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At the Bottom of the Garden
A murderous aunt, strangely gifted children and witchcraft come together in Camilla Bruce’s new intensely dark adult Gothic fairytale. For fans of Catriona Ward and C.J. Cooke
‘All the elegance and all the venom of one of E.Nesbit’s supernatural stories served with a side of arsenic.’ Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House
The dead won’t stay silent forever…
Clara Woods has a secret. At the bottom of the garden is a flowerbed, long overgrown, where her murdered husband rests in peace – or so she always thought. Then the girls arrived.
Lily and Violet, her adolescent nieces, are recently orphaned and in urgent need of care. Raising teenagers is certainly not what Clara had envisioned for herself, but they come with a hefty sum attached.
There is only one both girls are untrained witches. Lily can literally see how people feel. And young Violet can see the dead man wandering at the bottom of the garden. In fact, she can see all the dead and call them back.
Soon, Clara finds herself surrounded by apparitions – and two girls who know far more about her dark past than they should. A war is waging in this house, and only one side can win…
'Theatrical and deliciously dark, this book is pure magic' A.J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer
'One gorgeously morbid gothic novel that's just as gleeful as it is gashlycrumb.' Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters
‘All the elegance and all the venom of one of E.Nesbit’s supernatural stories served with a side of arsenic.’ Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House
The dead won’t stay silent forever…
Clara Woods has a secret. At the bottom of the garden is a flowerbed, long overgrown, where her murdered husband rests in peace – or so she always thought. Then the girls arrived.
Lily and Violet, her adolescent nieces, are recently orphaned and in urgent need of care. Raising teenagers is certainly not what Clara had envisioned for herself, but they come with a hefty sum attached.
There is only one both girls are untrained witches. Lily can literally see how people feel. And young Violet can see the dead man wandering at the bottom of the garden. In fact, she can see all the dead and call them back.
Soon, Clara finds herself surrounded by apparitions – and two girls who know far more about her dark past than they should. A war is waging in this house, and only one side can win…
'Theatrical and deliciously dark, this book is pure magic' A.J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer
'One gorgeously morbid gothic novel that's just as gleeful as it is gashlycrumb.' Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2025
243 people are currently reading
29860 people want to read
About the author
Camilla Bruce
11 books859 followersCamilla Bruce was born in central Norway and grew up in an old forest, next to an Iron Age burial mound. She has a master's degree in comparative literature, and have co-run a small press that published dark fairy tales. Camilla currently lives in Trondheim with her son and cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 448 reviews
January 19, 2025
4.5 stars!
Camilla Bruce is an author whose books I’ve always meant to read of, but for some reason I overlook. I’ve read her bonkers novel, You Let Me In, and it was not for me. I feel like if I read it now, it would be surely rated higher because it’s original and off-the-walls and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a novel. Her newest novel, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN, is exactly that!
Clara Woods is a killer who’s unbothered by her actions, but when her orphaned nieces, Lily and Violet, arrive, they bring trouble—Violet can see Clara’s victims and ghosts and and Lily can see energy through colors. As Clara battles her ghosts and the girls’ powers, her plan to steal their inheritance begins to unravel.
First and foremost, Clara is a GAY ICON. She gives full on Debbie Jellinsky Addams Family Values vibes and for that alone I almost gave this book a 5 star rating! This book dives into horror, psychological suspense, family drama, and camp. I loved every second of it. The only reason I didn’t provide a 5 star review is that the second half is much slower than the first half and I really wanted it to move faster along. That being said, this cast of characters are those you love, love to hate, and love to see chaos thrust upon them. If you want to read a campy version of Insidious or the Conjuring, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN is the perfect book for you. I am a total fan!
Camilla Bruce is an author whose books I’ve always meant to read of, but for some reason I overlook. I’ve read her bonkers novel, You Let Me In, and it was not for me. I feel like if I read it now, it would be surely rated higher because it’s original and off-the-walls and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a novel. Her newest novel, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN, is exactly that!
Clara Woods is a killer who’s unbothered by her actions, but when her orphaned nieces, Lily and Violet, arrive, they bring trouble—Violet can see Clara’s victims and ghosts and and Lily can see energy through colors. As Clara battles her ghosts and the girls’ powers, her plan to steal their inheritance begins to unravel.
First and foremost, Clara is a GAY ICON. She gives full on Debbie Jellinsky Addams Family Values vibes and for that alone I almost gave this book a 5 star rating! This book dives into horror, psychological suspense, family drama, and camp. I loved every second of it. The only reason I didn’t provide a 5 star review is that the second half is much slower than the first half and I really wanted it to move faster along. That being said, this cast of characters are those you love, love to hate, and love to see chaos thrust upon them. If you want to read a campy version of Insidious or the Conjuring, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN is the perfect book for you. I am a total fan!
March 28, 2025
I had realized that, sometimes, one thing had to die for something else to live.
When sisters Violet and Lily suddenly find themselves orphaned after their parents die on a skiing trip, they are sent to live with their only living relative, Aunt Clara. At first, Clara does not want to take the girls, but when she finds out that there will be a monthly allowance as their guardian, she willingly agrees.
Not long after the girls arrive at her home (Crescent Hill), Violet and Lily start to see ghosts haunting the place. The girls realize that Crescent Hill may not be safe, especially after the ghosts reveal that their aunt is a murderer.
With no one else to turn to, they have to learn to survive on their own while avoiding their aunt's malicious plans for them in the meantime.
**This book has huge A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes.**
When sisters Violet and Lily suddenly find themselves orphaned after their parents die on a skiing trip, they are sent to live with their only living relative, Aunt Clara. At first, Clara does not want to take the girls, but when she finds out that there will be a monthly allowance as their guardian, she willingly agrees.
Not long after the girls arrive at her home (Crescent Hill), Violet and Lily start to see ghosts haunting the place. The girls realize that Crescent Hill may not be safe, especially after the ghosts reveal that their aunt is a murderer.
