The Fall of the House of Tatterly

by Shanna Miles

Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly’s ability to see ghosts is a useful skill in a house full of dead relatives, but it makes him a loner at school and everywhere else, where ghosts eternally pester him for help. For Theo, life is easier on the periphery. When his first failed exorcism portends an end to the Tatterly line, Theo must bring together his entire family—living and dead—to save the home they’ve lived in for generations . . . and maybe the world.

Author Shanna Miles’s story of magical modern-day Charleston crackles with unforgettable characters and pays homage to the city’s rich culture, folklore, and history.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Horror, Ghosts, Mystery, Childrens

280 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

Shanna Miles is an author, reviewer and librarian who lives in Georgia with her two daughters, and educator husband and advocates tirelessly for appropriate representation for marginalized people in children’s fiction. Her passion is Paranormal Romance, but she also has a deep affinity for diverse Science Fiction like that of Octavia Butler and Sherri L. Smith. “Willow Born” is Shanna Miles’ latest work.

Reviews

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the premise for this one sounded really intriguing. Young Theo is a medium and comes from a big family of mostly dead relatives. When his family line is being threatened they have to come together to save their home.

My issue was while this book had a lot of interesting elements it was incredibly slow paced. To the point where it felt longer than the actual page count and lost me a few times during reading. At first it feels very slice of life about this boy and his quirky family. I saw the vision of what the author was trying to do using history and ancestry and the importance of family but I wasn't a fan of the execution.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The aunts are a handful lot! And there are a lot of characters you have to catch up with in the first few chapters but it’s so worth it and you will enjoy the book best in the later half.

The writing is fun and enjoyable. The characters do stand out and there won’t be much confusion when it comes to their parts.

This is the story of Theo who has the ability to see ghosts and talk with them. But he is an outcast otherwise.

I would be damn annoyed if all these ghosts pester me all the time like they do in the story, most of all, because they are the aunts you wouldn’t be able to ignore! Poor Theo! But it’s the best parts of the story too!

The central plot deals with exorcism to put an end to the family line by bringing all the members gone and alive together to save his home. However, things aren’t as easy as planned and Theo gets to meet other surprising paranormal characters on the way.

Things do get chaotic yet entertaining and adventurous.

When you get to know more of the characters and the House of Tatterly, this book gets much more engaging and enjoyable towards the second half.

Good closure for the ending which I really appreciate for such stories, I would definitely recommend this fun read.

Thank you, Union Square Kids/Sterling Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot I really liked with this book, especially references to history and the ways racism, especially anti Black racism, has shaped experiences in America. I really liked the magic and how this is very much a story of joy and triumph. I’m looking forward to reading Issa’s story; she’s a great character. I did feel some of the pacing was a little off, where I’d be wondering how I got from point A to point B, but I enjoyed the Tatterly family and Theo and the way things played out in the end.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Fun, interesting, different, and over the top in a good way until the last 10ish percent of the book. Loose ends rushed to be tied up, no real resolution between some characters, and really took me out of it.

