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An Evil on Stanton Street
Not yet published
Expected 11 Jan 27In a gritty era of shadows and sorcery, three orphans are manipulated by a vengeful bootlegger to dismantle a corrupt magical conspiracy. Can they topple a web of witches and crime before their freedom is snatched away?
AN EVIL ON STANTON STREET is a young adult historical novel set in the boxing rings and gambling dens of 1930s Lower Manhattan. It weaves fantasy into the city's history of frame-ups against innocent women.
There are seven witches of New York City, and they each run an orphanage. The boys orphanage on Stanton Street has rules, and the young men know these rules and the lethal consequences of breaking them. If they can survive the witch's dark magic and the enchanted house for another three months, they'll be free.
Three of the orphans encounter Neve, a mysterious bootlegger with an agenda. She meets loyal, trusting Calvin on the morning trolley, then miserable, pessimistic Willie during lunch in the park, and finally, arrogant, greedy Nicky at an afternoon boxing match. Unbeknownst to each other, Neve befriends them and reveals the cursed house's secrets and how to bend the stringent magical rules.
She hasn't chosen these three young men at random. The murder of Neve's little brother corresponds to the death of their parents. Neve slowly unravels the conspiracy that has entrapped them. The corrupt criminal justice system, the mafia, and the witch-controlled child welfare service link together with Neve and the young men stuck at the crossroads. Neve has a revenge plan, but she can't do it alone. She allocates each young man a task while keeping her friendship with each one a secret.
After she goes missing, they discover her deceit. Regardless, she's made them stronger and wiser; her revenge is now theirs. They need to learn the truth behind their parent's death, stop the cruelty against orphans, and the extortion of women. But how can three wards of the state destroy a powerful witch, an entire witches' realm, and a decades-long political scandal without getting killed just days before they can go free?
AN EVIL ON STANTON STREET is a young adult historical novel set in the boxing rings and gambling dens of 1930s Lower Manhattan. It weaves fantasy into the city's history of frame-ups against innocent women.
There are seven witches of New York City, and they each run an orphanage. The boys orphanage on Stanton Street has rules, and the young men know these rules and the lethal consequences of breaking them. If they can survive the witch's dark magic and the enchanted house for another three months, they'll be free.
Three of the orphans encounter Neve, a mysterious bootlegger with an agenda. She meets loyal, trusting Calvin on the morning trolley, then miserable, pessimistic Willie during lunch in the park, and finally, arrogant, greedy Nicky at an afternoon boxing match. Unbeknownst to each other, Neve befriends them and reveals the cursed house's secrets and how to bend the stringent magical rules.
She hasn't chosen these three young men at random. The murder of Neve's little brother corresponds to the death of their parents. Neve slowly unravels the conspiracy that has entrapped them. The corrupt criminal justice system, the mafia, and the witch-controlled child welfare service link together with Neve and the young men stuck at the crossroads. Neve has a revenge plan, but she can't do it alone. She allocates each young man a task while keeping her friendship with each one a secret.
After she goes missing, they discover her deceit. Regardless, she's made them stronger and wiser; her revenge is now theirs. They need to learn the truth behind their parent's death, stop the cruelty against orphans, and the extortion of women. But how can three wards of the state destroy a powerful witch, an entire witches' realm, and a decades-long political scandal without getting killed just days before they can go free?
378 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 11, 2027
About the author
Janelle Gabay
8 books61 followersJanelle Gabay is an award-winning author of YA contemporary and YA paranormal romance novels. She grew up around the world as an Air Force brat but has called Florida home for many years. A graduate of the University of South Florida and a member of SCBWI. As the mom of three competitive tennis players, she spent fifteen years entrenched in the world of USTA junior tennis.
To learn more about her, her books, and her new release coming in June, visit her website janellegabaybooks.com.
To learn more about her, her books, and her new release coming in June, visit her website janellegabaybooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Did Not Finish
August 20, 2026DNF at 10% (Read Chapters 1-3)
This story definitely has potential, and the concept alone is intriguing. Unfortunately though, the execution isn’t working for me.
