The Darkhouse

by Barbara Radecki

Fifteen-year-old Gemma’s life on a small New Brunswick island with her father, Jonah, is not an exciting one. Her mother ran off when she was an infant, and Jonah, an amateur scientist, spends most of his time conducting experiments he thinks will one day bring him fame. But when a woman arrives on the island, Gemma tries to play matchmaker – only to discover Jonah’s secret journals, which hold terrifying secrets about both their lives. Mystery, science, and dreams of a better life collide in this page-turning young adult novel from Barbara Radecki.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2016

About the author

Barbara Radecki was an actor first, known for voicing the role of Sailor Neptune in the original English dub of the popular Sailor Moon anime. She worked extensively in film and television before turning her focus to writing. She has written several screenplays, which are in various stages of development.

Her second novel, Messenger 93, came out April 2020, in the midst of a pandemic. The story is about a teen who receives a cryptic message from a crow, and then runs off in a desperate bid to save someone. "Save her, save us all."

The video of her unique virtual book launch is posted here, and it features lots of behind-the-scenes insights and stellar performed-readings of excerpts from Messenger 93.

Her debut novel, The Darkhouse, came out to acclaim in 2016/17. She was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in 2017.

She was born in Vancouver, grew up in Ontario and Montreal, studied at the University of Windsor, and is now based in Toronto.

Reviews for THE DARKHOUSE:
Kirkus Starred Review
Globe and Mail: "A showstopper."
CBC Radio: One of "5 Great Books" for YA, Christmas 2016
CM Magazine: "Highly Recommended."

Join her on Facebook at:
Barbara Radecki Facebook Author Page

On Instagram at:
Barbara Radecki Instagram

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was an edge of your seat thriller! Very tense, lots of action. This is a YA novel about a girl growing up with her dad on an island and things are definitely NOT what they seem! When a stranger comes to visit, it all gets really weird.

[Hart Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma lives on a tiny island with her dad who both maintains the lighthouse and runs the ferry to the mainland. When he is not busy with those jobs, he obsessively studies the attachment behavior of voles, paying only minimal attention to his daughter. She is so isolated that at nearly sixteen she still has an imaginary friend. She seems relatively content, though she craves knowing about her mother and fantasizes that any woman who visits the island might be the crazy woman (newly well) who abandoned her when she was a baby.

But all is not as it seems. I don't want to say too much more for fear of spoilers, but I will say this. Wow. What an intense ride. It's not for the feint of heart, but if you love those dark twisty tales, give this one a try.

[Cindy Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a wind swept cliff at the very edge of Eastern Canada, lives sixteen year old Gemma with her father, Jonah. Barbara Radecki writes with the rhythm of the rolling waves of the Atlantic, where you can taste the salt of the sea and feel the whip of wind from your hair on your face. She lulls us into the boredom of the remote Island, subtly hinting at things to come. The Darkhouse is a mystery, with Gemma as narrator.
Gemma’s father is the ferryman by day and a scientist of “experimental evolution” at heart, where he studies attachment theory using voles in his backyard “laboratory”. He is quiet and withdrawn, but he is all that Gemma has known since her mother left them because she was “crazy, crazy, crazy.” The loneliness of the island is highlighted by Gemma’s imaginary friend, Aidie, who lives in the closet and clings to an old stuffed mouse for emotional comfort. When a woman from the mainland shows up at the local diner, Gemma is intrigued, and from there the story unfolds.
In keeping with the name of the novel, the story is dark; relentless in the bleakness of the landscape of the characters’ internal worlds and the land they live upon. Radecki never loses the voice of the place as she weaves a dark and emotionally tangled tale. I hesitate to say more as this is a mystery to be revealed, and I don’t want to spoil any surprises. I look forward to more writing from Barbara Radecki.

[American Mensa · Rating 2 out of 5]

When reading the description of this book on the back I thought I was in for a big adventure about this girl figuring out who she really was. What I really started was a boring book with lousy characters that really didn’t help the plot. This book started out very slowly, although it did get a little more interesting it is still nothing great. It’s just another girl being brought up by her dad because her mom left, type of book. The main character Gemma lives on an island where she’s pretty much the only one her age so she’s pretty lonely. As the book progressed her dad becomes suspicious, as most of the dads do in most of these books so no surprise, and then a mysterious stranger shows up at the island named Marlie. Guess what, Marlie is obviously not who she is pretending to be, wow how unexpected. Just skip this book and find another, there are a lot of books that have similar plots with more intriguing writing. So, don’t waste your time.
Giovanna P. Age 13, Connecticut/Western Massachusetts

[Rhoddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always wanted to live on an island by the ocean. It's a completely different world from where I'm from and the thought of being surrounded by masses of water is appealing. The Darkhouse has a different opinion of island life; one of isolation and boredom. In fact, the island in this novel becomes more than a setting, it becomes a character, one who forces its lonesomeness into the reader.

And on this island is a sixteen year old girl named Gemma, the only young person on this small island. She lives and breathes this isolation with her father until a stranger sets forth a change in her life that will affect her forever. Gemma is quite the character, one who is well and truly rounded, with streaks of curiosity and strength running through her. I quite enjoyed joining Gemma on her journey.