I can see MG readers liking it. Overall I absolutely enjoyed it until the very end and then it just lost me. Would love to give another book by the author a read because she does have a way with words and descriptions.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggggled to get through this one. I ended up skimming the back half. It’s very slow paced for such an intriguing premise. Normally ghosts are one of my favorite tropes, but I just could not get invested. I also had issues either a few things that happened that affected my overall enjoyment. I think this a “not for me” situation.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Reading a book about a black boy living in present-day Charleston meant anticipating a heavy-handed morality lesson that would completely destroy the literature. Fortunately, it was a little more subtle than that, and therefore enjoyable. I really liked the secret magical society and the main character. What I could’ve done without is that a side character had like three lines indicating he was gay. Why? Why even mention it since it’s completely irrelevant? WHY HAVE THIS IN A CHILDREN’S BOOK? Also the ending was a bit too silly. Overall, enjoyable, but unfortunately, I won’t be recommending this to the young readers I know.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Theo Tatterly lives in a magical version of Charleston, South Carolina. He lives with his aunts after his mother dropped him off there when she was reeling from the death of his father in Afghanistan. Theo can see and talk to ghosts, and frequently uses his family's powers to help the ghosts cross over. Recently, though, something is odd with the ghosts, and his cousin Issa, who is often used as a vehicle for ghosts, has had problems. The two are involved in an incident at the local Aquarium that ends with it being blown up. They are more worried about the ghost they have found there, and the possibility of a Hag they worry will come back than they are about getting trouble at home. There's plenty of trouble at the House of Tatterly, a mansion that has been in the family for generations after being reclaimed by the formerly enslaved Tatterlys from the original family. The area has seen an influx of realtors and people wanting to gentrify the area, and there is a problem with finding the original deed, so that aunts are worried that they might lose the house. They also strongly suspect there is a property demon, but haven't ever heard of one. Theo's cousin Femi has problems of his own, since his dad is in the custody of the Global Magic Authority, but he wants to help Theo. Theo also enlists some classmates from his school, Robert Smalls School for Excellence, and finds an odd comfort in the snake, Rupert, that the family gives him as a familiar. He eventually finds out that the ghost at the Aquarium is an especially nasty type; a kiyoberu who often harms children. Theo and Issa's investigations uncover a lot of family and local history, most of it with unpleasant roots in the troubled racist past of the area. Will they be able to use their magic to save the house, and themselves?
Strengths: Theo's feelings about his family are complex, and for good reason! He's glad that his aunts took him in, but misses his parents. He's glad to go to a magical school (bonus points for naming it for Robert Smalls!), but doesn't feel that he's getting as much instruction as he needs. He relationship with his cousins is strong, and they help each other out. There are a wide variety of ghosts and monsters that need to be fought, and I liked how the kids worked together to figure out how to systematically irradicate them. Very nice Southern feel; if I feel damp on a temperate day here in Ohio, I know that the descriptions are very evocative of the Southern heat and humidity!
Weaknesses: I had trouble getting a good feel for the magical world, but since I sometimes struggle with fantasy, that might be more of a weakness in my perception rather than in the book. I did wonder if the Tatterly's magical world was aligned with any specific culture; there is a brief mention of Gullahs which intrigued me, but I had trouble pinning down any particular connection.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like their magic to have a Southern flavor to it and enjoyed books like Strong's Eden's Everdark, Rhodes' Bayou Magic, Royce's Conjour Island, Smith's HooDoo, or Stringfellow's Comb of Wishes.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts, demons, and unique family bonds create a read rich with atmosphere and a character to root for.

Theo has been left at the family estate while his mother deals with the death of his father. While Theo can't seem to fit in at school, the array of ghosts and his other family members keep him busy. Actually, it's his deceased aunts, which pester him the most. In any case, he does have enough to do thanks to his paranormal talents, which have him and his cousins dealing with all sorts of situations surrounding the afterlife. That is until things start getting strange, and he realizes that there's more to deal with them than any of them every expected.

I've been looking forward to diving into this one for quite some time, but the universe...maybe ghosts... delayed things a bit. Still, I'm glad I finally got to it. Theo is a super sweet guy with a big heart, tons of determination, and even more patience...and considering his ghostly aunts, he needs plenty of it. Better yet, he doesn't attack everything alone but finds support in his family. This adds a cushion of wholesome goodness to contrast the other problems he faces. Theo also has a lot on his plate as he deals with the absence of his parents and takes on ghosts, demons and more. With all of this going on, there's definitely excitement, surprises, tense moments, and emotions too. The entire array settles into a surprisingly easy read, which will especially work well for the younger end of the middle grade audience.

I enjoyed the hints of history and myth as they wove around a imaginative world. I adds a wonderful atmosphere. Still, it would have been nice to have a bit more depth on this end to tie it better together. While the ghostly and demonly threats are grabbing, the entire paranormal world stays blurred below the surface. The background and details to build the foundation aren't fleshed out as much as they need to be for older readers. Also, there are moments where the pacing slows down, but this does allow emotions to settle in and character depth to form. There are more than a few characters, which grab attention with their quirks and personalities.

It's a fun read with humor, heart, creepy moments, and situations. Readers, who enjoy paranormal adventures and a touch of Southern myths, will have no trouble sinking in and getting lost in the adventure. I received a DRC and enjoyed joining Theo is his ghostly battles.

[Joey Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Union Square Kids and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Theo is a medium, his whole family come from a long generational line of magic wielders and mediums. After a failed exorcism things go very wrong for his family and the living and dead relatives must come together to save the family line and home.

This was sadly really hard for me to get into, it was so slowly paced and it didn’t capture my attention. It didn’t really draw me into the world at any point and certain parts seemed to last longer than they needed too. I kept waiting for more to happen than it did and it felt really slow before we did get anything exciting.