With no one else to turn to, they have to learn to survive on their own while avoiding their aunt's malicious plans for them in the meantime.
**This book has huge A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes.**
November 30, 2024
After the death of their parents in a mountaineering accident, 14-year-old Lily and nine-year-old Violet are sent to live with their father's sister Clara, who was estranged from her brother throughout the girls' short lives. Clara is the epitome of a fairy tale villain; she's the wicked queen from Snow White, the witch from Rapunzel, and Cinderella's evil stepmother rolled into one. She has no interest in her nieces, beyond their inheritance. Upon being whisked away from the lives they know to Clara's remote home of Crescent Hill, the girls quickly discover that their new guardian is not only cruel, she's downright murderous. And the only thing that might save them is their own burgeoning gifts of magic.
I really enjoyed the first half of At the Bottom of the Garden, with its gothic setting and the ghostly manifestations Violet and Lily encounter in their aunt's home. This book switches between the POVs of Clara, Lily and Violet, and there's a definite YA sort of tone for all three, although the writing was more palatable to me than most of the other (admittedly few) YA books I have read as an adult. However, the middle section almost to the end of the story gets bogged down in the characters behaving as repetitively as an old psychical imprint haunting: Clara being cruel and selfish, Lily angry and powerless, Violet ethereal and imperiled, over and over and over again. This constant cycle got tiresome quite quickly, and I found myself getting tired of all of the characters, good and evil, and was just ready for the story to conclude.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for a digital advanced readers copy, At the Bottom of the Garden will be published on January 28, 2025.
I really enjoyed the first half of At the Bottom of the Garden, with its gothic setting and the ghostly manifestations Violet and Lily encounter in their aunt's home. This book switches between the POVs of Clara, Lily and Violet, and there's a definite YA sort of tone for all three, although the writing was more palatable to me than most of the other (admittedly few) YA books I have read as an adult. However, the middle section almost to the end of the story gets bogged down in the characters behaving as repetitively as an old psychical imprint haunting: Clara being cruel and selfish, Lily angry and powerless, Violet ethereal and imperiled, over and over and over again. This constant cycle got tiresome quite quickly, and I found myself getting tired of all of the characters, good and evil, and was just ready for the story to conclude.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for a digital advanced readers copy, At the Bottom of the Garden will be published on January 28, 2025.
February 19, 2025
At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce
Release date: January 2025, 368 pages
For the LineUp: Recently orphaned sisters are picked up by their wealthy aunt who has terrible secrets. The girls each have distinct paranormal gifts which threatens their aunt's ability to hide her secrets and maintain her lifestyle. The setup starts well enough, the author establishes multiple POVs between all three main characters and we get to know them very well. The development of the story is a little slow (not yummy Gothic slow, just slow, slow). Aunt Clara is over-the-top selfish and villainous. She reminded me of Cruella DeVille, which is fine, but it did affect the level of investment. The two girls are quite entertaining as young, inexperienced mediums/witches learning to use their powers. After moving into their aunt’s house, they quickly realize it’s haunted by menacing spirits (who are a bit scary at times). The ghosts reveal secrets that lead to some startling revelations. Perfect for readers who prefer spooky over scary, lighthearted, campy, psychological suspense and ghostly vibes for Spooky Season. Characters you love to hate, family drama, and just desserts.
Release date: January 2025, 368 pages
For the LineUp: Recently orphaned sisters are picked up by their wealthy aunt who has terrible secrets. The girls each have distinct paranormal gifts which threatens their aunt's ability to hide her secrets and maintain her lifestyle. The setup starts well enough, the author establishes multiple POVs between all three main characters and we get to know them very well. The development of the story is a little slow (not yummy Gothic slow, just slow, slow). Aunt Clara is over-the-top selfish and villainous. She reminded me of Cruella DeVille, which is fine, but it did affect the level of investment. The two girls are quite entertaining as young, inexperienced mediums/witches learning to use their powers. After moving into their aunt’s house, they quickly realize it’s haunted by menacing spirits (who are a bit scary at times). The ghosts reveal secrets that lead to some startling revelations. Perfect for readers who prefer spooky over scary, lighthearted, campy, psychological suspense and ghostly vibes for Spooky Season. Characters you love to hate, family drama, and just desserts.
April 14, 2025
Wealthy, supernaturally gifted orphans Violet and Lily, are taken in by their diamond obsessed Aunt Clara, who has far more interest in their inheritance than their welfare.
This was sold to me as a dark gothic fairytale (marked as Horror at my local library if you please🤨🤷🏻♀️), what I got was a light hearted, cheesy YA story, reminiscent of A Series Of Unfortunate Events, with Aunt Clara very much channelling Count Olaf. I was amused at first but by about the halfway mark I started skimming, too boring, too slow, too long, too repetitive, 2 stars.
Wish I'd given it a miss.
This was sold to me as a dark gothic fairytale (marked as Horror at my local library if you please🤨🤷🏻♀️), what I got was a light hearted, cheesy YA story, reminiscent of A Series Of Unfortunate Events, with Aunt Clara very much channelling Count Olaf. I was amused at first but by about the halfway mark I started skimming, too boring, too slow, too long, too repetitive, 2 stars.
Wish I'd given it a miss.
January 30, 2025
Camilla Bruce’s fifth novel is a light-hearted supernatural confection about a conniving woman’s battle of wits with her wily nieces. Clara Woods is a social-climbing, diamond-loving widow who’s quietly delighted when her wealthier half-brother dies, leaving her in charge of his daughters. She assumes their fortune will now be hers, but it turns out to be locked away until they’re older – plus the girls are rather savvier than anticipated, and come with strange and unexpected abilities (Lily can sense people’s true emotions; Violet can talk to the dead). This wasn’t the creepy gothic novel I was expecting, but rather a horror-comedy – more The Canterville Ghost than The Turn of the Screw – and the joke wears thin after a while. While Aunt Clara is cartoonish in her villainy, the girls are so dull and smug that I found myself rooting for Clara anyway (at least she’s entertaining), and the ghosts’ antics are repetitive. Once the setup is established, which happens early on, there’s only so much that can be done with it. The ending is a letdown too; I was hoping for a ghoulish twist. Good as undemanding fun, a bit disappointing as a spooky season pick, and not a patch on Bruce’s You Let Me In.
I received an advance review copy of At the Bottom of the Garden from the publisher through Edelweiss.
I received an advance review copy of At the Bottom of the Garden from the publisher through Edelweiss.
August 27, 2025
**3.5-stars**
At the Bottom of the Garden is a slower, character-driven Gothic Horror (Lite) story, following two sisters, Violet and Lily, as well as their murderous Aunt Clara.
Violet and Lily become orphans after their parents are lost while on a hiking adventure on K2. According to their parent's Will, the girl are to go live with their closest living relative, which unfortunately, happens to be Aunt Clara.
Clara has no interest in children, but Violet and Lily are sure to come with some nice assets, so she's willing to take them in. For the moment.
Clara will just ignore them until she can get her hands on as much as their inherited fortune as she can. At least that's the plan, but when Violet starts seeing the angry dead man pacing in the garden, a giant kink gets thrown in the works.
Not only can Violet see all of Clara's ghosts, she can bring them back, and they're not happy.
I liked this, particularly the beginning portions. It was interesting learning about all the main characters. I liked how it had an air of dark humor about it as well, particularly with Clara's perspective. She says it as it is, and doesn't bother with the audience's potentially delicate sensibilities.
I also felt both Violet and Lily were well developed. Each of the girls has their own unique abilities that added so much to this story.
The incorporation of the spirits was also very well done. I loved the idea of them remaining to haunt Clara, but needed a bit of assistance from Violet first. For some reason, that just made sense.
I think this will work well for Readers who may want spooky vibes and gothic atmosphere, without leaning too heavily into the Horror genre. Because while there are supernatural elements to this story, it never veers into super dark, or scary, territory.
The overall vibe actually reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events series, with Aunt Clara filling in for Count Olaf. So, think a more adult-centered version of that.
I can totally get down with those vibes, but for me, I felt like it went on a little too long. By the end, I did feel it started to drag a bit. I was ready for it to be over.
With this being said, the concepts and character development were well executed and I'm glad I picked this one up. The audiobook was well narrated and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author.
Buzzwords: Gothic. Atmospheric. Slow Burn. Ghosties. Hauntings. Dark Humor. Sister Story.
At the Bottom of the Garden is a slower, character-driven Gothic Horror (Lite) story, following two sisters, Violet and Lily, as well as their murderous Aunt Clara.
Violet and Lily become orphans after their parents are lost while on a hiking adventure on K2. According to their parent's Will, the girl are to go live with their closest living relative, which unfortunately, happens to be Aunt Clara.
Clara has no interest in children, but Violet and Lily are sure to come with some nice assets, so she's willing to take them in. For the moment.
Clara will just ignore them until she can get her hands on as much as their inherited fortune as she can. At least that's the plan, but when Violet starts seeing the angry dead man pacing in the garden, a giant kink gets thrown in the works.
Not only can Violet see all of Clara's ghosts, she can bring them back, and they're not happy.
I liked this, particularly the beginning portions. It was interesting learning about all the main characters. I liked how it had an air of dark humor about it as well, particularly with Clara's perspective. She says it as it is, and doesn't bother with the audience's potentially delicate sensibilities.
I also felt both Violet and Lily were well developed. Each of the girls has their own unique abilities that added so much to this story.
The incorporation of the spirits was also very well done. I loved the idea of them remaining to haunt Clara, but needed a bit of assistance from Violet first. For some reason, that just made sense.
I think this will work well for Readers who may want spooky vibes and gothic atmosphere, without leaning too heavily into the Horror genre. Because while there are supernatural elements to this story, it never veers into super dark, or scary, territory.
The overall vibe actually reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events series, with Aunt Clara filling in for Count Olaf. So, think a more adult-centered version of that.
I can totally get down with those vibes, but for me, I felt like it went on a little too long. By the end, I did feel it started to drag a bit. I was ready for it to be over.
With this being said, the concepts and character development were well executed and I'm glad I picked this one up. The audiobook was well narrated and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author.
Buzzwords: Gothic. Atmospheric. Slow Burn. Ghosties. Hauntings. Dark Humor. Sister Story.
April 7, 2025
Two in a row, nope, nope, nope.
Sometimes things look good and I open the book and I know I wandered into the wrong reality.
Sometimes things look good and I open the book and I know I wandered into the wrong reality.
August 29, 2024
When Clara Woods’s brother and his wife go missing during a tragic climbing accident, Clara—the closest living relative—is deemed responsible for their two girls. She isn’t very interested in caring for the little brats but she IS interested in their inheritance. Clara has a secret she’s keeping from the girls though… She’s a killer. But that’s fine because the girls have their own secrets—they harness special abilities of sight—and when they join Clara in her home, getting her hands on the girls’ inheritance becomes a lot more complicated than she could have imagined.
Points of view alternate between Clara; Lily, the eldest of the two girls at fourteen; and Violet, nine. I much preferred the girls’ point of view, especially Violet. I found Clara’s point of view to be dull and, quite honestly, cheesy. She gives off big Count Olaf vibes which... who doesn’t love Count Olaf BUT it felt very… young adult… and like she was just a caricature of an evil villain rather than a real person.
The narrative was repetitive, monotonous, and failed to dazzle me like the synopsis did.
Thank you Random House Publishing, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 01/28/2025.
Points of view alternate between Clara; Lily, the eldest of the two girls at fourteen; and Violet, nine. I much preferred the girls’ point of view, especially Violet. I found Clara’s point of view to be dull and, quite honestly, cheesy. She gives off big Count Olaf vibes which... who doesn’t love Count Olaf BUT it felt very… young adult… and like she was just a caricature of an evil villain rather than a real person.
