Hey there bibliophiles!

Hope you’re ready for some chills and thrills, because it’s review time!

Today I’m sharing my review of Cradle by Joshua Skye (I interviewed him! You can check that out here).

Skye and I go way back (my high school days, can you imagine?), and after seeing a post mentioning this book on his Facebook Group I just had to buy a copy of Cradle as a gift to myself for my birthday.

So how did I feel about this book of his? Keep on reading, folks!

Blurb:

In the deepest vale of Crepuscule’s Cradle, in the cul-de-sac at the end of Direful Hollow Road, is a once grand Folk-Victorian home known as The Habersham House. It’s a place haunted by far more than rot and neglect – evil dwells here, an evil that craves children.

Eight-year-old Scott Michaels-Greene has a fascination for tales of the strange and unusual, especially local folklore. His favorite story is the one about Habersham House; a ruined old place where many curious children have disappeared.

Hours away from Crepuscule’s Cradle, in Philadelphia, author Radley Barrette has just lost the love of his life to a random act of violence. Amongst his endowments from Danny’s estate is an old house in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, Habersham House. Though grief stricken at leaving behind the only home he and Danny had ever known, he knows he cannot remain in the city. Besides, the isolation may be just what he needs to clear his mind of the writer’s block he’s suffering from.

Crepuscule’s Cradle is not as he imagined. The locals are inhospitable. The skeletal forest surrounding it is as unwelcoming as the town. And the house itself – there is something menacing, something angry inhabiting it with him, and it’s hungry. Radley’s world slowly begins to unravel; the fringes of his reality begin to fray. In the midst of his breakdown, a local boy with an unhealthy fascination for Habersham House begins sneaking around and the evil residing within has taken notice.

Blending fantasy with horror, Crepuscule’s Cradle is the darkest of fairy tales. The morbidity of classic folklore and contemporary style weaves a web of slowly encroaching unease. Radley Barrette’ winter bound home is more than a haunted house, and Crepuscule’s Cradle is more than a mere horror tale. It’s a bedtime story that will pull you into its icy embrace, lull you into a disquiet state, and leave you shivering in the dark.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review:

Wow, what a fun horror novel!

I’ve been a fan of Skye’s ever since reading The Angels of Autumn, and this book did not disappoint!

This book centers on a young boy named Scott and a man named Radley and their interactions with a haunted location in Crepuscule’s Cradle, the Habersham House. According to local folklore, something ancient and evil lies there, something that the townsfolk attribute to the disappearance of numerous young children. What horrific secrets will Scott and Radley uncover?

So many elements really worked in this book.

I think at the forefront, the characters made all the difference. This story is told mainly in two perspectives, that of Scott and Radley. Scott is a curious kid with an alcoholic mother. I really enjoyed the depth we got to see with him and his situation. The kid is certainly brave given his circumstances, and his struggle really tugged at the heartstrings in certain scenes.

Radley’s POV was great too. His partner Danny recently died, and the Habersham House was left to him in Danny’s will. Needing a break from the city and everything that reminds him of Danny, he goes to Crepuscule’s Cradle in hopes of writing his next great novel and recovering from his loss. Much like Scott, Radley’s perspective had plenty of depth too, and his journey intertwined with Scott’s.

Plotwise, this was an instant win in my book. A scary house? Missing kids? A possible ancient evil? Yes, yes, yes! There were scary scenes throughout the novel, and I loved the gloomy atmosphere and sense of danger inherent. The writing was well done without purple prose and was so easy to follow. There was also a great element of mystery that had me blazing through the pages.

There’s only one point of contention that I want to make. The ending felt a little abrupt for me, and while it was certainly an acceptable end to the novel, I was kind of hoping for a different conclusion. Other than that, no complaints!

Overall, this was a great horror novel with a great eerie ambiance and wonderful fleshed out characters that most readers will love. Can’t recommend enough!

That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Have you read this book before? What did you think? Do you have a book recommendation similar to this one? Feel free to share in the comments!

If you’d like to see other reviews of mine, feel free to check out the book review section of my blog or my GoodReads. You can also follow my GoodReads reviews here. There are some great binge-worthy books on there!

Have a great day!

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