The House at the End of the Sea

by Victoria M. Adams

Saffi doesn't want her new life, living with her dad, little brother and old-fashioned grandparents in their B&B by the sea. She is grieving for her mum and longs for things to go back to normal.

But this new home is anything but normal: the walls change colour, a face appears in the mirror, and the pantry is suddenly filled with fancy food. When a party of extraordinary visitors arrive at midnight, Saffi begins to realise that her family has a dark, magical secret. It will take all her bravery to discover the truth and find a way into another world ...

Genres: Middle Grade, Audiobook, Fantasy, Family

256 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2024

About the author

Victoria M. Adams spent her childhood bouncing between Cyprus, Canada and the US with her Iranian mother, trying to achieve first place in the ‘Most Visas Acquired Before Age Eighteen’ sweepstakes. As an adult, she carried on the nomadic family tradition by adding France and New Zealand to the mix. She currently shares her London home with two humans and a feckless cat.

She is represented by Sara O’Keeffe at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Kaleidoscopic book tours.

The House at the End of the Sea is the first book in a magical adventure series for children, and I had so much fun reading it!
We follow Saffi and her family as they move from London to live at their grandparents' B&B after the tragic loss of their mother. Not only do they have to adapt to a small island life after a life in the city, but her grandmother's cooking is unappetising, her grandfather is moody and there's problems with her father and grandfather over the B&B. When Saffi meets a boy on the beach called Birdy and strange things seem to be happening within the house and some even stranger guests arrive, Saffi and her little brother Milo along with Birdy, set out to uncover what is happening.
This was so magical to read and quite nostalgic in places, too. I enjoyed the magic aspects, and Saffi and Birdys characters were well fleshed out.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves a mystery, adventure, solving riddles, and, of course, magical beings! I really can't wait to read the rest of this series!

[Hannah Rials Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Plot really pulled me through and had me wanting to keep reading. I think the language use puts it at the right level of challenging for kids looking to push their reading forward. Characters were slightly flat for me, which is pretty much the only reason it isn’t a 5

[Meg Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Victoria for the eARC!

This book has all the ingredients there to entice a reader:
A mysterious house by the sea.
A secret family rift.
Straaaaaange things happening...
And a beautiful created main character that explores the duality that a lot of us experience.

Saffi takes us with her on a discovery into what lurks within her family's history. We see through her eyes the different ways that grief can affect people and how desires can become twisted things that leave us with more regret than joy.

This book kept me hooked with mysteries and questions I wanted answers to right up until the very end. I enjoyed the magic immensely and loved exploring Breakwall in its many facets. I wonder with hope if we'll get to visit this seaside town again soon.....

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so SO good, I had to read it all in one sitting. Definitely one of my favourite middle grade reads of the year, maybe one of my favourite of all time. So eerie and beautiful, such interesting magic and complex characters, absolutely LOVE

[Madison Pollard-Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going in to this book, I wasn't too sure what to expect, other than a family drama, and some ongoing mysterious twists and turns. I was not disappointed!

Saffi, her brother, and her father move to the coast, and move into a B&B with her old-fashioned grandparents. They are still reeling from the loss of her mother, and immediately, tensions run high. What starts out as usual family drama quickly turns more magical, when strange guests arrive, and the B&B itself begins to change.

Saffi's perspective offers a great insight into what it is like to deal with familial tensions, which exploring the history of the family and of Fortune House itself. I was pleased that this book doesn't shy away from exploring the horrors of the past, even in the context of 'they weren't that bad for those days'. The resolution to this book, and the acceptance and embracing of the idea that it is sometimes better, even when it is hard, to embrace two distinct, and often opposing identities, is a wonderful message to leave young people with.

Character development was particularly strong in this book, and I love magic that is never quite what it seems!

[Fatguyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely magical, beautiful read set on the Yorkshire Coast, an area I know very well from Summer holidays in that area.

A mysterious house by the sea, family secrets and strange goings on. What more could you ask for?

We follow young Saffi who's grieving her Mother and trying to find her way in life at her Grandparents B&B, who soon discovers the house holds many secrets, as do the guests.

