What do you think?
Rate this book
Harvest House
NSK Neustadt Laureate and New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith delivers a thrilling cross-genre follow-up to the acclaimed Hearts Unbroken.
Deftly leading readers to the literary crossroads of contemporary realism and haunting mystery, Cynthia Leitich Smith revisits the world of her American Indian Youth Literature Award winner Hearts Unbroken. Halloween is near, and Hughie Wolfe is volunteering at a new rural Harvest House. He’s excited to take part in the fun, spooky show—until he learns that an actor playing the vengeful spirit of an “Indian maiden,” a ghost inspired by local legend, will headline. Folklore aside, unusual things have been happening at night at the crossroads near Harvest House. A creepy man is stalking teenage girls and young women, particularly Indigenous women; dogs are fretful and on edge; and wild animals are behaving strangely. While Hughie weighs how and when to speak up about the bigoted legend, he and his friends begin to investigate the crossroads and whether it might be haunted after all. As Moon rises on All Hallow’s Eve, will they be able to protect themselves and their community? Gripping and evocative, Harvest House showcases a versatile storyteller at her spooky, unsettling best.
Deftly leading readers to the literary crossroads of contemporary realism and haunting mystery, Cynthia Leitich Smith revisits the world of her American Indian Youth Literature Award winner Hearts Unbroken. Halloween is near, and Hughie Wolfe is volunteering at a new rural Harvest House. He’s excited to take part in the fun, spooky show—until he learns that an actor playing the vengeful spirit of an “Indian maiden,” a ghost inspired by local legend, will headline. Folklore aside, unusual things have been happening at night at the crossroads near Harvest House. A creepy man is stalking teenage girls and young women, particularly Indigenous women; dogs are fretful and on edge; and wild animals are behaving strangely. While Hughie weighs how and when to speak up about the bigoted legend, he and his friends begin to investigate the crossroads and whether it might be haunted after all. As Moon rises on All Hallow’s Eve, will they be able to protect themselves and their community? Gripping and evocative, Harvest House showcases a versatile storyteller at her spooky, unsettling best.
320 pages, ebook
First published April 11, 2023
About the author
Cynthia Leitich Smith
34 books1,238 followersCynthia Leitich Smith is an acclaimed, NYTimes bestselling author of more than 20 books, winner of the 2024 Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature, 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. Reading Rockets named her to its list of 100 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Everyone Should Know.
Her titles include HEARTS UNBROKEN, winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award; the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS, which was an ALA Notable Book and winner of the Reading of the West Book Award; an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, which received six starred reviews; and the YA ghost mystery HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.
Her 2024 middle grade releases are MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1), a Junior Library Guild selection, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami and a road-trip novel titled ON A WING AND A TEAR. Both books have received three starred reviews.
Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins and was the inaugural Katherine Paterson Chair at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
Her titles include HEARTS UNBROKEN, winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award; the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS, which was an ALA Notable Book and winner of the Reading of the West Book Award; an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, which received six starred reviews; and the YA ghost mystery HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.
Her 2024 middle grade releases are MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1), a Junior Library Guild selection, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami and a road-trip novel titled ON A WING AND A TEAR. Both books have received three starred reviews.
Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins and was the inaugural Katherine Paterson Chair at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
April 21, 2023
YA sort-of horror. While there's a likeable male protagonist, there are a few things wrong with the book. 1) unrealistically perfect family relationships. 2) it's didactic, and often not a story (so much so that I often felt I was trapped at an 8-hour TED talk), and 3) the ending sucks on toast.
The book is about a haunted crossroads, where two spirits, apparently a crime victim and the criminal, haunt people for forty years. Cold winds, stirring up birds, a voice on the wind. However
So, barely, a star. I'm not even sure why. I guess because I struggled through to the end, but then the end was so, so awful. The star over one is some kind of pity star, I guess.
The book is about a haunted crossroads, where two spirits, apparently a crime victim and the criminal, haunt people for forty years. Cold winds, stirring up birds, a voice on the wind. However
So, barely, a star. I'm not even sure why. I guess because I struggled through to the end, but then the end was so, so awful. The star over one is some kind of pity star, I guess.
October 23, 2023
A book about visibility and justice. Teens demand recognition despite the challenges in front of them (like standing up to stereotypes and tropes about indigenous people). Some paranormal elements included, but it’s not a scary book at all. The author wanted to bring attention to missing native women and two-spirit people as well as the society that enables these tragedies.
“Respect the true harvest…..Today’s truth becomes tomorrow’s herstory.
Tarot card: 5 of pentacles
“Respect the true harvest…..Today’s truth becomes tomorrow’s herstory.
Tarot card: 5 of pentacles
June 15, 2023
This book was fine. That's all. Just fine. The characters and the setting and the story itself were fine. It wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't anything special. The pace was really, really slow, though, and I considered DNFing it several times.
January 9, 2024
This was definitely a case of cover love, but the story was disappointing. The pacing and writing were inconsistent. Some parts were rushed while others had more explanation and detail. Sometimes the writing flowed but mostly it was too simple. A lot of potential but a lackluster execution.
