A creepy Victorian house, secretive aunties, and a great escape combine in this debut that is part Mysterious Benedict Society, part Roald Dahl, and all quirky, smart, hilarious storytelling. Join the League. . . .
Anastasia is a completely average almost-eleven-year-old. That is, UNTIL her parents die in a tragic vacuum-cleaner accident. UNTIL she’s rescued by two long-lost great-aunties. And UNTIL she’s taken to their delightful and, er, “authentic” Victorian home, St. Agony’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane. But something strange is going on at the asylum. Anastasia soon begins to suspect that her aunties are not who they say they are. So when she meets Ollie and Quentin, two mysterious brothers, the three join together to plot their great escape! BONUS: Includes an excerpt of Viola Snodgrass’s Etiquette Manual for the Prim and Proper Sort!
* “Concocting an eerie setting positively made for Unfortunate Events, Grant threads her narrative with direct addresses to Readers and delicious turns of phrase. . . . A yummy debut.” —
Kirkus Reviews,
Starred
“Just the right mix of humor, magic, maliciousness, and suspense.” —
Booklist
“This adventure is filled with enough mystery and humor to keep readers wondering what will happen next. A solid debut reminiscent of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.” —
School Library Journal
“Wonderfully witty. It reminds me of Roald Dahl’s
The Twits
only in an insane asylum.” —Chris Grabenstein,
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library