THE CREEPENING OF DOGWOOD HOUSE by Eden Royce

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Oct 25, 2024

∙ Paid

“‘. . . while I was out traveling the world, I realized how important our traditions are—and how sorry I am that I didn't put more time into preserving them sooner. I wish I could tell my sister and my mother and my gramma now, ask them questions I never got to ask…’ She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. ‘But they’re not here anymore. So I'm writing memories down, practicing what traditions I remember. Never too late to start—I have to believe that.’”

title: The Creepening of Dogwood House

author: Eden Royce

audiobook narrator: Miles Harvey

published: 2024

publisher: Walden Pond Press (HarperCollins)

genre: middle grade thriller

setting: contemporary South Carolina

representation: child MC, Gullah Geechee, hoodoo, Black americans in the South, orphanage & adoption (by somewhat estranged aunt & uncle)

tropes: haunted (family / sentient) house, magic map, ancestor guide helper/s, supernatural monster

main themes/subjects: coming of age, loss of parent, grief, new / adoptive parents journey, Black hair, rundown historic family mansion, southern gothic vibes, mystery plot, horror tropes & imagery, home renovation, memories as inheritance & protection, always be nice to the animals—especially birds

“Roddie had learned that people in the same family sometimes deal with grief and sadness differently, in part because they had different memories and different ties to the person who had died. And that was okay. The therapist had also said that sometimes, grief could bring people closer together.”

premise:

Another favorite middle-grade/YA book from Royce. All of her books have been set in the american South with books one (Root Magic) & two (Conjure Island) taking place in the barrier islands that are Gullah Geechee lands off the coast of eastern Georgia & South Carolina (which happens to be right next door to where I grew up in coastal Savannah). For Creepening we move inland into South Carolina to a southern gothic mansion, built by the MC’s great-great-great-grandfather in the mid-1900s, but all is not right in the family home, which is in significant disrepair & haunted by more than just ghosts. . .

my thoughts:

I loved how Royce connected the existence of the monster (the “Bridgeweaver”) to the spiritual-cultural ritual practice of burning one’s shed-hair. If this practice is lost or neglected, their family is exposed to harm by the creation of the monster who steals the family’s memories & forces them to turn on each other, destroying their bonds of love & loyalty. I thought this very effectively & emotionally demonstrated how the loss of ancestral & cultural memories & stories in general, & on many different levels, leaves folks open to harm, exploitation, & isolation. & the fact that Roddie’s hair cream functioned as a protective talisman & his new sneakers as strength- or confidence-boosters for when he faces the monster was also really clever. The practical rituals of simmering lemon peel & bay leaf on the stove to create a clean & comforting environment in the kitchen (the “heart of the home”) & starting a fire using a flint which gave Roddie a sense of self confidence & self empowerment were also beautifully portrayed.

I also really loved how the subject of memory was explored. Royce thoughtfully addressed how even though some memories can be painful—particularly among Black communities in the american South—forgetting them or allowing them to be forgotten (/taken from them) perpetuates the harm such communities continue to face today & prevents them from accessing the resources & support that would be available to them were they able to manifest & bring out from the shadows long-held practices & worldviews that are their ancestors’ true & valuable legacy.

“. . . a clap of thunder shook the entire house. Rain lashed down, whipping against the windows of the sewing room. Whispers, like the ones he'd heard in the bathroom, filtered in from all around him. He couldn't understand what they were saying.
   But they were getting louder.
   ‘Naw, man,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’m outta here.’
   But before he could turn, the door slammed shut behind him.”

Another element that was really special was how Roddie’s mom was his guiding conscience or compass & how this was embodied in the symbolism of the map she left behind, which I thought was such a cool way of making that tangible. Especially since she had had to make some hard decisions when she was younger but she always did what she felt to be right & she raised Roddie with those values too which ultimately enabled him to save his family from the Bridgeweaver.

Overall I thought the layers of middle-grade digestibility, tackling the tough subjects, & then tying in a message for adults/parents too was just really well done.

i would recommend this book to readers who enjoy wholesome stories about family, culture, heritage, & courage, with themes & subjects of spirituality, memory, Black hair, & the sentient haunted house trope. this book is best read as a family & I very much enjoyed Harvey’s narration.

final note: Eden Royce was already an autobuy author for me but I am particularly goosed about her next book: Psychopomp & Circumstance, her adult debut novel which is billed as “a Southern Gothic historical fantasy story of a contentious funeral.” Yes. please.

“‘. . . But we can't leave behind the bad memories if it means losing the good. We can't ever stop remembering, stop preserving the past, even if it isn't the way we live now. We have to remember the tough things about the way we were so we don't ever repeat it.’”

CW // death of parent, grief, imagery that could be very triggering for those with trichophobia

season: late Summer / early Fall

music pairing:

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THE CREEPENING OF DOGWOOD HOUSE by Eden Royce

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

title: The Creepening of Dogwood House

genre: middle grade thriller

premise:

my thoughts:

further reading:

nonfiction resources:

adjacent fiction:

Click on the star ratings beside the titles I’ve read to read my reviews/thoughts about the book.

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Subscribe below to see more of my favorite quotes & some of my annotations from this book!

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