This review first appeared in Booklist on June 1, 2025.

After her mother’s untimely passing, Gwen and her siblings, along with Henry, their stepfather, move into their late grandmother’s house—known simply as “The House”—on the small, gray, aptly named island of Gloam. There they meet the ethereal Esme, a local babysitter whose demeanor and general attitude toward the bereaved family seems just a tad too perfect to be genuine, earning Gwen’s immediate mistrust. Sure enough, Esme’s mere presence heralds the arrival of a sinister, creeping darkness—one that threatens to consume not only the old, mysterious house itself but Gwen and her family as well. Now it’s up to Gwen to unlock the house’s secrets and banish the stirring nightmares within. Featuring a bold and tenacious protagonist, a supporting cast of instantly endearing characters, and a veritable phantasmagoria of ghastly ghouls, debut author Mackay delivers a classic tale of children’s horror that’s as chilling as it is heartfelt. Exploring themes of grief, resilience, and kinship, Gloam earns its spot on the shelf alongside the likes of Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener (2014) and Kenneth Oppel’s The Nest (2015).