Welcome, foolish mortals, to an original and eerie novel brought to you by powerhouse author Claudia Gray and inspired by the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney Parks.
Haunted Mansion: Storm and Shade is an exciting new YA adaptation of one of Disney Parks most famous rides. The tale takes readers on a spooky journey alongside protagonist Audrey Perez, diving headfirst into the wild and wonderful entrapments of New Orleans, Louisiana, and 999 of its most intriguing residents.
What is Storm and Shade about?
When high school student Audrey Perez moves to a town that's supposedly home to a haunted mansion, she and a few of her new friends decide to investigate. Audrey is quickly swept up in a macabre mystery and eerie adventure that holds the fate of the Haunted Mansion's happy haunts in the balance.
A storm is coming—both literally and figuratively—and it'll be up to Audrey and her friends to save the Mansion—and its ghosts—before it's too late. But can Audrey do so while dealing with her own anxieties and while caught in a love triangle between her boyfriend and the enigmatic Sterling—who just might be a ghost?
A unique and fun addition to the Haunted Mansion universe
Storm and Shade provides a wonderful new spin on Disney’s Haunted Mansion which plants the action firmly in spirited and soulful New Orleans. Audrey is the hero of her own story as she battles growing pains, anxiety and navigating relationships. Her friends, fun-loving Tatum and organizational Iris, provide great support for Audrey in this new adventure and their personalities provide an engaging contrast to one another and to the book’s protagonist. I read this book as an audiobook (narrator Mari Weiss was the perfect fit) and it was so fun to hear Tatum’s Scottish accent as part of the story. Weiss’s commanding and clear voice, as well as commendable and different character voices, elevated the story and added to this story’s spookily spectacular experience.
The themes of Storm and Shade are significant and contrasted with the high-stakes (though lighthearted) adventure posed by the Mansion and its residents. Author Claudia Gray spends significant page time exploring Audrey’s anxiety and therapy sessions. These matter-of-fact additions to the story provide a frank account of Audrey’s mental health struggles and remove any stigma that might otherwise attach. Gray makes clear that although Audrey struggles, she manages to work through the challenges she faces and grow in leaps and bounds, as well as discover just what she is capable of. Similarly, Audrey is able to move on throughout the story in more ways than one. Life after death and growing up are also worthwhile themes that Gray develops masterfully from beginning to end for various characters, not just Audrey.
The character relationships in Storm and Shade are complex and interesting. Audrey’s relationship with her boyfriend and how he treats her is not black and white, but a realistic shade of gray that becomes clearer as the story progresses. The same is true for Audrey’s relationship with Sterling who she meets in the Mansion. Audrey and Sterling’s shared interest in photography lays a solid foundation for their friendship and to unraveling the mystery at hand. The character interactions are meaningful and realistic (in the context of the story, of course).
The setting, story, themes and characters make Haunted Mansion: Storm and Shade a more than worthwhile read, especially with the spooky season around the corner and Halloween on the horizon.
Haunted Mansion: Storm and Shade was released on August 29, 2023.