Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review Noyes' talent as an editor of creepy ghost stories is evident in her anthologies, Gothic! (2004) and The Restless Dead (2007). This brilliant collection is comprised of her own original tales, which are all based on Edith Wharton's 1916 story, "Kerfol." The first entry, set in 1613 in a French chau, stays close to Wharton's original plot about a young woman on trial for the mysterious murder of her jealous husband, but Noyes employs a different narrative perspective at of a serving girl. The four following, interconnected stories are set between 1802 and 2006. Noyes sometimes incorporates Wharton's phrases and dialogue from "Kerfol," but she cleverly adds her own style and twists to the original's gothic elements and themes of betrayal and vengeance. The story set in 1926 relates the tragedy of a gin-drinking party girl and brings Prohibition to life; the 1982 story features a young, thrill-seeking couple who visits a French chau after dark. The ghost dogs of the original story feature in each of these unique, mesmerizing tales, as does the dark sensuality of the women. Although curious teens will be motivated to seek out the original Wharton story, Noyes supplies enough back matter to make that effort purely optional.

Horn Book

This collection of five linked ghost stories begins with Edith Wharton's "Kerfol" retold from the servant's perspective. Subsequent main characters include an artist in 1802, a 1926 party girl with a dark secret, an American couple in 1982, and, in 2006, a deaf gardener. Noyes grounds each entry in its time while maintaining the gothic atmosphere throughout.

Kirkus Reviews

Drawing inspiration from Edith Wharton's ghost story "Kerfol," this collection of five linked stories follows the mysterious and frightening events at a French estate over the centuries. The first story retells the events of Wharton's original, in which a young woman is convicted of murdering her husband, the aging lord of the manor. Subsequent stories feature a visiting artist, a spoiled rich girl, an American couple and a deaf gardener. All are visited by the various spirits that haunt the estate: Dead dogs roam the property, frightening visitors; a murdered lord seeks revenge for his untimely death; a beautiful maiden mourns her lost love in the orchards. Told from a variety of perspectives, each story builds on the last, drawing the reader deeper into the passion and misery that wind their way through the estate. Beautiful and genuinely frightening. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In five wonderfully chilling short stories, Noyes (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Red Butterfly; <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Gothic!) pays homage to Edith Wharton’s ghost story “Kerfol,” about the wealthy Anne de Barrigan—terrorized by a husband who murders her dogs and then is himself murdered by their ghosts. The first entry retells the story from the point of view of the chambermaid Perrette; the following stories march forward chronologically from the original’s 17th-century setting but remain at the Kerfol chateau. In suspenseful prose that evolves from Perrette’s antique speech (“I kept close by [Milady], especially when the moon swelled and paw prints dotted the mud round the moat come morning”) to a contemporary perspective, Noyes follows four more unsuspecting and vulnerable victims as they enter Kerfol, now filthy with neglect, where their thoughts are overtaken by the voices and visions of those long dead. Ghost dogs appear from nowhere; the evil, twisted Yves de Cornault inspires terror from the grave; and the still beautiful spirit of Anne haunts the estate. Readers will be eager to know how next this house and its ghosts wreak havoc—and even death—on those unlucky enough to darken its doorstep. Ages 14–up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Aug.)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Beginning with a gothic tale set in 17th-century France and culminating with a modern, spine-tingling horror story, Ghosts is a collection of five short stories that center around one haunted house. Based on Edith Wharton's "Kerfol," the first one features the young wife of an abusive, older lord who also showers her with gifts, one of which is a sapphire necklace that appears in the subsequent tales. Although the master kills his wife's dogs one by one, the story ends with him found dead, mysteriously mauled by canines. The second tale takes place in the Napoleonic era with the new heir to Kerfol, nephew to a childless great-aunt, beset with nightmares about his father's death and haunted by a nonexistent pack of dogs. Both the following story, featuring a 1920s flapper, and a modern tale include some suggestive sexual scenes, but they in no way diminish the value of these creepy ghost stories that are reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's work. The first story is the longest and most difficult and may be a hard sell for less-sophisticated readers. If they can hang in, however, they will be rewarded with some great gooseflesh and an exciting read. Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School Library, Loveland, CO

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

This collection of five short stories spans the seventeenth century to the present. The uniting element is Kerfol, a manor house in Brittany originally created by Edith Wharton in her short story Kerfol. The first entry retells Wharton's story of a baron apparently killed by phantom dogs from the point of view of a young girl who is a servant in the baron's house. The following stories detail the experiences of others at Kerfol, who have visions, delusions, or perhaps real encounters with the residence's inhabitants, past and present. Short stories are a difficult sell to teens. This collection will be no exception, but it will be enjoyed by avid readers of historical fiction as well the occasional Edith Wharton fan, who will embrace Noyes's use of Kerfol as the setting for each story. Noyes's literary style may be inaccessible to some teens as several tales do not feel like authentic young adult fare. Some historical inaccuracy may pull the reader out of the story. Her writing is strong and her use of vivid description is effective in setting the scene, but her characters are not as interesting or compelling as many teen readers might demand. This collection may lend to creative writing exercises in which students write their own adaptations of classic short stories.-Molly Krichten.