Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber

Item: Castle of the Cursed
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted July 29, 2024 by karenbaron in Fantasy, Mystery, Review, Romance, Young Adult / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The following book/movie/show may contain explicit language, adult themes, violence and may not be suitable for readers/viewers under 18. Discretion is strongly advised.

Castle of the Cursed

by Romina Garber

Published by Wednesday Books on July 30, 2024
Setting: Spain
Genres: YA Fantasy Romantic Mystery
Pages: 280
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon

A delicious and dark gothic romance from bestselling author Romina Garber!

THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY…

After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.

Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.

As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.

Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber is the story of a seventeen-year-old girl who loses her parents and is trying to find her place in the world.

Will Estela figure out the secrets the la Sombra is hiding?

Estela Amador Bralaga

Estela Amador is the lone survivor of Subway 25’s lethal accident. The problem is that she has no clue why she’s the only survivor. Not only that, but she also doesn’t want to live without her parents. Estela ends up coming to Oscuro, Spain, to live with the only family member she now has—a maternal aunt on her mom’s side. I have to say that I love seeing Estela change from a happy to a sad person back into one who is determined to solve her parents’ murder, much like her father has taught her to do.

Estela is a great character who wants to live even if she initially doesn’t realize that. She is also our point-of-view character.

Sebastián

Sebastian has been plaguing Estela’s dreams since the subway crash. Except Estela is the only one who can see him. Not only that, but he has no memory of how he got there or where his real home is. I love Sebastian’s arc from being this deadly creature to realizing that maybe he could be something more.

la Sombra

la Sombra, aka Castillo Bralaga, has been the family home for centuries to the Bralaga family. Except it’s not only their home but also a living thing that they have to keep feeding. The castle is always hungry, wanting to feed on the blood of not only the family members that live there but also the ones living in Oscuro. I do have to say that this castle is definitely one out of someone’s nightmares, but the Bralaga have to stay to take over caring for the castle and keeping its hunger at bay.

I consider this castle a major character in this story. Even if it doesn’t have any words or much else, the castle is a big part of Estela’s family, whether she wants to admit it or not.

Five Stars

My rating for Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber is five stars. I was hooked by the plot summary and, after diving in to read the book, found it better than I imagined it would be. Ms. Garber had me entranced and made me feel like I was right there with Estela, trying to find out who killed her parents and why the castle felt so ominous. Because of the content of the story, I am definitely recommending this book for the older side of the young adult reader group.

Ms. Garber’s author’s note at the beginning was a big help in understanding the sensitive content of this book and how best to be mindful of yourself while reading it.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About Romina Garber

Romina Garber is a New York Times and international bestselling author whose books include Lobizona, Cazadora, & the ZODIAC quartet. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Miami, Florida, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.