The Lonely Below

by g. haron davis

A chilling middle grade horror debut featuring a Black, autistic protagonist who uncovers dark secrets plaguing her new school.

Eva doesn't love being the new girl at school, but she doesn't hate it either. Thanks to her mom's job, her family is used to moving around. But Blythe Academy isn't a normal school. The teachers are all strange and insular, like they're hiding something from the students . . . .



And of course, there are the ghosts. Eva's new friend Ami tells her the story -- Blythe Academy has always felt haunted, but fifty years ago part of the school collapsed, killing a classroom of students and their teacher. Things haven't been the same since.



To most students it's just a scary story. But it's not long until Eva is having her own terrifying run-ins with the ghosts, and they seem to be trying to communicate with her. Soon she's having unnerving visions that seem to predict another collapse. Add in suddenly having to move into the dorms and her classmates finding out she's autistic before she's ready to tell them and Eva is completely overwhelmed.



Eva wants to tell people about her suspicion -- she doesn't think the collapse was just a tragic accident. It was caused by a malevolent force, and that force is back and hungry for more. As time begins to run out, will Eva be able to discover the truth of Blythe Academy and save lives . . . or will it be too late?

Genres: Middle Grade, Horror, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Thriller, Ghosts, Fiction, Mystery

201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 6, 2024

Reviews

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be still my little neurodivergent heart.

This is a story for so many little girls who never have stories of their own and I love that about it. I hope those little girls find the book and see their strengths and potentials in its pages.

It is, also, delightfully spooky.

[Elena Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please give Davis a round of applause for writing a middle grade horror novel that finds the perfect balance between being genuinely creepy and age appropriate. The descriptions throughout are visceral and disturbing without being gratuitous; the root cause of the hauntings is realistic, but specific enough to avoid becoming nightmare fuel; and the main character's identity as a Black girl on the autism spectrum is relevant to the plot and written in a refreshingly straightforward way.

[Kristen Branch-McGlamery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for giving me to opportunity to review this ARC!
The Lonely Below is a middle grade horror novel by g. haron davis that would be the perfect recommendation for someone who loves a good ghost story. If you are a fan of Goosebumps, this book is for you!
The book tells the story of Eva, a new student at the prestigious Blythe Academy. As soon as Eva steps foot on Blythe's campus, she can tell that something is off about the school. After numerous experiences with visions of the past and ghostly encounters, Eva starts to dig into the school's history for answers. Eva soon discovers that there are pieces of Blythe's history that haven't been fully and rightfully remembered and spoken about.
As a fan of horror and someone who grew up reading books like Goosebumps, I had a fun time with this book. It was a solid take on the age old ghost story formula. I thought Eva was very well written. She is a person of color who also has autism, and I loved how g. haron davis invited us as readers to hear about Eva's experiences and thoughts. Eva was authentically written, and I could see her as someone who could exist outside of the page.
I also think this book did an excellent job of speaking on serious subjects that younger readers may have not read about in other books. Topics like code switching and sharecropping are touched upon in a way that can be easily approached by middle school readers. A huge theme of this book is historical erasure and altering history in order to hide darker, and often gruesome, parts of the past. This is such an important topic, and I am glad that it was addressed in this book. I also think this book is helpful in showing readers a glimpse into the neurodivergent experience.
Overall, if you're looking for a fun read for the fall or spooky season, I would recommend checking this one out!

[Kass D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than I expected it to be.
Eva is the new girl in this boarding school who has a dark history, besides the horrors of school. Eva also is in the spectrum, which makes this situation a little more difficult to navigate.
Every time Eva was in a social situation, the way she would have to talk to herself in able to survive each interaction was extremely relatable. I felt this was properly paced and how easy was to understand the way of thinking of the main character. I felt the friendships and minor characters were realistic.
The writing and simple for the main target audience. I did wish there was more elaboration on some different aspects of the book.
This book comes out August 6,2024
Thank you NetGalley!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Eva Mauberry live in Tennessee, but her parents have to go to Mississippi to deal with her grandmother's estate. Her older sister Egypt is in college, but her parents want her to spend a semester in Blythe Academy, a private school that her father attended, so that they can focus on wrapping up the grandmother's concerns. Eva's Aunt Nooncie has just taken a job teaching at the school, so will be there to help as well. Eva does make friends quickly, including her roommate Vee, who is Dominican, and Ami, who is Black and Thai as well as nonbinary. She also talks to a girl named Mac, who seems to disappear quickly on some occasions. The school has a long history of being haunted, mainly because it was built on land that was taken from a Black community by the Friends of Lafayette Falls Lake group, who then built the school. Eva has a meltdown in the office after a ghostly woman grabs her wrist; her father has to be called to calm her down. He believes her a bit about the ghost, but not that it hurt her. Eva is autistic, but was hoping to keep this a secret longer, although her new friends are understanding. As Eva tries to figure out why the school is haunted, she finds other information about a classroom that collapsed fifty years ago, killing a teacher. Vee and Ami believe her, and try to help her with her research. There is one student, Theo, who is occasionally mean to Eva, but also gives her ear buds that her autistic brother finds useful. There is a Centennial Celebration being planned for the school, and since the previous catastrophe happened during the last big celebration, the students want to figure things out quickly. Mac seems helpful, but when a group of girls try a Bloody Mary type chant in the bathroom, things get strange. What part did Mac have in the history of the school, and can Eva and her friends figure out why the school is haunted?
Strengths: This would have been referred to as a book written by an #OwnVoices author; davis is autistic. It's good to see this represenation. The history of the school is filled with lots of problems, and these are described well but don't slow the ghost portion of the stort down. It's good to see that Eva has people who support her. The teachers are a little suspicious, which is always fun, but are of course working for the good of the school. There is a seance with a ouija board, which young readers always enjoy.
Weaknesses: Eva finds a lot of comfort in the Karen Cooper musical group; this seems to be an actual musical group. Not really a weakness; I just wasn't sure.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like their scary ghost stories set in placed that were sites of historic cultural oppression, like the Colored Orphangage Asylum in Cummings' Trace or the lake in India Hill Brown's The Girl in the Lake.

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About the author
https://www.ghdis.me/home/

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eva's father decides to send her to Blythe Academy, his former boarding school where he feels like the teachers are better equipped with accommodating her needs since she's on the autism spectrum. But shortly upon arriving Eva realizes that Blythe is being haunted by ghosts out for revenge. And even though rumors of ghosts have plagued the school for years people don't believe her encounters. Fifty years ago, a building collapse killed a classroom full of students and their teacher and with Blythe’s centennial approaching, Eva fears what will happen.

There are historical events mentioned in the book that were horrifying but I'm not sure I'd actually classify this book as a horror novel. I don't know if it was the way it was written but there was never a strong sense of dread or fear. And it lacked urgency even in situations that were supposed to be fearsome. The short chapters made the book easy to follow though and Eva's thoughts were pretty straightforward. Sometimes I had to remind myself that Eva was 12 as tone wise the book read a little older. There was also a familial connection between Eva and Mac, a ghost haunting the school but I don't recall a clear explanation of what that was so that could've been developed more.

I did like the scenes with her dormmates as she struggles to fit in and make new friends. Eva has different mechanisms to help her during times when she's feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of a meltdown. While I was intrigued enough to keep reading I was never fully invested in the plot.

[Jamie Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva (12) is sent by her parents to Blythe Academy in Mississippi while they head to Louisiana to take care of her MawMaw Sephine now that she has passed away. Leaving home In Tennessee is hard for Eva, harder still with her parents leaving her behind, because she is autistic and suffers from anxiety. It also doesn't help being one of the few Black kids at school, but she was lucky to get Vee (black latine) as her roommate with her friend, Ami (black thai, they/them). Things get worse when Eva starts seeing ghosts and the ghosts are paying attention to her, escpecially one that talks to her and plays scray tricks on Eva. Trying to deal with the ghosts and the mean girls that don't understand that meltdowns Eva has, she is set on a mystery to discover what happened at the school 50 years ago when a classroom collapsed, killing the students and a teacher, and why the one ghost is focused on her. The book pulls in all the scary vibes, layered through with Eva's autistic issues - such as not wanting to be touched and loud noises - and her anxiety. The book also pulls in black history that ufurls as Eva and her friends work through the mystery and hope they can stop someting from happening before the centennial celebration of the school.

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eva, in the midst of family turmoil, is being enrolled at Blythe Academy, the boarding school her father attended and loved. The hundredth anniversary of the school is fast approaching, and all should be celebratory, but Eva knows there is something off. In fact, she begins to see and experience ghosts. Equally disconcerting, is her burgeoning friendships with a core group of girls. Eva has difficulty making friends because not everyone understands, or tolerates, her needs as an autistic person. When ghosts and friendships collide, Eva must take a stand to uncover the truth about the founding of the school and the fate of the cemetery that rested on the grounds before the ghosts destroy the people and the place. I found the descriptions of events wonderfully engaging, enough to continue reading even though the creep factor made me want to put the book down. However, although individual events were well described, I found the flow of the story somewhat disjointed, which made for some confusion on my part as I was trying to follow the story line.

[Stephanie Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

**My thanks to Scholastic for providing me with an advanced review copy via NetGalley**

3.5 stars

A fun and engaging middle-grade boarding school horror! I love a well-done boarding school setting, and this one was written believably while maintaining the creepiness I was hoping for.

Eva is a great main character, with big feelings she doesn’t always know what to do with, but a kind heart and engaging curiosity. I love the connection she feels with her family, and in fact, my only major critique is that I wish the family connection in the ghost story had been given more narrative space.

This book contains the best description of a panic attack I’ve read in fiction for this age group.

Anything that name-drops Edward Gorey gets bonus points from me, but this spooky tale hardly needs the credit; it’s a solid, fun read all on its own.

[Jennifer Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this story. It kept me guessing. I had to remind myself a few times that it was a middle grade novel and not an adult one, for the reason that an adult book would have dived further into things that this book didn't. Which was fine. You still get a full story...but man...if they ever decided to write this story in adult form I would be all over that.
Overall, the book had horror, it had suspense, reading it at night, I won't lie, kinda creeped me out.
I feel the author captured the characters perfectly.
**spoilerish- I do wish that thr familial connection between Mac and Eva was explained more. It was mentioned several times that they were family. But there was never any further explanation as to how.

*I received an advanced copy via Netgalley.

[John Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spooky supernatural mystery tale, with a touch of horror, rooted in the true history of African-American communities dispossessed by White interests and greed. Eva, who is Black and autistic, overcomes her own fears and challenges at a new school to solve the mystery haunting Blythe Academy and put the ghosts of past injustices to rest. In the end, she also creates a space to be her full, true self in her community at school. The story is an inspired melding of a ghost story with a compelling lesson about racial injustice, channeled through a young person with a unique voice and a brave, independent spirit.

[Meg Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Eva is so relatable—with the masking, the food aversions, the learning how to talk with different people, how do adjust her talking for others. Love the intersection of autistic and Black rep! So happy to see more actually autistic rep!

The obsession on Theo’s looks and the crush on her was really distracting and annoying for me (I came for the spooks, not romance!); other readers will probably feel differently.

Overall, a fun, spooky story with depth, intersecting with the horrors of real-world history.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this novel!

While I am not the intended audience for this book, I still found it an enjoyable read. The writing style was easy to digest and the story easy to follow. I didn't really start thinking it was spooky until about halfway in, but I'm not sure if that was because of the writing style, age range, or something else entirely. I think it could have gone a little deeper with the messaging, but it works well as an introduction to oppression for a younger audience.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel, The Lonely Below by G. Haron Davis! I realized pretty quickly in that I was a bit above the directed audience age but can certainly understand the sentiment of a new school as a middle schooler. I loved Eva, the main character and really appreciated the authenticity of her experience as an autistic human. I think this would be a very enlightening book for young people and important for representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and g.haron davis for the complimentary ARC for an honest review.

[Jennifer Englebright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read, not one of my favorites, but still really good. I love the autistic inclusion it was great to read about it. My son is autistic and it made me feel happy to read about someone who is dealing with it and having experiences. Nice horror wasn't too scary for me, but it's still good. I feel it was horror for a younger audience but still decent scares.

Thank you, Netgalley and G. Haron Davis for this ARC. It was a great read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with the intention of deciding which grandkid would appreciate it most. My 13-year-old granddaughter will, I hope, love it.

This is a horror story. A well written one, in my opinion. It also does double duty as a fictional historical tale of what horrible things were done to a village of black sharecroppers in the past because white people wanted their land. I suspect the fiction is not far from the truth.

[Revelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I decided to read this book because I really enjoyed it. This book was recommended based off a random TikTok video giving book recs based off your birth month, so I checked it out. This book is targeted toward younger readers but is really for anyone. The main character is a middle schooler but I’m in my thirties and still could connect with her. It was a well written and enjoyable story perfect to read for October.

[Quinntana Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. I will admit it was a slow start but then you became invested in the main characters and wanting to know the history of the school and the why. The twists and turns of middle school emotions coupled with the supernatural was enticing. Definitely recommending to my middle school students as a tale of overcoming, strength, and discovery of self.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of this story and the idea of the main character but it's not done very well. Eva is fairly poor autistic representation that was almost irritating to read and the lesson learned moment was also very cheesy. I personally felt that most of the characters weren't fleshed out very well and were very forgettable. My favorite thing about this book was the wide variety of people displayed, though it does have a victim mentality. honestly it wasn't too bad.

[Angela Sandoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one checked off all the boxes of a good ghost story. The mystery, the devastating historical events leading to the haunting, an interesting and brave heroine. This is one I will highly recommend to our middle school readers. In addition to just being a great story, it also has the scary moments that our middle schoolers always ask for.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a stellar read. I feel like there's so many stories of cities and cemeteries (especially those started/interred by minorities) that just...swept under the rug, literally and figuratively and damn it, they should be told. I wanted to give Eva a hug the whole time (she'd probably hate that) and wrap her up in a blanket cause I love her character.

[Niyyah Ruscher-Haqq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following Eva was a great adventure, mysterious and thought provoking. She faces struggles as one of a handful of black students in a new school, as well as struggling with neurodivergence... and a few ghosts. You'll find yourself cheering for Eva as she navigates dark challenges as well as difficulties of family and friendship. Very well written.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

FINALLY!! An intersectional horror book for middle grade readers! I can't wait to see more of this. I was expecting a little bit more "horror" actually and less ghosts, but this will satisfy a reader looking for a scary book with some depth.

[Jen Nishi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about ghosts, historical erasure, and finding your voice. I liked the atmospheric writing. This had me reading late into the night and scared of all the noises my apartment makes at night.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book made me feel very seen about my neurodivergence. Very much young adult (which I was unaware of at the time I started reading it), but a good quick read about ghosts and justice — two things I love very much!

[Lizzy]

Dropped at page 120.

I wanted to like this one so badly, but I’m just not emotionally invested.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting read that’s enhanced by thoughtful representation of autism and anxiety.

[Susan Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boarding school, ghosts, time hop... check, check, check. All my favorites. You won't be disappointed with this book.

[MaryAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Protagonist, Eva, is on the autism spectrum. I gave it 3 stars, primarily because I’m not a fan of the occult.