While the writing was simple and easy to read (although there is quite a bit of telling vs showing), the opening chapter didn’t really read like a YA novel to me. Neve and the situation she’s in felt more appropriate for an older audience, in my personal opinion.
My biggest issue: I feel like the story is almost too fast-paced (which is not something I say often because I usually LOVE a fast-paced story). It feels like we’re jumping from scene to scene, without having enough time to truly get to know the characters. As a result, the characters don’t feel fully fleshed out, and I didn’t feel all that immersed in the story while I was reading. Simply put, the story felt rushed.
Having said all of that, I mean it when I say I see the potential with this story! Many of the story elements just felt too surface level for my personal tastes.
NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:
This story definitely has potential, and the concept alone is intriguing. Unfortunately though, the execution isn’t working for me.
While the writing was simple and easy to read (although there is quite a bit of telling vs showing), the opening chapter didn’t really read like a YA novel to me. Neve and the situation she’s in felt more appropriate for an older audience, in my personal opinion.
My biggest issue: I feel like the story is almost too fast-paced (which is not something I say often because I usually LOVE a fast-paced story). It feels like we’re jumping from scene to scene, without having enough time to truly get to know the characters. As a result, the characters don’t feel fully fleshed out, and I didn’t feel all that immersed in the story while I was reading. Simply put, the story felt rushed.
Having said all of that, I mean it when I say I see the potential with this story! Many of the story elements just felt too surface level for my personal tastes.
NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎 𝙶𝚊𝚋𝚊𝚢 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚟𝚒𝚊 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢. 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗. This book was marked as Read Now on NetGalley and I'm so glad that I was able to read this book at the correct time.
𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔?:
- Historical fiction lovers who like a blend of witchy magic, portals, mafia and a stern orphanage matron in one story.
- Jumping timelines.
-
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍:
- The cover design. I loved loved the dark and ominous looking cover design. One of the main reasons why I chose to read this book.
- The story description was very intriguing. Combining magic, mafia and an orphanage of the living and the dead into one story was something I would definitely read.
- Invidia, Nicky, the ghost who only Neve could see and Neve were interesting characters. I liked the ghost a lot because he was very mysterious and
- Invidia's personality and her demeanor was something I enjoyed a lot even if there was quite little that was being said about her.
𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚞𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
The writing wasn't that easy to understand. I had to re-read several lines many times to understand what was going on.
- This story didn't even feel like Teen YA genre. It felt more like Women's Fiction.
Midway through the first chapter, Neve's personality didn't seem to match with the genre. She felt more adult and less of a teen. We were directly given her flirtatious kind of personality and we weren't even explained to how she got there.
- The pacing of the chapters was problematic and it was one of the main reasons why the characters felt flat. I, as a reader wanted to get to know the characters. Now, I have no problem reading fast paced books— I love them. But there was nothing in the writing that made me feel connected with the books.
-
𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔?:
- Historical fiction lovers who like a blend of witchy magic, portals, mafia and a stern orphanage matron in one story.
- Jumping timelines.
-
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍:
- The cover design. I loved loved the dark and ominous looking cover design. One of the main reasons why I chose to read this book.
- The story description was very intriguing. Combining magic, mafia and an orphanage of the living and the dead into one story was something I would definitely read.
- Invidia, Nicky, the ghost who only Neve could see and Neve were interesting characters. I liked the ghost a lot because he was very mysterious and
- Invidia's personality and her demeanor was something I enjoyed a lot even if there was quite little that was being said about her.
𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚞𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
The writing wasn't that easy to understand. I had to re-read several lines many times to understand what was going on.
- This story didn't even feel like Teen YA genre. It felt more like Women's Fiction.
Midway through the first chapter, Neve's personality didn't seem to match with the genre. She felt more adult and less of a teen. We were directly given her flirtatious kind of personality and we weren't even explained to how she got there.