I did like Theo and thought he was interesting, he wielded the most interesting gift with being a medium and wanting to help as many spirits as he could to pass over. He also was able to tell the difference in how long a spirit had been dead and if they wanted to pass on or not, it was really clever. He was really sweet, I liked that he really loved his family both living and dead and when he needed to unite them to save them he had the ability too. He was also really clever in how he hid that he was talking to ghosts, he had everything he needed with him at all times and I liked how thought out his character was.

I did find the aunts way too much, they were really annoying and quite rude honestly and there was a bit too much of them. They wouldn’t include Theo in anything, they were very wrapped up in themselves and didn’t seem to have much time to dedicate to him and just snubbed him at every turn. I wasn’t a fan of them from the start, which is sad with how much Theo actually loved them.

This wasn’t a book that I was able to get into or enjoy which is such a shame, however that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it. I actually think lots of people would enjoy it, It has a lot going for it with the really unique and interesting plot line, all the ghosts, the magic, the family connection and the dramatic turn of events. I think that some one will pick this up and be so engrossed in it and really enjoy it.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC
This was just what I needed. I love fantasy and folklore in general, but something about Southern U.S. Black folklore hits a specific sweet-spot for me. I love how superstitions and customs were interwoven into the plot. I hope to read more books like these, (i.e. about different cultures, traditions, customs . . .), in the future (and I have some already lined up).

Twelve-year old Theo Tatterly is a medium born into a magical family. His family is well-known and part of a community of magical people in Charleston, South Carolina. Kids are going missing and Theo's family is in danger of losing their home, and Theo senses that these terrors might be linked by a dark and strange presence.

I don't know how many times I've read The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe during my school years, and I recently watched the show on Netflix, and I still do not remember anything about the story. I assumed that maybe the title of this book, and maybe some plot elements, were inspired by the title of the short story. I looked at a summary of the short story, and there doesn't seem to be an obvious connection.

It lost me at the resolution. It seemed a little silly the way it ended for such high stakes like missing children and losing the house. I thought the set-up was so well-done and intriguing.

As I was reading, I sensed that there might be room for a sequel or companion since there were a lot of interesting details and characters. There is a companion book that's centered around Theo's cousin Issa, but The Fall of the House of Tatterly is a complete book that can stand on its own (i.e. no cliffhanger).

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly can see ghosts, which is useful in his family full of witches. He can communicate with his dead ancestors who live in their house, but he doesn’t have friends outside of the family. When he fails at an exorcism, everything starts to fall apart for his family. The Tatterly family must work together using their unique magical skills to save their family home.

This was an exciting paranormal story. I love ghost stories, especially middle grade ones. They were my favourite when I was a kid. Theo came from a big family with many aunts and a few cousins, but they each had distinctive powers. He was able to see some older ancestors so he was in a unique position to get their help with problems too. Though Theo didn’t have many connections outside of the family at the beginning of the story, when he started playing basketball, he made some friends. The ending of the story was action packed and a little creepy too.

The Fall of the House of Tatterly is a fun paranormal middle grade story!

Thank you Union Square and Co for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warning: death of parent, parental abandonment

[Megan Farve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Union Square Kids at a library conference. I’m a huge fan of middle grade fantasy and the cover and description drew me in immediately.

It is a quick read for a late elementary or early middle schooler and it touches upon slavery on a very basic level. It also focuses on large-family relationships and being there for one another. It would be an ideal book for introducing kids to fantasy.

However, the story needs more refinement. There are many interesting aspects- magic, ghosts, demigods- but very little of this was expanded upon. I wanted to know more of the lore and the magical family dynamics but it all felt rushed. Granted, this book was aimed at a younger audience where less might be better, but I would like to see this world delved into further in the series.

[Mrs_R_Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read! Theo Tatterly (12) is a medium. Everyone in his family has supernatural powers. his father dad died before he was born & mother left him with his aunts.
Theo and most of his family, some alive-some ghosts, all live in the family mansion in Charleston, SC. The Tatterly's have lived on this property for hundreds of years (since they were enslaved there). Now someone is trying to take the house away from them.
While the aunts try to figure out where the original deed to the house is, Theo and his cousin Issa are battling supernatural bad guys.

Clean read. Lots of boy humor and some grossness during battles. Full of folklore and Charleston history.
Give to supernatural fans 6th grade and up.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover and synopsis grabbed me from the beginning. I almost quit with all the characters to keep straight at the beginning but I’m glad I hung in! Theo, our main character, is an outcast who can see and talk with ghosts and the house is full of them! The aunts cracked me up, and are certainly entertaining! The main premise is to rid the house of passed family members but since when do things go as planned? The story is a lot of fun and things were wrapped up nicely. I’d certainly read more from this author.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating and enchanting story that seamlessly weaves together the supernatural world with the rich tapestry of Charleston's culture and history. The protagonist, twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly, possesses the unique ability to see ghosts, which proves to be both a blessing and a curse. The author crafted a tale that not only captures the struggles and triumphs of a young boy with a unique gift but also celebrates the vibrant culture, folklore, and history of Charleston. A must-read for anyone who enjoys immersive storytelling, richly drawn characters, and a touch of the supernatural.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eventful and engaging story about a boy whose ability to speak to dead relatives sends him on a unique quest to bring his scattered family together in order to save their common heritage.

As a writer, Mills has the gift of weaving in local lore (in this case, from the city of Charleston) and magic and mayhem in a way that's guaranteed to entertain readers of the target age group - and beyond. This gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the different view of magical family. I liked Theo and wanted to hang with him to solve this problem. There were lots of things I would have liked to see more of, but that would have crowded the story. The problem with magic being common is that you show bits of a lot of it, but you can't go overboard. Author did a great job of that, it's just that I liked what she did and would have liked to see more in action.

Would have liked to see things work right for Theo before they went wrong, but just because I want to see how it was supposed to work.

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this, and I think the premise is great. I enjoyed the overarching themes, and the folklore, but it didn’t feel like it all fit cohesively. Part of it could have been me, but the plot got lost in the midst of all of the moving parts, and character development also was lost. I ended up skimming quite a bit towards the end because I wasn’t able to follow the plot. I still respect the overall themes of ancestry and history, but it just fell flat for me.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a a great middle grade book that intruduces the audince to part of Charleston’s rich culture, folklore, and history though Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly’s ability to see ghosts is a useful skill in a house full of dead relatives. Theo wants to make the basketball team but also at the same time trying to save the family home.

JD Jackson voice has texture to the story. Great choice for a narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio #NetGalley

[Soraya Pierre-Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review: It’s a fine magical book for a middle level reader. This I would suggest for 4th-6th grade readers but past that it won’t give the fantasy older readers are looking for. The ending feels like a lazy and cheap ending to wrap up the family’s story but the family characters are developed enough you feel like you know them a bit.

[Educator · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974


We all have family members who are a bit too much and are always on someone else's business. Imagine not being able to escape them and needing their help. This is Theo's story. It is fun, will challenge your emotions and thoughts about ghosts and family dynamics. It is a good read.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting idea. But I couldn't get fully into it. As a teacher of 5th graders, the accurate depiction of language with "bruh" etc. was distracting. Sometimes painful. But I was reading this with my students in mind. I think some of them would definitely connect with that piece. Just not my favorite.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought me joy! I grew up very near and apart of the Gullah culture, and so much of what was in the book was a part of my childhood.

My great-great aunt used the term ‘Buckra’ and believed that having salt in her pocket was protective. I can still hear her say ‘oman’ as she referred to a woman.

I wish that I had more of these stories when I was Theo’s age.

Thank you!!!

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling story and some great creepy moments. I really liked the writing style overall, but I did feel like the "connecting" bits between scenes or information were sometimes hard to follow.

CW: Grief, child death, references to slavery

[Brenda]

Review closer to 8/23

[Elizabeth Dickerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this based on the description but was unable to get into it. After 5 chapters, I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on so I left the rest unread.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun middle grade novel. Kids will like it a lot!

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @rockstarbooktour and @unionsquarekids for having me on this booktour.

👦🏻 review: I don’t usually read ebook since I have a very poor eyesight but you know what! I actually liked it. This is not my favorite genre but I was so mesmerized with the story. I think this is the perfect season to read this ghost story book. While reading, I was happy that I don’t have Theo’s ability and gifts to see ghosts. Oh boy, I’d be dead by now because last year when we watched the movie Exorcist, I had to cover my eyes several times to “finish” it. Imagine being in Theo’s shoes?!? Yikes! It is really a fantastic and fast-paced book and honestly, I really liked it!!! I hope you read this too!!!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of story to pack in this book and I'm not sure the author fully and completely pulled it off. The story was very rich, I just wish it had more detail.