Kirkus Reviews

A thriller in a decrepit, isolated mansion—and in the double-occupancy mind of a teen girl.When Seda's professor mother, a horror-film scholar, inherits the crumbling remains of what was once a rural hotel used to host murder-mystery events, the family's supposed to have a quick summer to tidy it up for sale. But her mom stalls and vetoes any prospective buyer who doesn't want to run it as-is, leaving her and her children (Seda and two sets of younger twins, each a boy-girl pair, ages 6 and 4) stuck on the mountain come fall. Seda wishes she could be more alone in her own head, though—she's plagued by her lifelong imaginary friend, Sawyer, who tells her to hurt herself and others. Seda suspects he was her own twin, absorbed in the womb. Sawyer knows it's a bad idea to let the teens stranded by a snowstorm into the house, but Heath, their spokesman, is cute, and Seda's mom insists, roping everyone into a murder-mystery game she's written for Seda's birthday celebration. Just when readers are lulled into a false sense of security—and even Seda notes Sawyer's silence—the elaborate game heats up. Each new bit of information builds, and in a house full of potential victims, readers will be compelled to rush and unravel the twisted mystery. Aside from one Chinese character, the cast is white; at one point Heath playacts Robert E. Lee. A bloody, wonderfully creepy scare ride. (Horror. 12-adult)

ALA Booklist (Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

At first Seda, 16, enjoys exploring the cavernous Bismarck-Chisholm House, the remote mansion deep in the mountains, that her mom inherited. Once a murder mystery hotel, it's still decorated like a gothic horror film set. Months later, however, Seda is tired of her nightmarish new home, where her siblings (two sets of twins, ages 4 and 6) are her only company. Time alone isn't good for Seda, who is plagued by a dark voice she believes is her unborn twin. Seda has a bad feeling when a group of teens takes shelter at the mansion during a blizzard, and it's borne out when everyone agrees to play the macabre game her mother has designed. This is the perfect premise for a chilling tale, and Balog fills every inch with classic horror references, red herrings, and uncertain motivations. As Balog gradually builds tension and paranoia, she manipulates reader expectations to set up several possible endings, yet still manages to end with a shocker. This is fantastically creepy psychological horror.

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

When her mother inherits the Bismarck-Chisholm Home, a creepy “murder” mansion on Solitude Mountain, Seda is happy to escape Boston and appointments with her shrink. Her family spends the summer in the crumbling old house, but dad leaves after her parents fight. As days become weeks, Seda loses track of time and soon, the first snowfall of the year is upon them. Now, she worries they will be snowbound in the dilapidated mansion all winter. The voice in her head, her dead twin Sawyer, is becoming more vocal. Stranded teenagers appear on their doorstep just before the worst of the storm. Her mother is overjoyed to see company, but Seda worries something bad is going to happen. She knows that Sawyer will ruin things; and she knows how. Solitude Mountain is the perfect place for murder. No one will hear the screams. There is no phone reception and the storm will cut them off from rescue. Seda is a perfect choice for a horror narrator. She is unreliable and immediately tells readers that she is crazy. As the story progresses, Seda becomes terrified. She does not trust her mother, the new arrivals, Sawyer, or herself. Someone is a killer. Seda’s questionable mental state is the perfect set-up; even careful readers will be caught off guard by twists and unexpected but divine surprises. This first-rate thriller delivers everything a thriller should, and adds more. With a wink and a nod to Stephen King’s The Shining, Balog provides a shocker for the young adult crowd.—Pamela Thompson.