- The pacing of the chapters was problematic and it was one of the main reasons why the characters felt flat. I, as a reader wanted to get to know the characters. Now, I have no problem reading fast paced books— I love them. But there was nothing in the writing that made me feel connected with the books.
-
Review of advance copy received from Author
An Evil on Stanton Street is a gripping thrill ride that perfectly blends dark sorcery with the corruption of 1930s Manhattan in a fast-paced, high-stakes revenge plot.
Survival inside the Stanton Street orphanage means obeying the lethal rules of a powerful witch. For three specific orphans, enduring this dark magic for just three more months will grant thier freedom. The boys want nothing more than to keep their heads down so close to their release. Instead, they are manipulated by Neve, a vengeful bootlegger who uses them to dismantle a conspiracy.
When Neve suddenly vanishes, her lies are exposed, forcing the trio to take over her dangerous plan. The boys must uncover the truth behind their parents’ murders, destroy the witches who run the orphanages, and outsmart a corrupt underworld—all without getting killed days before they are set free.
Atmospheric and fiercely original, An Evil on Stanton Street is a historical fantasy that readers will devour!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Survival inside the Stanton Street orphanage means obeying the lethal rules of a powerful witch. For three specific orphans, enduring this dark magic for just three more months will grant thier freedom. The boys want nothing more than to keep their heads down so close to their release. Instead, they are manipulated by Neve, a vengeful bootlegger who uses them to dismantle a conspiracy.
When Neve suddenly vanishes, her lies are exposed, forcing the trio to take over her dangerous plan. The boys must uncover the truth behind their parents’ murders, destroy the witches who run the orphanages, and outsmart a corrupt underworld—all without getting killed days before they are set free.
Atmospheric and fiercely original, An Evil on Stanton Street is a historical fantasy that readers will devour!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an entertaining read overall!
I really loved the gritty historical vibes of this book. The world had a dark, urban feel to it, that really drew me in from the start.
The orphanage and the evil head mistress also gave me Annie vibes, but with a group of boys, and obviously a lot darker given the head mistress is a witch. It was both inventive and nostalgic at the same time.
There were some elements of the plot that I felt could’ve been fleshed out a bit more; I really like the fast pace of YA books, but I felt here that there was still room for certain scenes to breathe a bit more.
As far as characters go, there were a lot of boys to keep track of. But the main characters were all interesting, and I liked seeing them try to bring an end to the witch’s reign of terror.
All in all, I had a good time reading this book, and I think others will too.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Janelle Gabay Books for allowing me to read the eARC!
September 30, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Janelle Gabay Books for a digital review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I immediately clicked on Read Now as it was not as per request to read the book. I clicked because of the premise and also the cover design that was aligned, and I was intrigued.
In this story, we will meet Neve and the orphanage boys under Matron Invidia, who was a witch, in set of 1930s.
I do like the plot but somehow I just don’t like the writing. It is not what I am expected to, for me it is not so descriptive so I had a hard time to set the scenes in my mind. Also with the romance plot that seemed suddenly pop out of nowhere.
The characters are kind of flat. I do not get the emotion.
The plot twist is actually good, and it is a bit confusing at first, but eventually it will come together at the end.
I immediately clicked on Read Now as it was not as per request to read the book. I clicked because of the premise and also the cover design that was aligned, and I was intrigued.
In this story, we will meet Neve and the orphanage boys under Matron Invidia, who was a witch, in set of 1930s.
I do like the plot but somehow I just don’t like the writing. It is not what I am expected to, for me it is not so descriptive so I had a hard time to set the scenes in my mind. Also with the romance plot that seemed suddenly pop out of nowhere.
The characters are kind of flat. I do not get the emotion.
