Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson. Delacorte Press, 2022. 9780593483619 






Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5



Format : Paperback



Genre :  Fantasy



What did you like about the book? In the quaint town of Wick, Oregon stands Ravenfall Inn, a place full of annual festivities, comforting food, and magic, if you can believe it. Anna knows its secret – Ravenfall is alive and bursting at the seams with ancient power, for it is a gateway between the human world and the supernatural Otherworld, the magical realm of legends. Her family runs the inn by using their psychic abilities to attract guests, like mind-reading, clairvoyance, and empathy. Anna’s ability – the power to foresee death by physical touch – isn’t the most attractive, so she’s stuck doing basic chores and not feeling like a part of the family. This changes, though, when a young boy arrives at Ravenfall. After losing his parents in a mysterious murder, Colin searches for his older brother Liam, who has disappeared after chasing the killer. His last hope waits at Ravenfall Inn, where his family’s secrets lay hidden. Anna, desperate to prove her worth, agrees to help Colin, but soon, they both realize that Liam’s disappearance, his parents’ past, the strange occurrences happening around Wick, and Ravenfall itself are more connected than either of them have imagined. With Samhain, the Celtic origin of Halloween, just around the corner, the veil between the human and Otherworld is its thinnest, and someone – or something – plans to cross over. Anna and Colin must work together to stop the creature before Halloween night, or else Ravenfall, Wick, and the world will have more than one scary night in the future. 



Everything about Ravenfall is charming and heartwarming. The homey atmosphere of Ravenfall Inn, with its fireplaces, fall decorations, and moving furniture (it has a mind of its own) creates the perfect Fall read, paired nicely with a blanket and hot chocolate. The setting of Wick and Ravenfall has a cozy-fantasy feel, as Wick is an autumn town with fun shops and treats, and everyone is getting ready for Halloween. The plot revolves around Colin’s mystery and Anna’s inner struggle to prove herself, with Anna’s family, a jabberwocky named Max, and the lovely townsfolk helping (or sometimes preventing) the two from succeeding and becoming better kids. Their dynamic is fresh: Anna is spontaneous, frank, and honest and Colin is reserved, logical, and determined, so their two personalities bounce off each other in an “opposites attract” way. The world-building is simple and focuses on the upcoming holiday: Samhain has Celtic origins, so the creatures and ultimate bad guy are from Celtic mythology. (The next book Hollowthorn is set around Hanukkah and has Jewish mythology). Anna and her sisters are half Irish and half Jewish, Colin and mostly everyone else is also white. Overall, Ravenfall is a definite must-read during the fall and Halloween seasons. 



Anything you didn’t like about it? No!



To whom would you recommend this book? Kids who like books set during Halloween, “cozy”-ish fall fantasy, magical realism, found family, and sentient houses. The Glass Witch by Lindsay Puckett, The Library of Lost Things by Rebecca Stead, Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono, The Girl and the Ghost by Hannah Alkaf, Finch House by Ciera Burch, The International House of Derelict by Jacqueline Davies, Winterhouse by Ben Guterson, and The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink. 



Who should buy this book? Elementary & middle schools and public libraries.



Where would you shelve it? J Fiction or J Fantasy



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes



Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Laila Carter, Cheltenham Township Library System, Glenside, PA



Date of review: January 15, 2024