And the Trees Crept In is a hauntingly immersive tale of insanity, terror, and what happens when you’re not even safe in your own home.

About ‘And the Trees Crept In’ by Dawn Kurtagich

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the “blood manor” is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too–the questions that Silla can’t ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that’s appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?

‘And the Trees Crept In’ book review

If you’re looking for a book that will have you pulling your dangling feet back over the edge of your bed at night, And the Trees Crept In certainly fills that requirement. The scares are twofold here: You have La Baume, the creepy and possibly sentient house Silla and her sister seek for refuge, and then you have The Creeper Man, a tall, thin, eyeless creature with a gaping mouth who isn’t always seen but is somehow always present.

This book is a mystery within a mystery within a mystery. There are so many questions to answer, not least of which is what has Silla been through to make her so protective of her heart? She and her sister ran away from home, but what exactly happened that night? Who is the mysterious Gowan, and why is Aunt Cath so crazy? What connection does Silla’s family have to The Creeper Man, and why does the forest inch closer to the house each day?

Beneath the horror of the book there is a story about love, loss, and responsibility. This novel will send chills down your spine, yes, but it is not just there to scare you — it is there to show you what can happen when you give up all hope and blame yourself for the horrors of the world.

Nori is one of those characters you instantly love. Innocent and pure, she is a child who has yet to understand how cruel the world can be regardless of the fact that she’s seen many cruelties first hand. She still retains hope. Silla, older and more wary, is another story. She is cold and cut off from the world, she has lost hope, and yet the love she has for her sister is the only thing she needs to keep her going.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of this book is the dynamic reading experience. Nearly each page offers something new, whether it’s a burnt up image of a letter, a different font for the musings of a different character, a message within a message, a word blown up so large is LEAPS off the page, or a spiraling message that doesn’t conform to standard form.

In fact, there is nothing typical about this story, and each time you turn the page, you learn to steel yourself for what may come next. Is Silla insane, or is what she’s experiencing real? Does it even matter?

With plenty of twists and turns, And the Trees Crept In will keep you guessing until the very end, taking you for a unique and chilling ride along the way.

About the author

Dawn Kurtagich is a writer of creepy, spooky and psychologically sinister YA fiction, where girls may descend into madness, boys may see monsters in men, and grown-ups may have something to hide. By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.

Her life reads like a YA novel.

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich is available now. Save it to your Goodreads list or buy it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound.