In conclusion: The Ghost Tree told the tale of Smiths Hollow, a town in the 80’s that suffers a horrendous crime. I understand the intention of a creepy little kid, but I think there should be more to it. Then there’s the character of David, who despite liking, I didn’t see much point in his ability other than a possible plot device I preferred Lauren’s mystical power much more, as subtle as it was. I get it, at that age it’s hard not to be controlled by raging hormones, and teenagers do have sex with older people, so I guess you could say Henry was scarily realistic in that way, but I couldn’t exactly warm to it. Age gaps don’t bother me when it relates to adults, but I felt a bit weird reading about a fourteen and eighteen-year-old, not to mention Miranda’s desperation to lose her virginity, which resulted in a very, very, dark conclusion.

I wasn’t a hundred percent on some elements, most notably Lauren’s romantic interest and how the topic of sex was presented throughout Miranda’s storyline. However, I can’t say I was nostalgic about the time period in which it was set, the pop culture references were mostly lost on me due to it being a bit before my time.

The lore that was described – fairy-tale-esque – was probably one of the biggest highlights, delivering the occult in a captivating way, as well as giving even more identity to the town. I really do love when an environment is given so much life, and I believe it’s partly responsible for my enthusiasm in returning to the book until I reached its end. Smiths Hollow was much like a character itself, one with its own secrets, as well as aspects both ugly and charming. One thing that I really took to was the setting the idea of a small town where everyone knows each other is quite foreign to me as I’ve never experienced it, but I can understand its popularity as a common trope. It set up a mystery that was slowly unravelled thread by thread, and despite it being predictable in some respects, I felt satisfied with the outcome.

With its PoV of several characters, it was always moving in an entertaining direction full of drama and intrigue. Henry also included commentary on such things as parental loss and racism, and coupled with the darker notes of horror was the more fantastical, balancing it in a fine space full of magic, monsters and life lessons. Change is inevitable, I think that was a clear message throughout The Ghost Tree, proving that a female-centric coming-of-age narrative can be just as engaging in the genre. Getting acquainted with Henry’s work was a real pleasure as, before I knew it, I was completely immersed in the small town of Smiths Hollow, memories summoned from my own teenage days as Lauren struggled with the reality of growing up – everything from her first menstrual cycle, to the unavoidable shifting of relationships and friendships.

The ghost tree by christina henry