August 15, 2023
Hughie Wolfe volunteers at a new attraction in town: Harvest House. It's intended to be a fun and spooky place to visit on Halloween. Hughie is pumped, but pretty soon finds that the director has many unpalatable, racist plans for the place, and there's also someone stalking teenage girls nearby.
Hughie has to find it within himself to speak up about his concerns, and to find out more about the disappearances of a teenager some years before.
Cynthia Leitich Smith returns with a story of friendship, bigotry, ghosts, and old crimes. Hughie is a great character, and how he grows over the months, and deals with the things bothering him is great. It was also great seeing so many well-drawn and positive relationships Hughie is in with his family, his friends, and his new possible girlfriend.
Hughie has to find it within himself to speak up about his concerns, and to find out more about the disappearances of a teenager some years before.
Cynthia Leitich Smith returns with a story of friendship, bigotry, ghosts, and old crimes. Hughie is a great character, and how he grows over the months, and deals with the things bothering him is great. It was also great seeing so many well-drawn and positive relationships Hughie is in with his family, his friends, and his new possible girlfriend.
April 13, 2023
An interesting blend of theatre, activism, and mystery that wasn't anywhere nearly as scary as I thought it would be based on the cover, and that concluded in a way I did not expect. I appreciated watching Hughie navigate difficult situations, have challenging conversations, and make tough decisions. The creation and execution of the Harvest House was a fun addition, and I really enjoyed reading a YA book with so many healthy relationships - familial, romantic, and friendship-based.
This book is a thoughtful and well-paced blend of mystery and slice of life with a paranormal twist.
Publisher recommended for ages 12-17, grades 7-9
This book is a thoughtful and well-paced blend of mystery and slice of life with a paranormal twist.
Publisher recommended for ages 12-17, grades 7-9
July 29, 2024
I was happily surprised to learn this was a novel about Indigenous Peoples and their fight against exploited women and bigotry.
Teenagers, ghosts, and haunted houses- what's not to love. Great writing, I look forward to reading more from this author!
Teenagers, ghosts, and haunted houses- what's not to love. Great writing, I look forward to reading more from this author!
April 12, 2023
Really good story! I listened to it because my daughter has been wanting to find horror/mystery style books and I need to read them to ensure the climate of the book. I think she will love it and it will give us a chance to talk about indigenous people and give her a better understanding of when I say, "stay true to you." Hughie did that in this story and I'm so proud of him. Just goes to show some adults don't have the best judgment and think kids should go along with everything they say. Really great and moving story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2023
This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The things that worked for me generally worked pretty well, as I thought that this book did a great job of talking about and tackling issues regarding racism and appropriation towards Indigenous people and their culture and experiences. I also liked the way that Smith talked about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/2 Spirits Epidemic, and how it was incorporated into this novel in a way that addresses indifference and ignorance from people outside the community. But the stumble for me is that it didn't really feel like we got into the horror elements of the story as deeply as I would have liked until we were pretty close to the end of the book. For this being marketed as a horror novel it didn't have the more traditional aspects of a horror novel that I expected. It just needed a little more oomph in that regard. Overall, however, I generally would recommend it.
November 25, 2023
I wanted to like this, but truthfully, I did not. It was a book I grudge finished, b/c despite the fact I just wasn't that into it, I *needed* to know how it ended, even if the ending wasn't all that great. And it wasn't all that great.
November 6, 2023
Got 20% of the way in and struggled too much so I stopped reading. It felt less like a story and more of a non-fiction book.
July 2, 2023
Indigenous authors are finally, FINALLY getting a smidge of the recognition they deserve, and I'm glad I got around to one of Leitich-Smith's novels. Hughie is a Native American high schooler who has no idea what to do with himself now that his beloved theatre program has been cut and there's no fall play. But his new friend Sam invites him to help out at his mom's friend's new haunted house to raise money to pay off her medical bills. But something has been targeting and scaring young, Native or Native-looking girls at the crossroads where Harvest House is set to happen, and Hughie, Sam and his friends are determined to find out what's going on.
The first half of this book starts off pretty slow, and I did not think I liked it at all. I'm very glad I stuck it out and finished it because it's got a really important message that Indigenous activists have been discussing for years that hasn't made its way to mainstream yet. I appreciate the conflict in Hughie sticking with the haunted house despite Ms. Fischer repeatedly adding offensive Native tropes and brushing it off like it's not a big deal- we see how Hughie struggles to come to terms with keeping his word, not wanting to be the only one who is always fighting this same battle, how it affects his relationship with Marie. It gives a very clear view into the insidious, creeping nature of racism and particularly how that affects young people. I think the author's note is worth reading even if you don't read the book; the author puts such care into the way the story is told and highlights certain aspects of the failure of white people, specifically those in power and in law enforcement, to fully investigate and seek justice for crimes against Indigenous people and particularly MMIWG2S. The author does an amazing job of speaking to the importance of this while also providing an example of an Indigenous woman who had joy and love in her life and her ending not being an example of something so awful. I think this is an important book and is written in an accessible way for young people, even possibly for middle-grade readers.
The first half of this book starts off pretty slow, and I did not think I liked it at all. I'm very glad I stuck it out and finished it because it's got a really important message that Indigenous activists have been discussing for years that hasn't made its way to mainstream yet. I appreciate the conflict in Hughie sticking with the haunted house despite Ms. Fischer repeatedly adding offensive Native tropes and brushing it off like it's not a big deal- we see how Hughie struggles to come to terms with keeping his word, not wanting to be the only one who is always fighting this same battle, how it affects his relationship with Marie. It gives a very clear view into the insidious, creeping nature of racism and particularly how that affects young people. I think the author's note is worth reading even if you don't read the book; the author puts such care into the way the story is told and highlights certain aspects of the failure of white people, specifically those in power and in law enforcement, to fully investigate and seek justice for crimes against Indigenous people and particularly MMIWG2S. The author does an amazing job of speaking to the importance of this while also providing an example of an Indigenous woman who had joy and love in her life and her ending not being an example of something so awful. I think this is an important book and is written in an accessible way for young people, even possibly for middle-grade readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2023
A spooky mystery with a side of micro(and not-so-micro)agressions.
Riding high on his starring role in the spring play, Hughie starts the school year ready to start work on the fall one. However, he's in for a disappointment; the budget's been slashed and there won't be a play. New friend Sam suggests he volunteer to help at Harvest House, a new Halloween attraction that's raising funds for a community member's medical bills, and Hughie commits to the project. He regrets his promise when he finds out the owner's plan to theme the whole thing around a racist "Indian burial ground" trope and local stories about a ghost at the crossroads. But Hughie's a man of his word, and helping out at the Harvest House means he can keep an eye out for the creeper that's been bothering Brown girls near the crossroads. Is there something more to the story than just a creepy drunk? And can he work from within to get the racist tropes out of Harvest House?
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book. I was not a big fan of Shaun Taylor-Corbett's narration. The third-person narration was great, but the character voices used for dialog were cartoonish and distracting, often pulling me right out of the story with an involuntary cringe. Taylor-Corbett is a respected narrator and I've enjoyed his work elsewhere, but it was difficult to listen to here.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio and Libro.fm for giving me a an advance listening copy of this book through Libro.fm's Librarian ALC program.
Riding high on his starring role in the spring play, Hughie starts the school year ready to start work on the fall one. However, he's in for a disappointment; the budget's been slashed and there won't be a play. New friend Sam suggests he volunteer to help at Harvest House, a new Halloween attraction that's raising funds for a community member's medical bills, and Hughie commits to the project. He regrets his promise when he finds out the owner's plan to theme the whole thing around a racist "Indian burial ground" trope and local stories about a ghost at the crossroads. But Hughie's a man of his word, and helping out at the Harvest House means he can keep an eye out for the creeper that's been bothering Brown girls near the crossroads. Is there something more to the story than just a creepy drunk? And can he work from within to get the racist tropes out of Harvest House?
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book. I was not a big fan of Shaun Taylor-Corbett's narration. The third-person narration was great, but the character voices used for dialog were cartoonish and distracting, often pulling me right out of the story with an involuntary cringe. Taylor-Corbett is a respected narrator and I've enjoyed his work elsewhere, but it was difficult to listen to here.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio and Libro.fm for giving me a an advance listening copy of this book through Libro.fm's Librarian ALC program.
June 26, 2024
I honestly think so many of the low ratings for this book, opining about the pace or the ghost-story aspect falling flat because of how the ending explained what actually happened to the ghost, are missing the entire point of this book. Did any of you read the Author’s Note? Maybe that will help aid your understanding of the messaging, the underlying context. You don’t really have to read between the lines for it, it’s all there in Hughie’s head, it’s on the page. I thought this book was brilliant, and it carried some incredibly strong and powerful messaging.
November 26, 2023
I loved everything in this book and what our main character stood for and believed in just amazing and the small romance we do see wish there was a bit more but also loved the spooky mystery of the ghost who was haunting a cross road area and why..
February 17, 2024
I appreciated the look inside the Native American culture this book offers. Whlie there is emotional resonance in this story, it didn't quite take me as deeply as I would have liked. Overall, though, a solid read.
November 13, 2023
Taking a bit of a break from #NonfictionNovember to celebrate #IndigenousHeritageMonth
Book 1 of #IndigenousHeritageMonth
Book 1 of #IndigenousHeritageMonth
February 29, 2024
The concept was awesome, the follow through was amazing
It was really nice reading about Native American Main Characters & the message about MMIW hit especially hard for me because my family just finally got some closure on the death of one of my Native Aunties. I was truly worried her case would fall to the wayside because the town she lived in is predominantly white.
I will say that because I read this in Audiobook form, the beginning's POV switch confused me more than it had any right to.
It was really nice reading about Native American Main Characters & the message about MMIW hit especially hard for me because my family just finally got some closure on the death of one of my Native Aunties. I was truly worried her case would fall to the wayside because the town she lived in is predominantly white.
I will say that because I read this in Audiobook form, the beginning's POV switch confused me more than it had any right to.
May 6, 2024
I personally did not like this book, but that’s only because of the style. The writing itself was good and the story was okay.
April 18, 2023
I love a good ghost story with a lot of heart.