As for the writing in The Darkhouse, at the start, for me, it was a little stilted. But as the pages turned past, Barbara Radecki found her rhythm and started to have fun. You can tell. I hope to read more from her in the near future.

And that cover!! WOW. Sold me on the book before I'd read what it was about.

So in finishing, great book, it has its quirks, but a novel I hope more people find and enjoy.

[Diane Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Gemma comes of age, like most teens she begins to question her life and her parent. She longs to know her mother who her father claimed was "crazy". She begins to notice things that lead her distrust her father. When she uncovers secrets, her entire life is redefined.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. The beginning was a little slow, but when things started going, they didn't stop. I read it in one siting!

[Sierra Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like the last half was dragged out because the main character kept making stupid decisions. Like I get she’s 15, but she literally made the stupidest decision every single time.
The first half was really good and I enjoyed that but by the end all I wanted to do was punch a wall because this girl could not make a smart move to save her life.

[Heartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book was pretty exciting! Definitely a 4.5! It starts off nice and slow and really develops the main characters and their lives on the island. While some things are somewhat predictable, there are still many twists and turns that get you hooked. As I neared the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down! Definitely recommend.

[Lily Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just could not put this book down, I loved it! It has been over a year since I have read the book but the characters are still so alive within me. I am now recommending it to all my friends with kids as the holiday season is coming up.

[Jake Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written. Filled with twists, turns, heart, passion, and the unknown. Pick this book up. Great suspense and tension that keeps going. Page turner. Can't wait to see what this author does next. Bravo!

[Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly engaging but thematically could be much tighter. It sits in a middle ground between thriller and coming of age story, and some aspects of each clash between one another, making me feel toward the end that I did not get to fully dive into the mystery nor the character development enough.

[Alex Chois · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.
Shock value, gaslighting, needless death of badly written characters. I wish I never even looked at this one.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

There wasn't anything specifically bad about this book, it just didn't captivate me enough to even bother finishing. *shrug*

[Anni🌸🐣 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good but they could have put more information in the end

[Arka Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, chilling page-turner.

Reminded me somewhat of the film "Get Out". (That's not a spoiler, since that sentiment is so indirect and at an abstract level).

[Shahna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well now, this was so different from what I was expecting. I really liked it.
It was interesting and hectic. My emotions hurt.

[D. Selke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite prose, masterful story-telling, a compelling mystery and a heart-wrenching young protagonist.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel pulls you in and won't let you go. A lovable heroine in a heart-aching/heart-pounding mystery.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an adult who loves teen fiction - I read all my daughter's novels :) This novel I could not put down! The story is gripping and beautifully written.

[Lynnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book turned out to be quite a thriller. It has several unexpected twists and turns and left me guessing as to what the ending would reveal. I say it should be recommended for more mature teens.

[Jessie Knouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite. Such a twist to the end of this psychological thriller

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite the traumatizing passage to adulthood—one that has all the deep fears of childhood coming to the surface. The very direct writing style gives the tone very well, setting scenes, setting the island up while leaving a sense that there is more below the surface. It can, at the same time, be read as a sort of fairy tale in its structure.

[Tracey Schindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen-year-old Gemma lives a solitary existence on a small island off the coast of New Brunswick, accessable only by ferry. She has never been off the island, a rule enforced by her emotionally cold and distant father. Her only friend is a little girl that only Gemma can see. One spring a sad and lonely woman gets off the ferry and enters Gemma's life in a most unusual manner. Soon Gemma finds herself on a dangerous journey of discovery which upends everything she thought she knew about her life, changing her world forever.

A taut psychological thriller, the reader is drawn in like a fly in a web...pulled along with Gemma, feeling an increasing dread as the pieces of her life start coming together. Beautifully written, heartbreaking but hopeful.

[Moonpudding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm extremely proud and excited to share this truly compelling story written by my friend Sailor Neptune, the insanely talented and gifted @barbararadecki. It's a true privilege to not only read this beautiful yet haunting story, but to share her gift with all of you. I cannot put this book down, I'm hooked into Barbara's amazing world of love, twisted mystery and darkness. Visualizing the characters and settings has been an amazing adventure thanks to Barbara's beautiful story telling. The Darkhouse from @cormorantbooks is now available in Canada online and is scheduled for US release in May 2017. Congratulations on an absolutely amazing first release!

[Shelby Machado · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply captivating story with earnest characters. I think that Barbara has a real knack for suspenseful writing and I look forward to reading more of her future works. I recommend this book to most people I know.

[CF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review for CM here:
https://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol23/no2...

[Charlotte Sheasby-Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! I am blown away to see that The Darkhouse is Barbara Radecki's first novel. The landscape is so gorgeous, the story so compelling and I am beyond captivated by the characters -- most especially Gemma, who makes me cheer her on every page, and Adie, who makes my heart sing --and who also breaks it. I love The Darkhouse and can't wait for Barbara's next book!