Julie's Review: The Keepers of Metsan Valo

Author: Wendy Webb
Series: None
Publication Date:  October 5, 2021
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 313
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Gothic
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Stories aren't always stories
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: In Metsan Valo, her family home on Lake Superior, Anni Halla’s beloved grandmother has died. Among her fond memories, what Anni remembers most vividly is her grandmother’s eerie yet enchanting storytelling. By firelight she spun tall tales of spirits in the nearby forest and waters who could heal—or harm—on a whim. But of course, those were only stories…The reading of the will now occasions a family reunion. Anni and her twin brother, their almost otherworldly mother, and relatives Anni hasn’t seen in forever—some with good reason—are all brought back together under one roof that strains to hold all their tension. But it’s not just Anni’s family who is unsettled. Whispers wind through the woods. Laughter bursts from bubbling streams. Raps from unseen hands rupture on the walls. Fireflies swarm and nightmares stir. With each odd occurrence, Anni fears that her return has invited less a welcoming and more a warning. When another tragedy strikes near home, Anni must dive headfirst into the mysterious happenings to discover the truth about her home, her family, and the wooded island’s ancient lore. Plunging into the past may be the only way to save her family from whatever bedevils Metsan Valo. ~amazon.com

Review: No one does atmospheric gothic stories like Wendy Webb and she continues that with The Keeper of Metsan Valo. When Anni goes back to her childhood refuge after her grandmother dies, she starts to feel like the house has shifted without her grandmother there to oversee it. When her twin, Theo arrives they both start to experience things that can’t be explained. Waking up in the forest, fireflies buzzing about and other strange occurrences. Not to mention the long-term caretakers are acting really strange and being all mysterious. 

Theo and Anni get to spend some time together and with their mother before the rest of the family come for the will reading and funeral. They each learn something new about each other's lives and the changes they have gone through recently. Things get really strange after the reading of the will in regards to the elder females of the family. 

This book isn't a horror novel; it is more in the vain of Fairy Tales and gothic stories which is why I loved it. It's about how all stories are based on some truth or folklore. 

This book is very much about honoring your culture, stories, family and tradition. It’s also about coming into your own and owning your destiny. I can't give too much away because you all need to read it yourselves. 

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