White Rabbit

by Abigail Rose-Marie

In a yellow house perched on the crumbling edge of Massachusetts Bay, eleven-year-old Penelope Willows is living in the shadow of loss. Her father is gone, leaving behind only whispers and shadows, while her mother drifts further away each day, lost in her own grief. Left alone in a home that seems frozen in time, Penelope clings to her routines, counting everything she can—logs by the stove, soup cans in the pantry—hoping to hold the world together.
     But this is no ordinary house. It once belonged to the poet Sylvia Plath, and her presence lingers in every corner, her ghost becoming an unexpected companion to Penelope. As the days stretch on, Penelope begins to hear the echoes of Plath’s poetry in the wind, feel her sadness seep into the walls, and see her ghost in the mirrors and empty rooms.
     When Penelope’s mother begins to withdraw further into her own world, leaving Penelope more isolated than ever, the girl’s grip on reality starts to fray. Haunted by the absence of her father and the presence of a ghost, Penelope must navigate the treacherous waters of memory, madness, and the fear that she, too, will be lost to the abyss.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Gothic, Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 14, 2026

About the author

Abigail Rose-Marie is a writer from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She holds a Ph.D. in creative writing from Ohio University and an MFA from Bowling Green State University. She currently lives with her wife and their very spoiled pets in Utah. For more information, connect via Instagram @authorabigailrosemarie.

Reviews

[nyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Rabbit is a taut stream-of-consciousness narrative that follows 11-year-old Penelope Willows as she grapples with the grief that her father has left behind in his wake. She copes by clinging to mundanities, grounding herself in counting her surroundings and reciting facts that she’s memorized. Yet, with each passing day her grasp on reality shifts and distorts. Alongside her mother, the reticent ghost of Sylvia Plath, and a number of other palpable characters, Penelope contends with the resounding weight of sorrow and heartache after someone leaves. 

The horror in this novel is not of the traditional sort—the heartpounding, palm-sweating type of fear—but rather is a creeping and insidious dread, grounded in (ir)reality. Readers may likely discern the truth early on, and there is a certain eeriness in waiting to see when, if ever, Penelope will come to the same conclusions—or if she'll unravel instead. 

While this can be considered a deeply triggering book, I think the topics were handled with poise and care. Representation of neurodivergence and mental health conditions in Penelope were realistic and well done. Moreover, all the characters seemed rich, full, and true to life. 

The overall plot itself is uncomplicated and not difficult to follow, though the narrative blurs and lapses with Penelope's thoughts and memories, maintaining a striking balance that heightens the story’s intrigue. 

Ultimately, White Rabbit is a compelling and sickly thrilling story with surprisingly tender moments. I even found myself tearing up at its poignant end. A read that is sure to linger, I'd recommend this one to fans of both literary fiction and the horror genre looking for a heartrending story. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read this book.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Rabbit is a incredible story of a young girl called Penelope who is struggling with finding her dad.

Its very much written from the childs point of view and how she views the world. I could appreciate and understand alot in this book the uncomfortable parts of family life, anxious thoughts and being able to read people emotionally.

Its also tied with a supernatural element which when reading your not quite sure how it will work out in the book.

At times its made me nostalgic for family life and anyone who has lost a parent will relate to the hard parts of this book. The emotional turmoil that Penelope goes through. The setting is serene and there is some soul searching. Its apparent Penelope wants her mum to be happy again and it has deep themes of how trauma affects everyone in the family.

An emotional read that takes you on a journey with Penelope but it teaches us to cherish and hold onto to those happy memories ❤️.

Thanks to netgalley for this advanced reader copy.

[Katylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Rabbit takes place through the eyes of an eleven year old girl named Penelope. Her family lives in a yellow house on the Massachusetts bay which was once the house of poet Sylvia Plath. Penelope is struggling with her father leaving and the ghost of Sylvia Path that she now sees haunting her home.

This novel gripped me and dragged me deep into the story. I loved the suspense and mystery that this novel has. You are wrapped up in Penelope's narrative along with her, which is not always rooted in reality. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, there was another twist!

My heart ached for Penelope and her mother throughout this story. You can feel the weight of their grief on every page. However, there are light and joyful moments woven through the story as well.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Rabbit is a quiet, eerie little gut-punch of a novel that leans more into atmosphere than plot, but it absolutely works. We follow Penelope, a lonely girl clinging to rituals as her world falls apart, stuck in a old house on the edge of the sea that may or may not be haunted by Sylvia Plath. The line between grief, imagination, and something ghostly blurs in a way that feels intimate rather than flashy.

What I liked most is how gentle the everything feels. The prose has this hushed, dreamlike quality, and Penelope’s voice makes everything feel fragile and a little haunted. It’s a short read, but it lingers, especially if you enjoy literary ghost stories that care just as much about emotion as they do about the supernatural.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Tiegan Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the start of this book very hard to get into and didn’t really understand what was going on but I stuck with it - around halfway I started to get into it and was invested in Penelope’s journey to find her dad.

It made me quite emotional at the end and I think this is in part from the matter of fact way Penelope’s character is written, especially when she remembers what has happened to her dad and the trauma she had been blocking out.

I think it would’ve been an easier read had the chapters been shorter, 40m plus chapters aren’t something I have come across much and I would love to know more about why Abigail came to the decision of longer chapters!

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I want to tell James that I do not think that he is messed up inside, but then I think about the way he likes to wear two different colored shoes on his feet and the way that he eats cereal with chocolate milk poured over the top and I begin to understand what he means."

It was a bit slow to get into and sometimes the writing can be somewhat vague, but I liked the depiction of an odd child.
It felt a lot like it was trying to portray an autistic child without directly saying it, which I'm unsure if that was the authors intention, but I liked it.
It had the occasional line like the one quoted above that I really liked.

[Lee Cornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrator, an 11-year-old neurodivergent named Penelope, is trying to come to grips with her father’s sudden departure from the family’s home. The house is one where the poet Sylvia Plath lived as a child, and her ghost is a companion for Penelope, an only child. (If you know nothing about Sylvia Plath, I suggest at least skimming the Wikipedia biography and maybe a couple of her short poems.)

As her mother becomes more withdrawn, Penelope seems to be slipping from reality.

That’s about all I can say because anything more would contain spoilers. This is extremely well-written, carefully crafted, and a terrific read.

[terezija ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried so much finishing this wonderful book.
I loved everything about it.
Our main character Penelope was so fascinating to read about and I found myself getting so attached to her in a way I have never gotten attached to a character. There was something so intimate, raw, and compelling about being inside her world, and it made the whole reading experience feel even more emotional.
Her companion of a ghost in Sylvia Plath was also a beautiful and appreciated addition.
Even thought my heart ached every time I turned a page, I could not stop reading it as we got closer to the end.
It is short but definitely memorable, it will stay on my mind for a long time.

[Haley Simmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC. This story was a gut punch. Penelope's story, dealing with the grief of losing a parent and the way our minds work to help us cope, was an emotional ride. The ghost of Sylvia Plath there to help her through and unlock things in the right time was a wonderful thread through the novel and added another level of meaning to the story.

[Mariza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to hold out my pinky for Penelope to hold 😭 this book is unlike anything I have ever read. This story follows Penelope as she processes her grief and tries to keep her life around her from unraveling. Written from the perspective of a neurodivergent 11 year old, this book is so beautifully written.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written - a story of the anguish of mental health and the trauma that triggers an obsession. The patience of all those surrounding Penelope as she learns to accept a hidden loss is truly moving. Strength comes in mysterious ways - even eating fast food or accepting family you never knew you had.

[anjali (^_−)☆]

thank you to the lovely people at netgalley and union square & co. for the arc ₊˚ʚ(๑>؂•̀๑)

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC closer to pub date.