The plot twist is actually good, and it is a bit confusing at first, but eventually it will come together at the end.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had a great time with this book.
a group of boys find themselves in an orphanage together with an evil head mistress who dose not tolerate rules being broken. If a boy breaks a rule, he must eat the poison apple. resigned to their fate the boys just do the best they can. Until a young woman comes alone and enlists the help of the older boys at the orphanage to end the head mistresses rein of terror. They soon find out the head mistress is actually a powerful witch. Determined to do everything they can to save the younger orphaned boys they may have to travel to the realm the witch is originally from to understand how to defeat her and they will do whatever it takes to see it through to the end or die trying.
a group of boys find themselves in an orphanage together with an evil head mistress who dose not tolerate rules being broken. If a boy breaks a rule, he must eat the poison apple. resigned to their fate the boys just do the best they can. Until a young woman comes alone and enlists the help of the older boys at the orphanage to end the head mistresses rein of terror. They soon find out the head mistress is actually a powerful witch. Determined to do everything they can to save the younger orphaned boys they may have to travel to the realm the witch is originally from to understand how to defeat her and they will do whatever it takes to see it through to the end or die trying.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Curses, dark magic, and secrets set the scene in old New York City, where orphaned boys on the verge of their Freedom Day live under the evil power of a beautiful witch. She's killed orphans before and she'll kill again, if not by feeding them a poison apple, then some other way. Step out of line in this house, and the house itself is likely to turn you in.
Neve, who stopped aging when she turned seventeen, has been away, but now she's back with a plan for revenge. Can she convince the boys of the orphanage to help her put the witch and the evil realm out of commission?
Readers who enjoy historical dark fantasy will love this cast of characters and the savvy way this page-turner comes together.
Curses, dark magic, and secrets set the scene in old New York City, where orphaned boys on the verge of their Freedom Day live under the evil power of a beautiful witch. She's killed orphans before and she'll kill again, if not by feeding them a poison apple, then some other way. Step out of line in this house, and the house itself is likely to turn you in.
Neve, who stopped aging when she turned seventeen, has been away, but now she's back with a plan for revenge. Can she convince the boys of the orphanage to help her put the witch and the evil realm out of commission?
Readers who enjoy historical dark fantasy will love this cast of characters and the savvy way this page-turner comes together.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, An Evil on Stanton Street just didn’t do it for me.
There is way too much going on. So many plotlines, ideas, twists and moving pieces are thrown at you that, at some point, I honestly felt like I was trying to keep up rather than actually enjoying the story. The pacing also felt all over the place, which made the book feel even longer than it already was.
And speaking of long… this is marketed as YA, but at times it felt very overstuffed for its target audience. I’m all for ambitious YA horror, but sometimes less really is more.
It’s not a bad book, and there are definitely some interesting ideas in here. I just think the story needed a little less of everything and a much tighter focus.
Not terrible, just not for me.
There is way too much going on. So many plotlines, ideas, twists and moving pieces are thrown at you that, at some point, I honestly felt like I was trying to keep up rather than actually enjoying the story. The pacing also felt all over the place, which made the book feel even longer than it already was.
And speaking of long… this is marketed as YA, but at times it felt very overstuffed for its target audience. I’m all for ambitious YA horror, but sometimes less really is more.
It’s not a bad book, and there are definitely some interesting ideas in here. I just think the story needed a little less of everything and a much tighter focus.
Not terrible, just not for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the first book I've read by Janelle Gabay. I really liked it!
The book's premise immediately intrigued me, as I hadn't heard a concept quite like this before: witches in the 1930s serving as matrons over orphanages.
The pacing of this story was great, easy to follow. The ending was tied up nicely. I don't really have any complaints, though I think that maybe involving the other witches a little more would've been intriguing to read.
The book's premise immediately intrigued me, as I hadn't heard a concept quite like this before: witches in the 1930s serving as matrons over orphanages.
The pacing of this story was great, easy to follow. The ending was tied up nicely. I don't really have any complaints, though I think that maybe involving the other witches a little more would've been intriguing to read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Amazingly written. The beginning, the plot, the realness of the people. Although I do think it could have been more detailed as there were quite a few things left unexplained by the end. I was happy for the characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews