Thornhill, by Pam Smy

Savvy's Reviews

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Thornhill by Pam Smy

Step into the world, past and present, of Thornhill Institute. Told in letters from an orphan, Mary, living at Thornhill in the 80’s and illustrated through the point of view of a modern day next door neighbor, Ella, Thornhill is a different kind of graphic novel all together .  

With each turn of the page, through Ella’s point of view, we follow a cinematic-like visual which gives the reader the sensation that a jump scare is around every corner. Pam Smy both authors and illustrates Thornhill and shows the loneliness and heartbreak of two similar little girls through their own eyes. 

Quite a few readers have stated that they are disappointed with the way that Thornhill ends. I, unfortunately, have to agree with them. While it’s interesting to get one point of view in writing and the other solely through illustration, I felt absolutely no connection to Ella and was left unfulfilled at how her story ended. 

Overall this was a fun read and did give me chills once or twice. While I feel like I know next to nothing about Ella, I made a genuine connection with Mary’s character. I’d recommend this book but not if you’re looking for a genuine haunted house story in the traditional sense.

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

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