Charis Cotter

Instead of spending her summer with her parents and friends at a fun cottage, Alice now must spend her summer with her mom and her nursing patient, Mrs. Bishop in Blackwood House while her parents contemplate divorce. On their way to Blackwood House, Alice's train makes a hard stop and Alice gets a concussion and must spend time resting. Blackwood House is full of antiques that Alice can't touch and the cantankerous Mrs. Bishop; however, Alice finds a friend in the house cleaner's daughter, show more Lily. Together, they explore Blackwood House and find a dollhouse replica of Blackwood House in the attic. Alice begins to dream of the dolls in the dollhouse and slowly, what happens in Alice's dream dollhouse world begins to affect real life and real life begins to affect what is happening in the dollhouse.
The Dollhouse is a haunting and magical middle grade mystery. Though written for a middle grade level, I was easily pulled in by the intrigue of the dollhouse and the wonderfully written characters. Alice was highly imaginative and anxious, placed in a setting where her imagination could run wild and dealing with many novel situations. Lily has a developmental difference that allows her to see the world as open and welcoming. I really enjoyed that Alice and Lily were fast friends. The dollhouse world was fascinating. I equally enjoyed the girls in the dollhouse, Bubbles and Fizz and how they reflected people in Alice's real world. The mystery of the dollhouse and how Alice was connected to it kept me guessing until the end. The themes that Alice and Mrs. Bishop dealt with throughout the book, grief, divorce and loss of self identity are just as engaging.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

I’ve just finished Charis Cotter’s The Swallow and am in that good-novel afterglow—smiling and a bit teary and wishing I could read this book again for the first time.

On the surface, The Swallow‘s plot is fairly simple: two isolated girls who spend time in connecting attics meet and befriend each other. One can see ghosts; the other is fascinated by them. Cotter deftly manages to maintain an otherworldly uncertainty throughout the book. Is Rose, who can see ghosts, a ghost herself? show more Who is the malevolent spirit residing in Rose’s attic who seems determined to kill Rose’s new friend Polly? What is the story of the aunt Rose never met, the one who no one speaks about?

The above questions give you a taste of the sort of book The Swallow is. It’s an unsettling read that leads readers first one way, then another. But throughout the twists it has an inherent sweetness that draws readers to the central characters. There’s nothing maudlin: just two girls the reader grows closer and closer to as she tries to understand who they are and what the relationship between them is.

If you need to buy birthday or holiday gifts in the next few months for your favorite ‘tween, The Swallow is a sure winner. And I’d like to suggest you read it yourself before wrapping it up for gift-giving. You don’t want to miss the pleasure of this read. show less

Set in Toronto in 1963, this atmospheric, engrossing and ultimately poignant middle-grade novel explores the friendship between two young girls, as they struggle to understand and contend with the ghosts around them. Next-door-neighbors and seeming opposites—Polly Lacey was the daughter of a large and noisy family, longed for some space of her own, and was fascinated by ghosts; while Rose MacPherson was the only child of parents who were always absent due to work, lived a quiet and lonely show more life, and was surrounded by the terrifying ghosts only she could see—the girls had more in common than was at first evident. More than anything, both wanted to be seen—something that their friendship with one another would give them. As they struggled to figure out what Winnifred, the malevolent ghost of Rose's aunt who haunted her house, might want, they drew closer together. But all was not as it seemed, and it turned out that it wasn't just the ghosts of the past who needed to be laid to rest...

Published in 2014, The Swallow: A Ghost Story is the first book I have read from Canadian author Charis Cotter, whose work seems mostly devoted to ghost stories of one kind or another. It certainly won't be my last however, as I found it immensely entertaining and ultimately very moving. Cotter knows how to spin a tale, and how to create an intense and spooky atmosphere, evoking a truly eerie feeling in me. Winnifred was a worthy foe, and was truly frightening at times, and while she ended up needing and receiving help, she created a lot of delicious tension in the story. The emotional trajectory of the tale, and of the two characters, was sensitively depicted, and I felt great sympathy for both. The reveal toward the end of the book—that is was Polly who was a ghost, despite her suspicions at the beginning that Rose might be a spirit—is one I saw coming, from the moment Rose found the library book. After all, a point had been made earlier in the book that Polly always returned her library books on time, so why would this one be so long overdue?, and so my mind immediately leaped to the correct conclusion. Despite that fact, the actual reveal was still immensely painful, and I felt the grief of all the characters, at that moment and later, as that story element was resolved. I pretty much loved everything about this book, from the beautiful cover art to the dual-perspective narrative. I even loved the fact that the folk song, She's Like the Sparrow was worked into the tale, as this is one of my favorite songs of all time. An absolutely gorgeous rendition, done by the Irish singer Karan Casey, can be found on Youtube, HERE. Highly recommended to all middle grade readers who enjoy spooky and atmospheric ghost stories, as well as those with a taste for touching friendship stories. For my part, I will definitely be seeking out more by this author! show less

A marvellous coming-of-age story: a 13-year old girl, 'Bee', at her first away-from-home summer camp, not fitting in, especially with her having a special gift in hearing sensitivity, and being subject to taunts from the dominating girls lording it over the newcomer.

Readers who have "been there", will especially find that this story will resonate deeply. It was such a familiar setting, the dining hall rules, sleeping in canvas-topped cabins, the canoeing and swimming, a quintessential show more experience in so many girls' lives. Author Cotter captured it perfectly right down to the original personality, Feather Linnet, directing the camping experiences.

Charis Cotter's characterizations of the key players in the story were excellent, as was the pacing in hooking reader interest from the get go. Bee's friendship with Zippy, another gifted camper, was a delightful, quirky development, to counterbalance the snotty fifteen year olds' behaviour towards these two girls. The action moved very effectively to develop some suspense with the appearance of a glowing, deeply attractive older boy in the all-girls summer camp. This personality created an otherworldly atmosphere and deepened the mystery of failed flashlights and what was happening with those young women in the 'Hawks' cabin.

I admired that the slightly paranormal events were never fully explained. We are left with a tantalizing sense of something ephemeral, mystical, even unknowable. This is a book that will engage imaginative tweens and perhaps older readers as well. Highly recommended, though I would suggest that parents with younger readers discuss the unscrupulous use of purloined sleeping pills to drug camp supervisors. show less