For me, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. The writing style and language fits just perfect with this age group and the plot flowed well. Character had decent depth and I read this in two sittings.

5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Sue Safianoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of this book.

The House at the End of the Sea follows young Saffi as she grieves her mother and navigates a new life in her grandparent’s bed and breakfast. She soon finds out that the house holds many secrets, as do its guests.
Mystery, magic, and friendship are teased throughout the book, weaving and building into a wonderful world. The House at the End of the Sea is the kind of book that is very easy to pick up and is immediately engaging. I can’t wait to gift this book to the young magic lovers in my life.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love nothing more than discovering a new author. Before I read the book I always do some research on the author and this was the case in this book. I discovered that this is the author’s MG debut, so I had this in mind as I read it.
Then I always study the cover and I decided that this book was definitely something I would enjoy.
And that opening sentence ‘There’s a boy spying on us from the beach ‘ Well that really pipped my interest , who was that boy and why was he spying, well before I knew what had happened I was a quarter of the way through the book.
This book has so much going on in it, firstly I feel an adult reading this will definitely want to go to Yorkshire now. Then there was the mystery of the grandparents, for example where was all the food coming from, then we discover that Milo has started to notice the strange things happening in the house, such as the wallpaper changing colours.
The guests at the B&B are also strange.
The two main characters Staffi and Milo have recently lost their mum to cancer so we follow them through the grief process.
I really liked the character of Birdie ( the spy) and I thought he made the book.
I read this pretty quickly and found it a delightful read.
After reading this I am truly surprised this is a debut novel.
In my mind there is definitely scope for a second book.

[Mel Cordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blessed that I was fortunate to read an advance copy. If you love original fairy tales like the Snow Queen with a modern day spin on the characters, this book is definitely for you. In a time when girl protagonists are everywhere in middle grade, Safi is a down-to-earth heroine whose pragmatic problems solving skills are believable and grounded but never boring! All the characters have well thought-out plot arcs and I especially appreciated how the author keeps the pacing tight and exciting. Without too many spoilers, there is a section towards the climax of the book where I was literally holding my breath! The ending was satisfying and I was left wanting more. I hope there is a sequel!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the overall notion of a family grappling with the wrongdoing of their ancestors (who made their money from slaveships), and the use of magic, metaphor and "family legacy" to explore this theme and question its relevance for them as modern individuals. The book was fun, and had a lot of potential! However, the characters were far too flat to connect with, which ruined the book for me. I don't think anywhere near enough was made of Saffi's feelings of duality or discomfort as a mixed race young person, for this to suddenly be so important at the end. Meanwhile the grieving father gave us nothing of his sadness or struggles raising the kids, the Gran could have been feeling anything for all I know, and the hardup Yorkshire lad Saffi befriends risked his life for them without giving anyway any of his clearly complicated feelings he must have been battling re his own parents and past...

[Sarah Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read a proof of this book and absolutely loved it. It had just the right balance of magic and realism, weaving together folk and fairy tales and posing questions about families, friendships, and colonial legacies. The relationship between Saffi and her brother was beautifully written, as were all the atmospheric descriptions of the house itself. And having spent many happy holidays on the North Yorkshire coast it was really lovely to read a book set around Flamborough Head!

[Meg Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible, fantastical debut! Reads like watching a Ghibli movie. The magic here is fascinating and pulled me right in--it was all so visceral and engaging, I almost missed a train stop or two!

I loved the idea of "stay uncomfortable" and finding a place in between worlds, as well as the way it explores ideas of bad family legacies and grief through magic.

Ghibli, please make this into your next movie!!!

[Martin Mccallion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great. I was on an MA with the author, so I may be slightly biased, but it's a top book for younger readers.

Some more details on my blog, but I highly recommend this.

[Toryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goal: finish book quickly
Tactic: listen at 2.75 times speed
End result: my being entirely bewildered by the action-packed fantastical climax. I think my brain tuned in again only for the last chapter 😵‍💫

Don’t worry, I’ll listen to those middle chapters again. SLOWER. The book was good enough that I think it’s worth it.

[Kate Packman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly special book. The blend of contemporary children and a magical world was sublime. I particularly enjoyed the setting in Yorkshire (must be my northern blood). As I reached the second half, I could not put the book down and felt myself accelerating towards the end as I was desperate to find out what happened to Saffi, Milo and Birdy. An absolute gem of a book that I would highly recommend to middle grade readers and those young at heart!

[Chelsea-anne Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saffi is grieving her mother when she is moved to the B&B by the sea that her grandparents own. This house is not like any other, something is very different here. Saffi and her little brother must work out what is going on and who are those strange guests that have arrived.

This reads like a classic fairytale brought to the modern age. We get danger, mystery and the world draws you in. The author writes fantastically and this book will be great to challenge readers perceptions and vocabulary.

Stay Uncomfortable.

Thanks to @kaleidoscopictours and @andersenpress for my copy of The House at the End of the Sea.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greenglass House meets Starling House meets A Study in Drowning! Love the eerie atmosphere and the deeper conversations about family and grief!

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, magic and fantasy await you at Fortune House, where the house comes to life after dark, voices are heard and shadows lurk in the corners.

Although the book is primarily aimed at the younger age group, I personally think the story is one to be enjoyed by any age.

Both children Saffi and Milo were great characters, both dealing with the loss of their mother to cancer. The supporting cast of characters were straight out of a modern day fairytale, again likeable and all with air of mysteriousness about their persona.

A quick, entertaining and enjoyable read.

[Kate Packman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly special book. The blend of contemporary children and a magical world was sublime. I particularly enjoyed the setting in Yorkshire (must be my northern blood). As I reached the second half, I could not put the book down and felt myself accelerating towards the end as I was desperate to find out what happened to Saffi, Milo and Birdy. An absolute gem of a book that I would highly recommend to middle grade readers and those young at heart!

[Reading Fury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware a Faustian deal. There's always a price. Good YA/middle grades book showing that developing good character traits, such as courage, compassion, and thinking things through, over having wealth and whatever else you think you might wish for is always the better choice.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read - This middle grade debut is a magical exploration of grief and breaking through intergenerational trauma wrapped up in a thrilling sea-side adventure. After losing their mother to cancer, Saffi and her little brother Milo move from London to their father’s cliffside hometown. Their grandparents’ bed & breakfast Fortune House in a desolate setting without many guests makes leaving Saffi’s life, friends, and the place where all her memories of mum were even harder. Oh, and it might be haunted. Make that it is probably, definitely, OMG-ahhhhh haunted. Figuring out what these beings are and what they want sends her on an adventure between worlds where she not only grapples with grieving the loss of her parent, but also the pull between her Iranian and English backgrounds and the generational trauma of colonialism. I really appreciated how the themes of “be careful what you wish for” and “stay uncomfortable” intertwined as Saffi fought to take back her agency and control in fighting for her own destiny and changing the course of her family’s legacy. It feels like a classic and completely fresh all at once!

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me nostalgia for a place I've never been to. I like the idea of two kids being uprooted and settling down with grandparents in a big, strange, old house. It was sad reading about how Saffi and Milo lost their dearest mother and frustrating how the dad does not want to accept the truth about his heritage.

However, there were plenty of feel-good moments too, like Saffi enjoying ice cream, beach walks and fair rides with Birdy, and how Milo keeps a fossil diary.

I didn't expect this book to involve fairies and it went in a direction that was different but not unpleasant. The ending was also satisfying because the stakes were high and I love it when tests involves riddles (though I usually can't solve them, it's cool to read about them).

At the end of the story, I realised there was a lot of meaning and lessons to be learned, such as facing your problem head-on and not pretending it's not there, and going about things with a different mentality. 'Stay uncomfortable' was also another great message.


52 Book Club 2024: #29 Published in the year of the Dragon

[danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in a jail cell yesterday bc it was the only book they would give me. -1 rating for that, but +1 for how much a difference it made in my level of boredom! It was appropriately escapist, even if the opening conceit of a girl who just lost her Iranian mother was a little too on topic. I think this book does a mostly really good job of telling a child friendly but adult-engaging fantasy/fairy story, with some (very light touch) commentary on british colonialism and mixed-race identity in there. I was most impressed by how well the narrative progressed and the effective sense of unease that Adams conjures, and especially the climactic arc which was set in a really well-realized alternate fairy world. I won't say I will be revisiting any time soon (fingers crossed), but safe to say I will remember the experience of reading it. And kinda fun to encounter a book you would never have chosen but still more or less enjoy. Well, maybe fun isn't the right word but you know what I mean.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to @kaleidoscopictours and @andersenpress for my copy of The House at the End of the Sea.


I finished reading this book in one sitting and really enjoyed it. The story follows Staffi and her family as they move into their grandparents' B&B after their mother passes away. Staffi, Milo, and their dad have moved from London to this seaside town.

We follow Staffi as she meets Birdy and some mysterious guests in the B&B who aren't of this world. Saffi takes us with her on a discovery of what lurks within her family's history. We see through her eyes the different ways that grief can affect people and how desires can become twisted things that leave us with more regret than joy. She finds that the B&B has loads of mysteries and secrets.

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially the cosy mystery element and the discoveries that were made.

[Jenna Lee-Yun · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House at the End of the Sea by Victoria Adams opens quietly with Young Saffi grappling with an unwelcome move following the death of her mother. While themes of loss and grief are intricately and delicately woven throughout, the story takes a fantastical turn when Safe moves into her new home where strange things begin to happen. It isn’t long before she uncovers a mystery involving sinister magic hiding in plain sight and a dark family secret spanning generations. Now Saffi must summon her courage and face her demons to get the answers she seeks and save her family and herself. The House at the End of the Sea is a beautifully written, magical tale about family and friendship, love and loss, and finding joy amid grief.

[Svani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was incredibly lucky to get my hands on an ARC of this stunning, eerie, fast-paced fantasy and read it in pretty much one sitting! The mystery is gripping, the writing simple and beautiful, and its sweeping sense of wonder made me feel like a child reading one of the classics for the first time! I especially loved the atmospheric B&B where *weird things* happen, the main character's struggle to figure out exactly who she is, the story's fairy-tale logic and aching sweetness – and its bitter links to India's colonial past. This book is perfect for kids who love smart, gorgeous fantasies that open one's mind to the murk and wonder of the world – and the magic in ourselves.

[Mary Averling · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HOUSE AT THE END OF THE SEA is a beautifully whimsical, heartfelt, magical story that transported me back to my very favourite childhood books. Victoria M. Adams gives an absolute masterclass in atmosphere, from the sleepy beach town to the ever-changing house where Saffi finds herself entangled in a particularly peculiar mystery.

I went into HOUSE not *quite* knowing what to expect, and I adored the direction of Saffi's family's "dark secret." It's an adventure, a mystery, and a lovely journey of identity, grief, and shifting relationships. Whatever Victoria writes next, I will be there!

[Poppy Solomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as whimiscal and fun as I had expected, and the use of fae is a little generic/simple (even for MG). However the characters have enough depth to carry the story, along with complicated family dynamics that I think young readers will appreciate. It also touches on greed and colonialism, with the ancestors of the main character, which is a good start for people at the MG level. The changing house is fun and mysterious, and the setting is dark and gloomy but very atmospheric. Overall the book didn't really grab me in terms of plot and fantasy, but there was enough to keep me reading.

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC.

[Sharni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve strayed from my middle grade reading roots so this feels like a return to form! This brings together my two great MG loves - kids solving mysteries and fantasy - in this instance in the form of a family curse by way of a fairy gift brokered by a greedy, long dead relative. There’s a cupboard full of fairy food which is very tempting, there’s sprites in the grandfather clock, a move from the city to live with their grandparents, there are family secrets that the adults won’t address, and new friends - all the good stuff!

[Nathan Sobani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written lovely story that completely transports you to Flamborough Head and the magical places beyond. Can't wait to recommend this to children of all ages-- 10 to 100 years. Has in oodles heart, fun and excitement. Literally everything fires on all cylinders and I eagerly await new adventures!