May 19, 2023
This is really such a good book. It can be hard to read tho in that sense of it is deep and gets you thinking. How many stories you’ve heard about Natives and how they’re portrayed as the villain. How there are these “evil” Indian burial grounds. How natives are reportedly extinct. When reality is people tried to get rid of so many tribes cultures, languages, and traditions, but in the end Natives are still here and still fighting to gain back was taken from them. There are people out there who are trying to get Indigenous history put back into history books. That they are trying to undue decades of villainisation.
Things we could do: maybe we should think twice about celebrating certain authors, artists, etc. who have helped propagate stereotypes about Natives. We should openly talk about the injustice that has happened and is continuing to happen to them. And stay true to what you say you’ll do. Do the activism, do the educating yourself, and don’t make exceptions bc it’ll make someone uncomfortable. This can be applied to many other oppressions happening in our world.
Back to the story: This is a ghost story but not in a ghost trying to scare you or kill you kind of way. It’s not horror and it has some thriller it in it. It’s more somber in its storytelling. I’m not sure how you would classify it.
My favorite line was on page 281, “Maybe everyone is a little bit haunted, he thought. Maybe, dead or alive, that’s part of what being human is all about.”
Things we could do: maybe we should think twice about celebrating certain authors, artists, etc. who have helped propagate stereotypes about Natives. We should openly talk about the injustice that has happened and is continuing to happen to them. And stay true to what you say you’ll do. Do the activism, do the educating yourself, and don’t make exceptions bc it’ll make someone uncomfortable. This can be applied to many other oppressions happening in our world.
Back to the story: This is a ghost story but not in a ghost trying to scare you or kill you kind of way. It’s not horror and it has some thriller it in it. It’s more somber in its storytelling. I’m not sure how you would classify it.
My favorite line was on page 281, “Maybe everyone is a little bit haunted, he thought. Maybe, dead or alive, that’s part of what being human is all about.”
April 10, 2023
Muskogee sophomore Hughie is well known at his school, partly for his starring role in the school play the previous year, and also for turning down a part in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” because of the racist actions of the author. Budget cuts to the drama department leave Hughie with time to help with a haunted house community fundraiser, to work with friends at school who are investigating the harassment of young Native women at the Crossroads, and to begin a relationship with crush Marie. The author skillfully weaves together the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, a playwriting contest, and the complexity of combating racism in the hostile and the clueless. Lovingly depicted complex indigenous families are a highlight. EARC from Edelweiss.
January 5, 2023
Yay! Hughie's story! Loved how Hughie had to navigate not being in the fall theatre program and volunteering to set up a haunted house for the season and learning that a creepy man was terrorizing Indigenous women. And, how Smith effortlessly wove in the issue of missing Indigenous women/girls with little law enforcement investigation. And, Hughie navigating his first love was just so sweet. I would recommend reading Hearts Unbroken before this to get more of the Wolfe family dynamics.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
July 16, 2023
I agree with some of the other reviewers that this reads like a TED talk of critical race theory. I only made it a quarter of the way through before I was too annoyed by the canned negativity towards everything in education and decided to spend my time on something more worth while. I feel sad that this is what our young people are inundated with.
May 12, 2023
There were too many character introductions in a short amount of time, it got confusing trying to remember who was who and what their significance to the story was. This audiobook was hard to follow along to, and didn’t end up being as entertaining as i thought it would be.
February 19, 2023
Such a captivating story that I read it in one day!
September 14, 2023
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
One of the most confounding book moments of 2023 thus far was I was having a hell of a time remembering a certain book that ran across my timeline. I am the kind of person who, when I see a book in passing that sounds interesting but doesn’t REALLY process in my brain so well, tells myself that SURELY I don’t need to make note of said book, because surely I will remember it. That’s what happened with “Harvest House” by Cynthia Leitich Smith. I saw it on Goodreads, thought ‘oh that sounds neat’, and then kept scrolling… and couldn’t remember it for a good long while. But eventually I did find it and tossed it on my request list, post haste! A Halloween haunted house attraction mixed with an actual ghost story with themes of Indigenous issues in the United States sounded really promising. The latter part of that description worked well, but the former? Not as much as I had hoped.
Like most of the time I will start with the things that did work. I really appreciated how Smith brings up themes of racism and appropriation towards and from Indigenous groups in American society, especially within a Halloween context. Lord knows every year the message ‘my culture is not a costume’ is ever relevant as you see people STILL dressing up in offensive Indigenous stereotypes and using imagery that is important to the culture said people are not a part of. I liked that our protagonist Hughie was grappling with this while volunteering at a town haunted house attraction, that wants to use a local legend of the ghost of an Indigenous girl as one part of the experience, as well as an ‘Indian burial ground’. Hughie is deeply uncomfortable with this, and his boss, Ms. Fischer, just doesn’t understand why these depictions are offensive and insensitive, and this part of the book is a great way to work through why these things are as such. I also kind of liked that Ms. Fischer, while completely clueless, wasn’t a moustache twirling villain, as it approaches the topic in a way that shows that sometimes this kind of racism comes from ignorance as opposed to malevolence, but still needs to be called out. The more contemporary YA elements of this book really clicked with me.
But here is the flip side of all that. I definitely picked this book up in part because I like books that have relevant things to say when it comes to social issues, but I ALSO picked it up because it sounded like it was going to be, ultimately, a ghost story with some horror-centric moments that weave in and out with the messages at hand. But unfortunately, I didn’t feel like the horror elements of “Harvest House” were prevalent enough. We do get some good first person perspective moments from Celeste, the ghost of an Indigenous young adult who is haunting The Crossroads, but it took until probably the last fifth of the book for there to be actual solid interactions between the ghost moments and Hughie. We do get a second hand account of another character encountering something strange at the Crossroads (with description of an online video), but it doesn’t last long, and then there are no more ghostly interactions until much later. It just didn’t feel like there was enough horror throughout the novel. I would say that perhaps removing the ghostly stuff and just stuck with the mystery about what happened at the Crossroads as the sole focus, but even that was abruptly wrapped up in one scene which felt more like an afterthought than anything else. I really just wanted more.
So while I really liked the social justice themes that were in this book, “Harvest House” felt less like a horror novel and more like a contemporary story with some supernatural stuff tacked on. A bit of a disappointment on the horror front, but still a read with some important points to make.
One of the most confounding book moments of 2023 thus far was I was having a hell of a time remembering a certain book that ran across my timeline. I am the kind of person who, when I see a book in passing that sounds interesting but doesn’t REALLY process in my brain so well, tells myself that SURELY I don’t need to make note of said book, because surely I will remember it. That’s what happened with “Harvest House” by Cynthia Leitich Smith. I saw it on Goodreads, thought ‘oh that sounds neat’, and then kept scrolling… and couldn’t remember it for a good long while. But eventually I did find it and tossed it on my request list, post haste! A Halloween haunted house attraction mixed with an actual ghost story with themes of Indigenous issues in the United States sounded really promising. The latter part of that description worked well, but the former? Not as much as I had hoped.
Like most of the time I will start with the things that did work. I really appreciated how Smith brings up themes of racism and appropriation towards and from Indigenous groups in American society, especially within a Halloween context. Lord knows every year the message ‘my culture is not a costume’ is ever relevant as you see people STILL dressing up in offensive Indigenous stereotypes and using imagery that is important to the culture said people are not a part of. I liked that our protagonist Hughie was grappling with this while volunteering at a town haunted house attraction, that wants to use a local legend of the ghost of an Indigenous girl as one part of the experience, as well as an ‘Indian burial ground’. Hughie is deeply uncomfortable with this, and his boss, Ms. Fischer, just doesn’t understand why these depictions are offensive and insensitive, and this part of the book is a great way to work through why these things are as such. I also kind of liked that Ms. Fischer, while completely clueless, wasn’t a moustache twirling villain, as it approaches the topic in a way that shows that sometimes this kind of racism comes from ignorance as opposed to malevolence, but still needs to be called out. The more contemporary YA elements of this book really clicked with me.
But here is the flip side of all that. I definitely picked this book up in part because I like books that have relevant things to say when it comes to social issues, but I ALSO picked it up because it sounded like it was going to be, ultimately, a ghost story with some horror-centric moments that weave in and out with the messages at hand. But unfortunately, I didn’t feel like the horror elements of “Harvest House” were prevalent enough. We do get some good first person perspective moments from Celeste, the ghost of an Indigenous young adult who is haunting The Crossroads, but it took until probably the last fifth of the book for there to be actual solid interactions between the ghost moments and Hughie. We do get a second hand account of another character encountering something strange at the Crossroads (with description of an online video), but it doesn’t last long, and then there are no more ghostly interactions until much later. It just didn’t feel like there was enough horror throughout the novel. I would say that perhaps removing the ghostly stuff and just stuck with the mystery about what happened at the Crossroads as the sole focus, but even that was abruptly wrapped up in one scene which felt more like an afterthought than anything else. I really just wanted more.
So while I really liked the social justice themes that were in this book, “Harvest House” felt less like a horror novel and more like a contemporary story with some supernatural stuff tacked on. A bit of a disappointment on the horror front, but still a read with some important points to make.
October 8, 2023
I read Harvest House in one day after eyeing it for a while. I did a mix of the audiobook and an ebook, and I liked the mixture of both. This is also a dual POV between Hughie and Celeste, with Hughie being the main focus though Celeste is central to the plot.
I would personally describe this book as lightly spooky rather than full thriller. For middle grade readers it will have the right amount of tension and for older readers I think this gives good Halloween-esque vibes with a deeper story at play.
Hughie as a lead character is pleasant, being Mvskoke and running in circles with other Indigenous people at school and in his community. He takes a firm stance on not being in a play by Frank L. Baum because of his anti-Indigenous rhetoric. And when there will be no play the next year, it leads him to the Harvest House haunted attraction. And there we see him coming at odds with his beliefs again of his community deserving respect, and how best to navigate the situation. I liked the commentary about how he’s frustrated at the prospect of continuously giving up on things he wants to do because people can’t be sensitive to Indigenous issues and causes. It’s a topic I think that deserves this discussion.
Hughie is also surrounded by a plethora of characters like Sam, who is pansexual and Mexican with Indigenous ancestry, and an absolute class clown. Marie, who is Ojibwe and has caught his eye. And others like Sophie, who is Prarie Band Potawatomi. (And being Potawatomi and not often getting Potawatomi characters, I was so excited)! There’s also Cricket, a school journalist who is not afraid to speak her mind, and his cousin Rain, who helps with the impending investigation.