The narrative was repetitive, monotonous, and failed to dazzle me like the synopsis did.
Thank you Random House Publishing, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 01/28/2025.
February 2, 2025
If Goodreads allowed half ratings, I think this book would be more like a 3.5/5 stars for me.
This book reminded me a bit of The Haunting of Hill House, specifically the tv series adaptation. The two young sisters, Violet and Lily, have these gifts that were really reminiscent of the children of Hill House.
This book featured multiple POVs, switching between the two sisters Violet and Lily and then also Clara. Clara is the closest living relative of Violet and Lily who agrees to take the two girls in after their parents tragically died.
I enjoyed the storyline of Violet and Lily but I honestly was losing interest with Clara’s POV. Something about Clara’s character just didn’t draw me in but I was intrigued by both of the children.
This book was still worth the read, but something about the overall story felt to me like it was missing the piece that would make it great.
TW: child abuse, death, parent death, murder, grief
This book reminded me a bit of The Haunting of Hill House, specifically the tv series adaptation. The two young sisters, Violet and Lily, have these gifts that were really reminiscent of the children of Hill House.
This book featured multiple POVs, switching between the two sisters Violet and Lily and then also Clara. Clara is the closest living relative of Violet and Lily who agrees to take the two girls in after their parents tragically died.
I enjoyed the storyline of Violet and Lily but I honestly was losing interest with Clara’s POV. Something about Clara’s character just didn’t draw me in but I was intrigued by both of the children.
This book was still worth the read, but something about the overall story felt to me like it was missing the piece that would make it great.
TW: child abuse, death, parent death, murder, grief
January 19, 2025
At the Bottom of the Garden follows sisters Lily (14) and Violet (9) as they are sent to live with their estranged Aunt Clara following the death of their parents. Aunt Clara gets more than she bargained for when Lily can *see* people's emotions and Violet, well, she can see dead people.
The synopsis describes this book as a "dark, Gothic fairy tale" about "untrained witches" which I find to be quite misleading statements. It quickly became apparent to me that this book was neither dark nor Gothic, and I tried, in good faith, to alter my expectations and lean into the book's cheesiness. This book did have some fun scenes but in the end I struggled to decipher if the cheesy writing was intentional or if this book was just bad. If you're going to write a silly, cheesy horror then fully commit to that.
I found the first half of this book to be quite enjoyable (once I had accepted this was not Gothic), despite the plot being very predictable. I felt my interest waning at the halfway point as the story became more and more repetitive. If you're looking for a book with twists and turns and shocking reveals - this is not the one. I did, however, enjoy the multiple POVs and I thought that Aunt Clara was a great terrible character. In the end, I just felt like the plot was lacking and I wished this book had embraced its (perhaps unintentional?) cheesiness.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld for the opportunity to read this book.
The synopsis describes this book as a "dark, Gothic fairy tale" about "untrained witches" which I find to be quite misleading statements. It quickly became apparent to me that this book was neither dark nor Gothic, and I tried, in good faith, to alter my expectations and lean into the book's cheesiness. This book did have some fun scenes but in the end I struggled to decipher if the cheesy writing was intentional or if this book was just bad. If you're going to write a silly, cheesy horror then fully commit to that.
I found the first half of this book to be quite enjoyable (once I had accepted this was not Gothic), despite the plot being very predictable. I felt my interest waning at the halfway point as the story became more and more repetitive. If you're looking for a book with twists and turns and shocking reveals - this is not the one. I did, however, enjoy the multiple POVs and I thought that Aunt Clara was a great terrible character. In the end, I just felt like the plot was lacking and I wished this book had embraced its (perhaps unintentional?) cheesiness.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld for the opportunity to read this book.
February 1, 2025
Alternative title for this book: Call Me Glitter Bear
August 15, 2025
✨️ 1.5 stars ✨️
This was hard to get through, y'all 😭
Basically, this was the plot:
Lily and Violet lose their parents --> Aunt Clara, tragically (🙃), is convinced to adopt them because of their inheritance money she gets in installments --> suprise suprise, Aunt Clara neglects the children when they move in with her 🫠 --> Violet envokes the wrath of spirits on this property, because she can, and honestly, pop off for that 👻 --> Aunt Clara gets uber haunted because, suprise suprise, she's a SERIAL MURDERER 🥴 --> they just... deal with these haunting for several chapters 😭 --> Lily, Violet, and Dina try to exhume the dead, but ‼️plot armour‼️ the dead don't like that for vague reasons --> Aunt Clara is then like, hmmm, well if I'm suffering, then let me make my ghost-summoning niece suffer through child slave labour as a medium even though its slowly killing her 🤪 (like, fully giving up on her plans to become a jeweler❓️) --> then Lily's like, screw that, and they run away to their ✨️ lake house ✨️ (which honestly should have happened chapters ago 😭) --> Aunt Clara kidnaps them once again because what else was happening in the plot (let's be honest, what's been happening in the plot for the whole book 🥲) --> same bs keeps happening with child abuse, sooooo Lily, Violet, and Dina decide to KILL AUNT CLARA ‼️ --> earlier poisonous mushroom foreshadowing comes back into play, painfully obvious to read when Aunt Clara is inhailing several 🥴, and then Aunt Clara dies in antidramatic fashion 🫠 --> Violet then has weird Punisher-like ideation about murdering others like Aunt Clara❓️but then everyone just vibes at the end 🧍♂️
Y'all know me, even though I complain, I don't wanna be mean 😖 but I think some of the most prominent things that threw me off reading this book was the marketing (really didn't feel horror at all, more supernatural and slight suspense), a charcater dialect that didn't sound authentic and more like something from overdramatic media from the 60s-80s, a plot that didn't feel like it had a clear goal, and characters that didn't feel like they went on any form of an arc or had any particular depth—even with the extensive backstories 😶🌫️
(And if you're one of my friends who I'm planning to talk about this book with soon in book club, I fear you now know my inner thoughts 🫣😅)
P.S. "Glitter Bear" as a pet name gave me whiplash 😭
This was hard to get through, y'all 😭
Basically, this was the plot:
Lily and Violet lose their parents --> Aunt Clara, tragically (🙃), is convinced to adopt them because of their inheritance money she gets in installments --> suprise suprise, Aunt Clara neglects the children when they move in with her 🫠 --> Violet envokes the wrath of spirits on this property, because she can, and honestly, pop off for that 👻 --> Aunt Clara gets uber haunted because, suprise suprise, she's a SERIAL MURDERER 🥴 --> they just... deal with these haunting for several chapters 😭 --> Lily, Violet, and Dina try to exhume the dead, but ‼️plot armour‼️ the dead don't like that for vague reasons --> Aunt Clara is then like, hmmm, well if I'm suffering, then let me make my ghost-summoning niece suffer through child slave labour as a medium even though its slowly killing her 🤪 (like, fully giving up on her plans to become a jeweler❓️) --> then Lily's like, screw that, and they run away to their ✨️ lake house ✨️ (which honestly should have happened chapters ago 😭) --> Aunt Clara kidnaps them once again because what else was happening in the plot (let's be honest, what's been happening in the plot for the whole book 🥲) --> same bs keeps happening with child abuse, sooooo Lily, Violet, and Dina decide to KILL AUNT CLARA ‼️ --> earlier poisonous mushroom foreshadowing comes back into play, painfully obvious to read when Aunt Clara is inhailing several 🥴, and then Aunt Clara dies in antidramatic fashion 🫠 --> Violet then has weird Punisher-like ideation about murdering others like Aunt Clara❓️but then everyone just vibes at the end 🧍♂️
Y'all know me, even though I complain, I don't wanna be mean 😖 but I think some of the most prominent things that threw me off reading this book was the marketing (really didn't feel horror at all, more supernatural and slight suspense), a charcater dialect that didn't sound authentic and more like something from overdramatic media from the 60s-80s, a plot that didn't feel like it had a clear goal, and characters that didn't feel like they went on any form of an arc or had any particular depth—even with the extensive backstories 😶🌫️
(And if you're one of my friends who I'm planning to talk about this book with soon in book club, I fear you now know my inner thoughts 🫣😅)
P.S. "Glitter Bear" as a pet name gave me whiplash 😭
January 28, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and RHPG- Ballantine Del Rey for the pre-release copy of At the Bottom of the Garden. Below you'll find my honest review.
I've never read Camilla Bruce before, but the description for this one jumped out at me as a good Halloween-season read, so I requested an ARC. I'm so glad I did!
I loved the characters, all of whom had some interesting depths to plumb and all of the POVs had a distinctly different voice, which isn't always the case in books with rotating POVs.
I absolutely loved the strange powers and the ghosty things in this one too! I really don't want to spoil much, but I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the supernatural, magic powers, and people getting what they deserve.
I've never read Camilla Bruce before, but the description for this one jumped out at me as a good Halloween-season read, so I requested an ARC. I'm so glad I did!
I loved the characters, all of whom had some interesting depths to plumb and all of the POVs had a distinctly different voice, which isn't always the case in books with rotating POVs.
I absolutely loved the strange powers and the ghosty things in this one too! I really don't want to spoil much, but I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the supernatural, magic powers, and people getting what they deserve.
February 10, 2025
2.5/5
This was generally a disappointing read across the board for me. Based upon the book blurb and the delightfully eerie cover I had high(ish) hopes.
This was generally a disappointing read across the board for me. Based upon the book blurb and the delightfully eerie cover I had high(ish) hopes.
January 18, 2025
As the author states in her Acknowledgments, “To me, At the Bottom of the Garden is, at least in part, a book about death—or about coming to terms with death.” Certainly death has a large place in this novel which feels somewhat like a modern take on a fairy tale, with orphaned girls, aged 14 and 9, taken in, begrudgingly, by an aunt they have never met after their parents die while on a mountain climbing trip. Lily and Violet move from the place and life they have loved to a very small town and an old house that will feel like a trap.
Since their parents’ deaths, both girls have developed new “abilities” that move the story into the paranormal realm that I enjoy. Rather than say too much, I will say that this complicates their existence with Aunt Clara in multiple ways. Clara as written does become almost too waspish and witchy but I really enjoyed the characters of the girls, their new abilities - with all the mixed results. I enjoyed this and found it perfect escapist reading but with a few messages hidden within.
Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This review is my own.
Since their parents’ deaths, both girls have developed new “abilities” that move the story into the paranormal realm that I enjoy. Rather than say too much, I will say that this complicates their existence with Aunt Clara in multiple ways. Clara as written does become almost too waspish and witchy but I really enjoyed the characters of the girls, their new abilities - with all the mixed results. I enjoyed this and found it perfect escapist reading but with a few messages hidden within.
Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This review is my own.
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March 15, 2025I'm out 75 pages in. This is cartoonish and goofy.
January 28, 2025
The nitty-gritty: A trio of ghosts seek their revenge in this atmospheric but uneven story.
At the Bottom of the Garden was just OK for me. I loved some of the ghostly elements, and the overall story idea was intriguing, but the execution didn't quite work. What appears to be a more serious plot—two orphans are forced to move in with their selfish, unfeeling aunt—has many oddly silly moments that just didn’t fit the tone of the story. It didn’t help that the aunt comes across as a caricature of a villainess, a bombastic, unappealing woman who I hated from the first chapter. The orphans, fourteen year old Lily and nine year old Violet, were the best part of the story, and I thought Camilla Bruce did some interesting things with ghosts and hauntings.
Clara’s half brother and his wife have disappeared on a mountain climbing expedition, leaving their two young daughters without a guardian. Clara just happens to be their only living relative, and so she reluctantly agrees to take them in, simply because the girls are due to inherit a huge fortune once they turn eighteen. Clara wants to start a diamond jewelry design company, but that takes money. Maybe there’s a way to finagle the inheritance away from them, and if anyone can do it, it’s Clara.
Lily and Violet are distraught at losing their parents and having to leave their home to move in with an aunt they don’t even know. Aunt Clara’s house is run down and filled with dead, taxidermied animals, and for some reason, Violet can hear them calling to her. She can also see a very angry man (a ghost) at the bottom of the garden, who appears to be stuck and is trying to get out. When Violet realizes that the man is asking her to help him, she sets loose a flurry of vengeful spirits, all who seem to be going after Aunt Clara.
The story starts out strong with a few mysteries. Why are there ghosts in Aunt Clara’s house, and who are they? Why can Violet see and communicate with them, and why does Lily seem to have the ability to see people’s moods and auras? I loved the idea of the sisters having paranormal gifts, unbeknownst to Aunt Clara (at first, anyway), and the details about how Violet “releases” the ghosts were fascinating. Eventually we find out their agenda, mostly through flashbacks told in Clara’s first person narrative. The first half of the book is filled with creepy ambiance and some unsettling descriptions of the ghosts, so the haunted house vibe was strong.
I also enjoyed the characters of Lily and Violet, two young children who have to rely on each other because they’ve found themselves in an awful situation. Neither one knows why they can see and do the things they can, but they use their abilities to help them deal with living with Aunt Clara, and they always stick together and support each other no matter what.
Clara, however, almost ruined the story for me. Yes, she’s despicable and has a questionable past, and I didn’t mind the “evil aunt” persona. Unfortunately she comes across as a bumbling woman who doesn’t know how to handle her nieces. For some reason, she’s obsessed with diamonds, a trait that I just couldn’t wrap my head around, it was so odd. Her antics come across as comical rather than diabolical, especially the scenes where one of the ghosts won’t let her eat, and food goes flying as the ghost flings it away before it gets to her mouth. There are several flashback chapters where Clara explains her sad childhood, perhaps suggesting that she is the way she is because of her horrible upbringing. But honestly, I couldn’t dredge up any sympathy for her, so those chapters were sort of dull.
The middle section stalls as Clara, Lily and Violet seem to be caught in a loop, performing the same things over and over, and it isn’t until the last section when the story gets back some momentum. Clara and Lily make an interesting discovery that explains their abilities, and I did like the way Bruce resolved everything. So not my favorite of Camilla Bruce’s work, but it won’t stop me from reading her next book.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
At the Bottom of the Garden was just OK for me. I loved some of the ghostly elements, and the overall story idea was intriguing, but the execution didn't quite work. What appears to be a more serious plot—two orphans are forced to move in with their selfish, unfeeling aunt—has many oddly silly moments that just didn’t fit the tone of the story. It didn’t help that the aunt comes across as a caricature of a villainess, a bombastic, unappealing woman who I hated from the first chapter. The orphans, fourteen year old Lily and nine year old Violet, were the best part of the story, and I thought Camilla Bruce did some interesting things with ghosts and hauntings.
Clara’s half brother and his wife have disappeared on a mountain climbing expedition, leaving their two young daughters without a guardian. Clara just happens to be their only living relative, and so she reluctantly agrees to take them in, simply because the girls are due to inherit a huge fortune once they turn eighteen. Clara wants to start a diamond jewelry design company, but that takes money. Maybe there’s a way to finagle the inheritance away from them, and if anyone can do it, it’s Clara.
Lily and Violet are distraught at losing their parents and having to leave their home to move in with an aunt they don’t even know. Aunt Clara’s house is run down and filled with dead, taxidermied animals, and for some reason, Violet can hear them calling to her. She can also see a very angry man (a ghost) at the bottom of the garden, who appears to be stuck and is trying to get out. When Violet realizes that the man is asking her to help him, she sets loose a flurry of vengeful spirits, all who seem to be going after Aunt Clara.
The story starts out strong with a few mysteries. Why are there ghosts in Aunt Clara’s house, and who are they? Why can Violet see and communicate with them, and why does Lily seem to have the ability to see people’s moods and auras? I loved the idea of the sisters having paranormal gifts, unbeknownst to Aunt Clara (at first, anyway), and the details about how Violet “releases” the ghosts were fascinating. Eventually we find out their agenda, mostly through flashbacks told in Clara’s first person narrative. The first half of the book is filled with creepy ambiance and some unsettling descriptions of the ghosts, so the haunted house vibe was strong.
I also enjoyed the characters of Lily and Violet, two young children who have to rely on each other because they’ve found themselves in an awful situation. Neither one knows why they can see and do the things they can, but they use their abilities to help them deal with living with Aunt Clara, and they always stick together and support each other no matter what.
Clara, however, almost ruined the story for me. Yes, she’s despicable and has a questionable past, and I didn’t mind the “evil aunt” persona. Unfortunately she comes across as a bumbling woman who doesn’t know how to handle her nieces. For some reason, she’s obsessed with diamonds, a trait that I just couldn’t wrap my head around, it was so odd. Her antics come across as comical rather than diabolical, especially the scenes where one of the ghosts won’t let her eat, and food goes flying as the ghost flings it away before it gets to her mouth. There are several flashback chapters where Clara explains her sad childhood, perhaps suggesting that she is the way she is because of her horrible upbringing. But honestly, I couldn’t dredge up any sympathy for her, so those chapters were sort of dull.
The middle section stalls as Clara, Lily and Violet seem to be caught in a loop, performing the same things over and over, and it isn’t until the last section when the story gets back some momentum. Clara and Lily make an interesting discovery that explains their abilities, and I did like the way Bruce resolved everything. So not my favorite of Camilla Bruce’s work, but it won’t stop me from reading her next book.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
April 2, 2025
clarabella learns she'd taken
a serious misstep when she
decided to let two recently
orphaned nieces into her
secrets out of greed. ♡
a serious misstep when she
decided to let two recently
orphaned nieces into her
secrets out of greed. ♡
November 18, 2024
At the Bottom of the Garden is the story of Clara, a woman who has no problem killing to achieve her ends. When her nieces, Lily and Violet, fall under her care after their parents meet their end in a tragic hiking accident, they learn that Clara’s ghosts are not, in fact, resting in peace. Clara wants the girls’ inheritance, but when they bring back her long lost ghosts, they become a liability.
