Strange Star : 'The Queen of Historical Fiction at Her Finest.' Guardian

From the queen of historical fiction, a thrilling, deliciously creepy story that is sure to freeze your blood . . .They were coming tonight to tell ghost stories. 'A tale to freeze the blood,' was the only rule. Switzerland, 1816. On a stormy summer night, Lord Byron and his guests are gathered round the fire. Felix, their serving boy, can't wait to hear their creepy tales. Yet real life is about to take a chilling turn- more chilling than any tale. Frantic pounding at the front door reveals a stranger, a girl covered in the most unusual scars. She claims to be looking for her sister, supposedly snatched from England by a woman called Mary Shelley. Someone else has followed her here too, she says. And the girl is terrified.This breathtaking new book from Emma Carroll, the critically-acclaimed author of Frost Hollow Hall, The Girl Who Walked On Air, In Darkling Wood and The Snow Sister, is a deliciously creepy story inspired by the creation of Frankenstein, and is brought to life by a leading talent in children's literature.'A deliciously gothic thriller.' The Bookseller'Tremendous fun.' The Financial Times'Five stars for Strange Star.' The Times, Children's Book of the Week'Like Michael Morpurgo and Philip Pullman, Carroll . . . writes with the supreme, almost casual confidence of someone who knows she can keep her listeners in thrall.' The Telegraph'If your middle grade kids (ages 8-12) haven't discovered Emma Carroll yet, then they're missing out.' Irish Times'A fast, exciting read.' The School Librarian From the queen of historical fiction, a thrilling, deliciously creepy story that is sure to freeze your blood . . . They were coming tonight to tell ghost stories. 'A tale to freeze the blood,' was the only rule. Switzerland, 1816. On a stormy summer night, Lord Byron and his guests are gathered round the fire. Felix, their serving boy, can't wait to hear their creepy tales. Yet real life is about to take a chilling turn- more chilling than any tale. Frantic pounding at the front door reveals a stranger, a girl covered in the most unusual scars. She claims to be looking for her sister, supposedly snatched from England by a woman called Mary Shelley. Someone else has followed her here too, she says. And the girl is terrified. This breathtaking new book from Emma Carroll, the critically-acclaimed author of Frost Hollow Hall, The Girl Who Walked On Air, In Darkling Wood and The Snow Sister, is a deliciously creepy story inspired by the creation of Frankenstein, and is brought to life by a leading talent in children's literature. 'A deliciously gothic thriller.'The Bookseller 'Tremendous fun.'The Financial Times 'Five stars for Strange Star.'The Times, Children's Book of the Week 'Like Michael Morpurgo and Philip Pullman, Carroll . . . writes with the supreme, almost casual confidence of someone who knows she can keep her listeners in thrall.'The Telegraph 'If your middle grade kids (ages 8-12) haven't discovered Emma Carroll yet, then they're missing out.'Irish Times 'A fast, exciting read.'The School Librarian They were coming tonight to tell ghost stories. 'A tale to freeze the blood,' was the only rule. It's a stormy night in 1861 when there's a knock at the door of Villa Diodati. Lying in the snow is a dead girl, and with her, lots of questions. Like, why did she come? What was she looking for? And who was she running from? The breathtaking new book from Emma Carroll, critically-acclaimed author of Frost Hollow Hall, The Girl Who Walked On Air, In Darkling Wood and The Snow Sister . Strange Star is a deliciously creepy story inspired by Mary Shelly and Frankenstein , brought to life by a leading talent in children's literature. The year of 1816 felt extraordinary, and all because of a strange sort of star in the sky ... Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Early one summer's morning, a servant boy named Felix delivers an invitation. Tonight, at the mysterious Ville Diodati, there will be ghost stories that promies to 'freeze the blood'. As darkness falls, the guests arrive. The storytelling begins. Then comes an unexpected knock at the door. Felix discovers a girl on the doorstep. She's travelled a long way to tell her tale, and now he must listen. But be warned: hers is no ordinary ghost story. Sometimes the truth is far more terrifying. One stormy June evening, five friends meet at Villa Diodati, the summer home of Lord Byron. After dinner is served, they challenge each other to tell ghost stories that will freeze the blood. But one of the guests Mary Shelley is stuck for a story to share. Then there s an unexpected knock at the front door. Collapsed on the doorstep is a girl with strange scars on her face. She has traveled a long way with her own tale to tell, and now they all must listen.