  The Creepening of Dogwood House by Eden Royce is a haunting tale that immerses readers in the eerie atmosphere of an old family home steeped in hoodoo traditions. The protagonist, Roddie, grapples with his new reality after the tragic loss of his mother, navigating the unfamiliar territory of Dogwood House and the peculiar customs of his aunt. Royce's vivid descriptions of the house, draped in Spanish moss and laden with secrets, create a chilling backdrop that sets the tone for the story. The narrative effectively captures Roddie's sense of loss and displacement, making his journey relatable and poignant.
  
  However, the book falls short in certain areas. While the setting and initial premise are compelling, the pacing can be uneven at times. The story often lingers on descriptions and atmospheric details, which, while rich, occasionally detract from the plot's momentum. Additionally, the secondary characters, including Aunt Angie, could benefit from more development. Their motivations and histories are touched upon but not explored in depth, leaving some of their actions and decisions feeling somewhat ungrounded. This lack of character depth makes it harder to fully engage with their personal stakes in the narrative.
  
  Overall, The Creepening of Dogwood House is a solid read for those who enjoy atmospheric horror with a strong cultural backdrop. Eden Royce excels at crafting a spooky, immersive setting that draws readers in. However, the story's pacing issues and underdeveloped characters prevent it from reaching its full potential. Despite these shortcomings, the book offers a unique glimpse into hoodoo practices and the haunting legacy of family secrets, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.
• 
  Eva

  (Review copy from Netgalley for review consideration)
  I am a huge, huge fan of anything Eden Royce does, and although I don’t typically read middle grade books, reading “Root Magic” and “The Creepening of Dogwood House” felt like such immersive experiences, so I was very excited to get to explore the landscapes here. Royce, a South Carolina native of Gullah Geechee heritage, here goes into the story of Roddie. He is dreaming of a time that his mother taught him how to cook pan-fried fish.
  
  It takes a very subtle balance to be able to take painful histories and to write them for young readers in a way that educates yet does not traumatize them, and Royce pulls that off here as she did with “Root Magic.”
  
  I felt Roddie’s loss so acutely, and having to cope with so much at such a young age. He is going to go live with his aunt now.
  
  Dogwood House is the home where Roddie’s mother and aunt grew up, and that’s where they’re headed now. I loved the Gothic suspense.
  
  Witnessing Aunt Angie teach Roddie about hoodoo and its importance in their family was so interesting and one of my favourite parts of the novel, especially with the cultural context that Angie provides.
  
  As the chapters went on, the novel gets more and more interesting as Roddie had to solve a family mystery, and things definitely got very intense (and scary!) and ultimately, hopefully, to a better path for Roddie and his family.
• 
  Kit

  Horror has always had a special place in my heart and since becoming a school librarian I have been exceedingly happy to read all the amazing middle grade horror books that I wish I had as a child and am lucky to put on the library shelves for my students. The Creepening of Dogwood House is another excellent addition to the collection.
  
  This story does what all good horror does... it reminds us that even in the middle of grief and fear, there is a way through. In this case Roddie is still hurting from the death of his mother and is trying to find his place with an aunt he hasn't really ever known and in the house his mother grew up in. A house that has generations of history hidden in the ever changing walls. It's up to Roddie to remember his mother's words "keep pushing through the darkness" and figure out what is making the house, and his family, sick.
  
  This is a story that will have you actively cringing from how creepy some of the scenes are and tearing up along with Roddie and his Aunt as they find their way through. I can't wait to add this one to the library shelves!
• 
  Molly

  I liked this but did not love it. Root Magic is one of my favorite middle grade fantasy books of all time, so I had high expectations for this one. Ultimately, it wasn’t as creepy as I expected it to be but I really loved the themes of family legacies, healing from grief, and creating new memories and family. I will definitely recommend it to customers at the bookstore!
• 
  Noreen Trotsky

  A great read for middle grade readers who are looking for a mystical ghost haunting. I love reading paranormal books, but this book went beyond that, in a good way. Teaching children how important our life stories and history are, if in a bizarre way. Definitely recommend
• 
  Clarissa

  Satisfyingly creepy!
• 
  Shane Bradley

  A slow-burning, emotion-filled story that builds to the perfect ending. I waited for the creepy parts to hit, and they didn't disappoint.