I really loved this group, as they felt like teenagers without being too perfect or unbelivably flawed. It was a perfect balance, and again, I think Hughie was a lovely character to follow. Given his show of respect to others. Also, I think more teenage Native boys deserve seeing teenage Native boys written like this too, someone comfortable in their group of friends, immersed in their culture to some degree, and still doing normal teen things too.
Speaking of, I enjoyed other elements here too, like typical coming-of-age things like getting into first relationships and crushes, dealing with high school bullies, etc. That added a lot into the lives of these characters beyond the main plot.
As for the story, I did hesitate here on giving a full five stars only because I think changing it up just a little could have given more intrigue and provided more of that spooky element. I wish there was more personal experiences involved in the group rather than them being sort of removed from it and doing investigative work. It does tie into being personal, with characters like Marie working near where strange happenings have occured. I just think a little more would’ve helped a lot.
Other than that, I like the ties and the overall messaging. Where Cynthia took the story at the end, which she explains in the author note further, shows something else that happens with MMIWG2S. The prevalence of it all from start to finish in how others interact with a missing Indigenous person. How it all ties together from the way people talk about a missing person, to failing them in an investigation, and allowing them to fade into obscurity in the public eye. It’s a huge conversation because all of this plays a role into how our MMIWG2S are treated.
I did tear up a bit at the end, and while reading the authors note, because I think Cynthia did a beautiful job showcasing this, and I could feel that ache and hurt in doing so.
I will definitely recommend this to everyone.
Rep: Mvskoke MC, Potawatomi SC, Ojibwe SC, Afro-Indigenous SC, Pansexual Mexican SC with Indigenous ancestry.
I would personally describe this book as lightly spooky rather than full thriller. For middle grade readers it will have the right amount of tension and for older readers I think this gives good Halloween-esque vibes with a deeper story at play.
Hughie as a lead character is pleasant, being Mvskoke and running in circles with other Indigenous people at school and in his community. He takes a firm stance on not being in a play by Frank L. Baum because of his anti-Indigenous rhetoric. And when there will be no play the next year, it leads him to the Harvest House haunted attraction. And there we see him coming at odds with his beliefs again of his community deserving respect, and how best to navigate the situation. I liked the commentary about how he’s frustrated at the prospect of continuously giving up on things he wants to do because people can’t be sensitive to Indigenous issues and causes. It’s a topic I think that deserves this discussion.
Hughie is also surrounded by a plethora of characters like Sam, who is pansexual and Mexican with Indigenous ancestry, and an absolute class clown. Marie, who is Ojibwe and has caught his eye. And others like Sophie, who is Prarie Band Potawatomi. (And being Potawatomi and not often getting Potawatomi characters, I was so excited)! There’s also Cricket, a school journalist who is not afraid to speak her mind, and his cousin Rain, who helps with the impending investigation.
I really loved this group, as they felt like teenagers without being too perfect or unbelivably flawed. It was a perfect balance, and again, I think Hughie was a lovely character to follow. Given his show of respect to others. Also, I think more teenage Native boys deserve seeing teenage Native boys written like this too, someone comfortable in their group of friends, immersed in their culture to some degree, and still doing normal teen things too.
Speaking of, I enjoyed other elements here too, like typical coming-of-age things like getting into first relationships and crushes, dealing with high school bullies, etc. That added a lot into the lives of these characters beyond the main plot.
As for the story, I did hesitate here on giving a full five stars only because I think changing it up just a little could have given more intrigue and provided more of that spooky element. I wish there was more personal experiences involved in the group rather than them being sort of removed from it and doing investigative work. It does tie into being personal, with characters like Marie working near where strange happenings have occured. I just think a little more would’ve helped a lot.
Other than that, I like the ties and the overall messaging. Where Cynthia took the story at the end, which she explains in the author note further, shows something else that happens with MMIWG2S. The prevalence of it all from start to finish in how others interact with a missing Indigenous person. How it all ties together from the way people talk about a missing person, to failing them in an investigation, and allowing them to fade into obscurity in the public eye. It’s a huge conversation because all of this plays a role into how our MMIWG2S are treated.
I did tear up a bit at the end, and while reading the authors note, because I think Cynthia did a beautiful job showcasing this, and I could feel that ache and hurt in doing so.
I will definitely recommend this to everyone.
Rep: Mvskoke MC, Potawatomi SC, Ojibwe SC, Afro-Indigenous SC, Pansexual Mexican SC with Indigenous ancestry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2023
I found so much I liked about the story, but ultimately I didn't gel with the narrative voice as much as I would like.
I've been asking myself lately before reviewing how much I should have liked a book based on my anticipation and how much the premise and genre match my preferences. Harvest House has a ton of my favorite things, and maybe yours, too.
I like Indigenous rep, Autumn vibes, horror/ghosts, and YA. YA tends to deal with stories of identity and coming of age in a respectful and focused way. While I don't read as much YA as I used to, I welcome those types of stories. And one of the characters is "a sucker for all genders."
