Leanne Olson

By James Patterson and Emily Raymond

Releasing September 19, 2022 from Jimmy Patterson Books

I’m feeling torn on how to rate this book. I went in expecting a fantasy/sci-fi (the concept is Hannah is a girl in a modern psychiatric institution for teenagers, who is living a second life as a peasant in the 1300s) and it turned out to be quite different.

I loved that about it: I enjoy a good surprise.

The book was addictive and propulsive, with very short chapters of a few pages each. That’s not normally my style, but I got into the rhythm of it quickly.

It was an easy read with some difficult content: Patterson and Raymond look at teen suicide, mental illness, class issues, and the way our society treats people who need help. 

I’m not sure how I felt about elements of the ending. One character behaves throughout in a way that made me very uncomfortable from a medical ethics perspective, and I wish that had been addressed a bit more.

However, overall I really liked the book’s themes, and Hannah as a character. So I think I’ll give this book four stars today, and keep thinking about it — I think this will spur some really interesting discussions amongst its teen audience.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson Books / Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for my review copy of The Girl in the Castle.