The Mystery of Raspberry Hill

By Author / Illustrator

Eva Frantz, Annie Prime

Genre

Suspense & Thrillers

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Pushkin Children's Books

ISBN

9781782693413

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

13-10-2022

Synopsis

The grown-ups all think she's going to die soon - she can see it in their eyes. Still, when poor 12-year-old Stina is sent to remote Raspberry Hill Sanatorium, she can't believe her luck. She gets to ride in a real motor car to the hospital, which looks like a magnificent castle hidden deep in the forest. But as Stina explores the long, echoey corridors of her eerie new home, she begins to suspect that the building is concealing a dark secret. How did the old East Wing burn down? Why doesn't her mother reply to any of her letters? And what are the nurses all so afraid of? Stina is determined to solve the mystery of Raspberry Hill but, as she edges closer to the truth, she finds herself in terrible danger...

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Reviews

Stina is very ill. Her consumptive lungs are getting worse and she can see in the eyes of the adults around her that they think she will die soon. When she is offered a place at Raspberry Hill Sanatorium for treatment, she can't believe her luck. Not only does she get to ride in a luxurious car, Stina finds the Sanatorium to be like a magnificent castle, nestled deep in the forest. There she meets a mysterious boy called Ruben who helps her settle in, but Stina soon realises that all is not what it seems.

Initially, I wasn't sure what to make of The Mystery of Raspberry Hill, but it quickly grew on me, largely due to the personality of the main character. Stina is an intelligent, observant child who, despite being seriously ill, has a very positive, warm personality. Her acceptance of her fate and the matter-of-fact manner of her recounting of the events as they unfold are coloured by hints of her sense of humour, lightening the heavy topic. The reader genuinely engages with her.

The story offers much to think about, not least attitudes to poverty. Stina comes from a very poor background; her family's situation is exacerbated by the death of her father and the fact that Stina is one of six children. However, it is obvious that there is plenty of love and happiness in this family despite their poverty and that Stina is only sent to the Sanitorium in an attempt to save her. Stina is very aware of her family's situation and sees herself as a burden to them as she cannot contribute to the running of the household yet there is plenty of evidence to show how much they love her. The chilling events at the Sanitorium show that not everyone values a life as a life and that money certainly talks for some.

Full of atmosphere and wonderful descriptions, The Mystery of Raspberry Hill is a dark story of dark deeds, with rays of hope offered by those who try to do the right thing. Most enjoyable!

160 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher / Ages 10+