The horror here is light. There's a haunted house/restaurant in the story set up as an an attraction for Halloween, and like the restaurant, the story isn't meant to be too scary. At the center of it is the spirit of a young indigenous woman who died in the 80s at the crossroads where the haunted house is at who helps young women who look like her to escape what she believes to be a malicious spirit. Her name is Celeste, and her portions are among my favorites. They're lovely, and wise, and poignant. Hers is the the voice of a young woman who missed out on a full life, and misses the cadences of her family when they talk, the shared laughter of friends.
The other characters are investigating if the area is really haunted and trying to track down the identity of the spirit.
Hughie Wolfe is our main character. He's a theater kid in a dying theater program who ends up volunteering to help with the haunted house. Hughie is surrounded by friends and family and a burgeoning romance. The woman he's helping out -- the haunted house is to pay off her medical bills -- seems perfectly "nice" and largely clueless, leaving Hughie to have to navigate her wanting to have an Indian graveyard and fetishize/exploit the legend of the rumored spirit.
I think the reader can anticipate most beats of the story, but we get some twists at the end. I was initially disappointed with the big twist, but the author explains the decision in the afterword, and her reasoning makes so much sense. I respect what she was trying to do.
While we explore Hughie's dilemma at how to handle the clueless white lady, we're also exploring the ongoing tragedy of missing Indigenous women, children, and non-binary people not getting the respect and concern deserved. While I've read up on the topic and watched materials, I still know I have a lot to learn.
While I enjoyed everything, I didn't fall in love with anything other than Celeste's portions. The dialogue didn't ring true to me. I do have to laugh at how I thought of Hughie as a 40-year-old accountant in a teen body and then we find out his sister feels the same way. Still, the theater program for this kid?
"Hughie, who'd always been a serious fan of footwear, appreciated their whimsical appeal." Or "Being around a fellow thespian was like getting a booster dose of the theater vibe he was missing."
I like Hughie, I just don't know if I buy Hughie. I think the author and I are about the same age, and I think that bleeds through. See the Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man adoration.
I also have questions. Ultimately, the gang needs to convince others of the truth of what they find out through a supernatural encounter. We don't find out how it happened, but just do a jump in time. What their doing at that point would seem cruel and misguided unless people believed their story. Is that vague enough? I can't help but see is as a hole, and I have questions.
If this all sounds good to you, Harvest House has much to offer you. I have to confess I was tempted to read other books by the author that feature these characters. I'm kinda financially, um, now's not a good time since my library doesn't carry them.
I've been asking myself lately before reviewing how much I should have liked a book based on my anticipation and how much the premise and genre match my preferences. Harvest House has a ton of my favorite things, and maybe yours, too.
I like Indigenous rep, Autumn vibes, horror/ghosts, and YA. YA tends to deal with stories of identity and coming of age in a respectful and focused way. While I don't read as much YA as I used to, I welcome those types of stories. And one of the characters is "a sucker for all genders."
The horror here is light. There's a haunted house/restaurant in the story set up as an an attraction for Halloween, and like the restaurant, the story isn't meant to be too scary. At the center of it is the spirit of a young indigenous woman who died in the 80s at the crossroads where the haunted house is at who helps young women who look like her to escape what she believes to be a malicious spirit. Her name is Celeste, and her portions are among my favorites. They're lovely, and wise, and poignant. Hers is the the voice of a young woman who missed out on a full life, and misses the cadences of her family when they talk, the shared laughter of friends.
The other characters are investigating if the area is really haunted and trying to track down the identity of the spirit.
Hughie Wolfe is our main character. He's a theater kid in a dying theater program who ends up volunteering to help with the haunted house. Hughie is surrounded by friends and family and a burgeoning romance. The woman he's helping out -- the haunted house is to pay off her medical bills -- seems perfectly "nice" and largely clueless, leaving Hughie to have to navigate her wanting to have an Indian graveyard and fetishize/exploit the legend of the rumored spirit.
I think the reader can anticipate most beats of the story, but we get some twists at the end. I was initially disappointed with the big twist, but the author explains the decision in the afterword, and her reasoning makes so much sense. I respect what she was trying to do.
While we explore Hughie's dilemma at how to handle the clueless white lady, we're also exploring the ongoing tragedy of missing Indigenous women, children, and non-binary people not getting the respect and concern deserved. While I've read up on the topic and watched materials, I still know I have a lot to learn.
While I enjoyed everything, I didn't fall in love with anything other than Celeste's portions. The dialogue didn't ring true to me. I do have to laugh at how I thought of Hughie as a 40-year-old accountant in a teen body and then we find out his sister feels the same way. Still, the theater program for this kid?
"Hughie, who'd always been a serious fan of footwear, appreciated their whimsical appeal." Or "Being around a fellow thespian was like getting a booster dose of the theater vibe he was missing."
I like Hughie, I just don't know if I buy Hughie. I think the author and I are about the same age, and I think that bleeds through. See the Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man adoration.
I also have questions. Ultimately, the gang needs to convince others of the truth of what they find out through a supernatural encounter. We don't find out how it happened, but just do a jump in time. What their doing at that point would seem cruel and misguided unless people believed their story. Is that vague enough? I can't help but see is as a hole, and I have questions.
