Parallel stories set in different times, one told in prose and one in pictures, converge as a girl unravels the mystery of the abandoned Thornhill Institute next door.
1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it’s shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.
2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill’s shadowy past.
Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines—Mary’s through intimate diary entries and Ella’s in bold, striking art—Pam Smy’s Thornhill is a haunting exploration of human connection, filled with suspense. (taken from Amazon)
I am so proud of myself! I struggle with reading anything that could be even remotely considered a graphic novel. I think it’s because of my epilepsy; my brain just doesn’t process that setup well. However, I was able to read this book no problem. Yay!
This book was interesting in that two stories were being melded into each other. One was told through a diary; the other, in pictures. The story told through diary entries is that of Mary, a lonely orphan who lives in Thornhill Institute in the early 80’s, right as it is closing its doors. She doesn’t speak, and has no friends, but she is extremely talented in making dolls and puppets. Because of her quirks, she’s horribly bullied by the other residents in the institute, and by one girl in particular.
As her story continues, we see illustrated pages scattered throughout. The illustrations tell the story of Ella, who has moved in next door. Ella’s story takes place in 2017, and seeing the two tales meet was pretty cool. They begin to merge slowly, as Ella finds some damaged dolls that belonged to Mary years ago. From there, a mystery unfolds: what happened to Mary? And how will it relate to Ella?
The prose was striking in its simplicity, and the illustrations were evocative of isolation and the need for human connection. While at its heart this short story is eerie, it’s also very sad.
This book is very short and I was able to read it in about an hour. That doesn’t lessen its effect though; this one will stay with me. It’s very thought-provoking (plus-those dolls are creepy!)
I recommend this book to those who like their (light) horror stories with a bit of mystery thrown in.
Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub 
Very cool. I’m glad you were able to read it! I love graphic novels and this one has been on my tbr for a long time.
Nice review 🙂
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Thanks! I love the concept of graphic novels and I’ve seen some incredible art. I think it’s the tiny letters on the colored illustrations that I struggle with. The art in this is black and white and there’s no words on those pages and I think that’s why I could read it. Having epilepsy causes some surprising complications sometimes. Ha ha!
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This sounds like such a cool book – happy to hear you were able to enjoy it! Are the illustrations in a similar style as the cover art?
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Yes, they’re done the same way.
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Intriguing! Another one for the list!
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Enjoy!
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This sounds really cool.
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Reblogged this on Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub.
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Great review. It certainly sounds interesting.
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Thank you!
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I loved this book. I liked how it didn’t shy away from the dark side of life, painting them in some detail. I believe it’s important for kids to work on their coping mechanisms early, and Thornhill certainly pushes that envelope.
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It really does and I agree that it’s important for kids to learn coping mechanisms. Little people still go through big things and it’s good to know ways to process.
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How is your little person doing, now that we mention it?
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That is so nice of you to ask! We’ve had some ups and downs. He’s not where the endocrinologists want him yet, but he’s much better than a month ago. He’s rolling with it very well (better than I am, to be honest).
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I keep thinking of it every time I read one of your posts. Kids usually do handle these things better, I’m kind of envious of them. I’m glad things are improving, times are hardest when our kids are hurting.
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It really is hard! I’m grateful it’s manageable, but I feel pretty helpless.
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I bet. Unfortunately all I can offer is my sympathy, but I know you’ll figure it out.
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A listening ear is so appreciated. Thank you for asking about him. It means a ton!
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