I really enjoyed this story. Clara reminds me of Cruella de Vil, a woman everyone loves to hate. The ghost story is deliciously scary and I cheered for Lily and Violet to succeed the whole time. The plot takes some weird turns, but it was a very enjoyable read and I’d definitely read from this author again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Writing style
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Characters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Premise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pacing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Impact
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this story. Clara reminds me of Cruella de Vil, a woman everyone loves to hate. The ghost story is deliciously scary and I cheered for Lily and Violet to succeed the whole time. The plot takes some weird turns, but it was a very enjoyable read and I’d definitely read from this author again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Writing style
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Characters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Premise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pacing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Impact
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 26, 2025
3.75🌟🌟🌟⭐️💫
April 9, 2025
This was a great gothic horror!
If you enjoyed My Darling Dreadful Thing or In The Garden of Spite you are gonna LOVE this one!
Two orphan sister's have special "gifts" and when forced to live with an estranged distant aunt those gifts become amplified and discover death and lots of it. As the story progress the sisters find out their fate and learn what and who they really are.
If you enjoyed My Darling Dreadful Thing or In The Garden of Spite you are gonna LOVE this one!
Two orphan sister's have special "gifts" and when forced to live with an estranged distant aunt those gifts become amplified and discover death and lots of it. As the story progress the sisters find out their fate and learn what and who they really are.
December 4, 2024
ARC review; thanks to NetGalley Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Del Rey for the access to this ebook. Pub date: Jan 28 2025.
This book got me at first, I was IN. I liked the vibes and the characters, specifically the two girls, and their powers were very interesting to me. I thought this would be a good haunted house horror story with girls who can see dead people and people's emotions at the core of it. Unfortunately, it lost me and it didn't get me back.
I 100% agree with people who say that Aunt Clara feels like a female version of Count Olaf. She's a despicable character, but she isn't written in a serious way. She's a murderer, she's vain and cruel, but I never once felt the gravity of how evil she was supposed to be. I was told she was evil, but she spoke and acted like a cartoon villain the entire time. How am I supposed to take her seriously? The ghosts were not scary at all either, though I liked the dynamic they had with the girls. No thrills or scares for me.
Overall, I was expecting one thing but got something entirely different. It read YA, it was silly instead of dark, and it dragged so much in the middle because a few out-of-pocket things happened and we spent so much time on that for no reason. I was hoping to love this, so I'm incredibly disappointed.
This book got me at first, I was IN. I liked the vibes and the characters, specifically the two girls, and their powers were very interesting to me. I thought this would be a good haunted house horror story with girls who can see dead people and people's emotions at the core of it. Unfortunately, it lost me and it didn't get me back.
I 100% agree with people who say that Aunt Clara feels like a female version of Count Olaf. She's a despicable character, but she isn't written in a serious way. She's a murderer, she's vain and cruel, but I never once felt the gravity of how evil she was supposed to be. I was told she was evil, but she spoke and acted like a cartoon villain the entire time. How am I supposed to take her seriously? The ghosts were not scary at all either, though I liked the dynamic they had with the girls. No thrills or scares for me.
Overall, I was expecting one thing but got something entirely different. It read YA, it was silly instead of dark, and it dragged so much in the middle because a few out-of-pocket things happened and we spent so much time on that for no reason. I was hoping to love this, so I'm incredibly disappointed.
April 30, 2025
Clara takes in her nieces Lily an Violet purely for the financial gain she will receive from having them. What Clara doesn't know is that Violet can see dead things and she can see all of Clara's ghosts and is able to call them back to existence. Clara is soon haunted by her past and her secrets are uncovered.
This is now my 3rd Camila Bruce book and probably my favourite so far. I loved the characters and the atmosphere and how the ghosts and magic worked. This book had me pulled me in from the start and I'm really enjoying these types of gothic stories at the minute.
I listened to this on audio and I think that made me love this story even more ! Brilliant audio 😄
Thank you to Netgalley, Belinda Audio and Camilla Bruce for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is now my 3rd Camila Bruce book and probably my favourite so far. I loved the characters and the atmosphere and how the ghosts and magic worked. This book had me pulled me in from the start and I'm really enjoying these types of gothic stories at the minute.
I listened to this on audio and I think that made me love this story even more ! Brilliant audio 😄
Thank you to Netgalley, Belinda Audio and Camilla Bruce for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2025
This book was okay. It will give you a gothic atmosphere, family drama, dark humor, ghosts and a slow burn.
Okay, so I know I said when I started reading it I was liking and I was intrigued. That’s still true but then it just went downhill from there. I liked where it was going and then I didn’t. It definitely had potential but more than halfway I felt like it fell flat. It dragged and the storyline went another route that kinda bored me. Also, the ending felt rushed and it wasn’t executed well. Honestly, I was disappointed🥴🥴
I loved the two nieces and their bond. Their aunt was a bitch. Forget evil stepmother & wicked witches. This aunt was way worse. She was evil, selfish and greedy.
If you read it, I hope you like it !
Okay, so I know I said when I started reading it I was liking and I was intrigued. That’s still true but then it just went downhill from there. I liked where it was going and then I didn’t. It definitely had potential but more than halfway I felt like it fell flat. It dragged and the storyline went another route that kinda bored me. Also, the ending felt rushed and it wasn’t executed well. Honestly, I was disappointed🥴🥴
I loved the two nieces and their bond. Their aunt was a bitch. Forget evil stepmother & wicked witches. This aunt was way worse. She was evil, selfish and greedy.
If you read it, I hope you like it !
September 4, 2025
Incredibly long for no reason. Not much happens at all. I liked the idea behind it but.. that’s about it. The villain didn’t feel real to me or believable, none of the characters really did. There was no point to anything.. just boredom.This wasn’t horror and felt like YA or middle grade at some points but I still forced myself through it. Thank god for audiobooks, especially for books you regretting requesting arcs of.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!
October 12, 2025
Whilst this was light on horror, it had all the hallmarks and a great set up.
We follow two young girls who go to live with their aunt after the death of their parents - nice typical set up but it's the dynamics of the trio and the secrets they keep.
Neither of the girls tell their Aunt Clara about theirs as Violet can see dead people and Lily can see people's feelings.
Whilst Aunt Clara is stereotypically awful and plans to keep her secret buried.
I found this very easy to read and get engaged with the various POV's especially as the two young girls are likable and the villain of the piece is certainly determined and despicable.
Nicely suspenseful with a touch of gothic fairy tale too.
We follow two young girls who go to live with their aunt after the death of their parents - nice typical set up but it's the dynamics of the trio and the secrets they keep.
Neither of the girls tell their Aunt Clara about theirs as Violet can see dead people and Lily can see people's feelings.
Whilst Aunt Clara is stereotypically awful and plans to keep her secret buried.
I found this very easy to read and get engaged with the various POV's especially as the two young girls are likable and the villain of the piece is certainly determined and despicable.
Nicely suspenseful with a touch of gothic fairy tale too.
February 9, 2025
I was so disappointed, and confused by my reactions to this book.
I had read Bruce's previous novel, You Let Me In, a few years ago and really loved that. It was dark, unsettling and beautifully written. So when I saw At the Bottom of the Garden, I thought that it would be right up my street. The synopsis drew me in instantly. And, at first, I was really pulled into the world that Bruce was weaving. But then, after a while, I started to have very mixed feelings.
Bruce has certainly created great characters. The novel is told from the perspectives of 3 of the characters - Aunt Clara, and then the two girls, Lily and Violet. Each character definitely has their own voice. The sticking point, for me, was that not much seemed to happen. This meant that, after initially being drawn into the novel, and reading it at quite a pace, my interest started to wean and I found myself being slightly bored with the book, whilst also kind of enjoying it still. I'm not sure that another book has had that effect on me before ... Not sure what that says about me, or this novel.
I cannot deny that it is beautifully written, and this is perhaps why I stayed with it for as long as I did despite feeling a little bored by it. I think if the plot had been tightened, and so wasn't quite so long, it could have really worked better for me. Whilst reading it, I felt as though I wanted to stay with it, to find out how the conclusion would happen, but at the same time feeling that it could have been shortened down to a novella.
I am really surprised by my reaction to this book. I thought that I was going to love it, and in some ways I did. But I was also expecting there to be more horror to this tale. This is not horror, in any way shape, or form. To me, this read like a YA book.
I had read Bruce's previous novel, You Let Me In, a few years ago and really loved that. It was dark, unsettling and beautifully written. So when I saw At the Bottom of the Garden, I thought that it would be right up my street. The synopsis drew me in instantly. And, at first, I was really pulled into the world that Bruce was weaving. But then, after a while, I started to have very mixed feelings.
Bruce has certainly created great characters. The novel is told from the perspectives of 3 of the characters - Aunt Clara, and then the two girls, Lily and Violet. Each character definitely has their own voice. The sticking point, for me, was that not much seemed to happen. This meant that, after initially being drawn into the novel, and reading it at quite a pace, my interest started to wean and I found myself being slightly bored with the book, whilst also kind of enjoying it still. I'm not sure that another book has had that effect on me before ... Not sure what that says about me, or this novel.
I cannot deny that it is beautifully written, and this is perhaps why I stayed with it for as long as I did despite feeling a little bored by it. I think if the plot had been tightened, and so wasn't quite so long, it could have really worked better for me. Whilst reading it, I felt as though I wanted to stay with it, to find out how the conclusion would happen, but at the same time feeling that it could have been shortened down to a novella.
I am really surprised by my reaction to this book. I thought that I was going to love it, and in some ways I did. But I was also expecting there to be more horror to this tale. This is not horror, in any way shape, or form. To me, this read like a YA book.
December 16, 2024
Oh wow! This book was twisted, sickening at times and I couldn’t put it down! Such an intense psychological horror!
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher. After reading this book, give me more from this author! This was fantastic!
This book felt reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events but with ghosts. We have orphans going to live with a greedy, unscrupulous and inappropriate relative. We have the familiar yet not quite placeable location, we have the odd names of motels, we have the weird and specific food choices (boiled egg and melon balls everyday). This took what I loved from the series but built out to be something more horrifying, more troublesome.
The triumph of this book is Aunt Clara’s back story and her brutal honesty when describing it. She is quite monstrous and yet we can so clearly see the misfortunes in her life that have driven her to be this way. This was so well done and it made it hard to purely despise her even where her actions were reprehensible.
I loved how the powers of the two girls were presented and the growth they show as they seek to understand this further. This was so fascinating and I really felt for Violet as she sought to soothe the ghosts asking for help and the consequences she suffers as a result.
This book was dark, clever, fascinating and one that was hard to put down!
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher. After reading this book, give me more from this author! This was fantastic!
This book felt reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events but with ghosts. We have orphans going to live with a greedy, unscrupulous and inappropriate relative. We have the familiar yet not quite placeable location, we have the odd names of motels, we have the weird and specific food choices (boiled egg and melon balls everyday). This took what I loved from the series but built out to be something more horrifying, more troublesome.
The triumph of this book is Aunt Clara’s back story and her brutal honesty when describing it. She is quite monstrous and yet we can so clearly see the misfortunes in her life that have driven her to be this way. This was so well done and it made it hard to purely despise her even where her actions were reprehensible.
I loved how the powers of the two girls were presented and the growth they show as they seek to understand this further. This was so fascinating and I really felt for Violet as she sought to soothe the ghosts asking for help and the consequences she suffers as a result.
This book was dark, clever, fascinating and one that was hard to put down!
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