If this all sounds good to you, Harvest House has much to offer you. I have to confess I was tempted to read other books by the author that feature these characters. I'm kinda financially, um, now's not a good time since my library doesn't carry them.
August 29, 2023
I wanted to rate this one higher as I liked Hughie, Sam, Rain, Marie and Cricket but 3.5 stars was about as high as I could go. I think for me it was how the focus of the book was done. Very obviously Smith wanted to shine a light on two interrelated things, the insanely high rate of missing/murdered Indigenous women and racial bias/racism. Unfortunately it leaned harder into the latter which I think might be because of the intended audience. Don't get me wrong, it's a needed thing but it split the focus of the book.
For me if it had focused on both more evenly the book would have been more successful in its message. Hughie and Rain are Indigenous (Sam and Marie are Latinx and Cricket is White). Hughie is a gifted actor at a Kansas h.s. that just slashed drama so his new friend Sam gets him into Harvest House, a haunted house for one of his mom's friend's crowdfunding attempt to pay off serious medical bills.
Harvest House is set in an old abandoned home next to a failed chicken restaurant (also abandoned) and the Grub and Pub where the girls work. At this crossroads where there's a legend of a Crossroads Ghost featuring (uncomfortably for Hughie) the ghost of an "Indian Maiden" (What no one knows at first that Celeste was a real Indigenous woman who went missing in the 80s which killed my heart a little since the kids were that is SO long ago and that's when I was there age...)
So naturally the lady running the attraction (white) and the owner of the Grub & Pub (also white) decide to capitalize on that legend. Just one of them would have been enough to show a YA audience how cultural appropriation hurts but it gets double hammered here and much more so with Ms Fisher running the attraction because she has an Indian graveyard complete with Indian braves (she wanted Hughie and Sam to play a role in that but didn't think they were dark enough, yikes) and the Maidens ghost. She doesn't see this as racist and kids are too sensitive these days (cringe, especially since she'd be my age and yes I've heard that said a lot). Not even when the two bully characters write offensive "Indian" names on the tombstones.
Eventually she and Hughie have it out and mild spoiler here, she comes to an understanding how hurtful this is. I only wish it didn't take a month to get to this because it ended up short shirting the rest of the novel which I think is just as important (But honestly less likely to be something teens can help with. They can modify their behavior but they can't take on a multi jurisidictional nightmare)
Because the other main theme here is Celeste's story. Cricket (school journalist) and Hughie and Rain (motivated Indigenous teens) want to know the real story of what happened, especially when they learn yes someone really did go missing here. In the US and Canada the rates of Indigenous women going missing or being murdered is 6 times the national rate. In less than a decade nearly 6000 Indigenous women have gone missing. The hashtag MMIW is used in social media for this and I truly did want more out of the novel in this respect. It's obvious it wanted to shine a light on this but it didn't do it fully, a bit more concerned with appropriating cultural and colonialism (again maybe because it's seeking to make changes where it's easiest?)
I did like the story. I just wanted more out of it.
For me if it had focused on both more evenly the book would have been more successful in its message. Hughie and Rain are Indigenous (Sam and Marie are Latinx and Cricket is White). Hughie is a gifted actor at a Kansas h.s. that just slashed drama so his new friend Sam gets him into Harvest House, a haunted house for one of his mom's friend's crowdfunding attempt to pay off serious medical bills.
Harvest House is set in an old abandoned home next to a failed chicken restaurant (also abandoned) and the Grub and Pub where the girls work. At this crossroads where there's a legend of a Crossroads Ghost featuring (uncomfortably for Hughie) the ghost of an "Indian Maiden" (What no one knows at first that Celeste was a real Indigenous woman who went missing in the 80s which killed my heart a little since the kids were that is SO long ago and that's when I was there age...)
So naturally the lady running the attraction (white) and the owner of the Grub & Pub (also white) decide to capitalize on that legend. Just one of them would have been enough to show a YA audience how cultural appropriation hurts but it gets double hammered here and much more so with Ms Fisher running the attraction because she has an Indian graveyard complete with Indian braves (she wanted Hughie and Sam to play a role in that but didn't think they were dark enough, yikes) and the Maidens ghost. She doesn't see this as racist and kids are too sensitive these days (cringe, especially since she'd be my age and yes I've heard that said a lot). Not even when the two bully characters write offensive "Indian" names on the tombstones.
Eventually she and Hughie have it out and mild spoiler here, she comes to an understanding how hurtful this is. I only wish it didn't take a month to get to this because it ended up short shirting the rest of the novel which I think is just as important (But honestly less likely to be something teens can help with. They can modify their behavior but they can't take on a multi jurisidictional nightmare)
Because the other main theme here is Celeste's story. Cricket (school journalist) and Hughie and Rain (motivated Indigenous teens) want to know the real story of what happened, especially when they learn yes someone really did go missing here. In the US and Canada the rates of Indigenous women going missing or being murdered is 6 times the national rate. In less than a decade nearly 6000 Indigenous women have gone missing. The hashtag MMIW is used in social media for this and I truly did want more out of the novel in this respect. It's obvious it wanted to shine a light on this but it didn't do it fully, a bit more concerned with appropriating cultural and colonialism (again maybe because it's seeking to make changes where it's easiest?)
I did like the story. I just wanted more out of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews