A Girl in the Castle is an interesting, fast-paced book is about a girl named Hannah and her story that will draw you in. Hannah is a girl whom people think is crazy as sometimes she will hallucinate. After being readmitted to Belman Psych she receives more treatment, and we learn more about her hallucination or delusions of being a peasant in the Middle Ages. We also meet a student that’s volunteering at Belman Psych named Jordan. He becomes intrigued in Hannah and her case and starts to try to understand the hallucinations she’s having while trying to also uncover her unknown dark past. Meanwhile, Hannah is just trying to decide whether she can trust Jordan and whether she can save her village in the Middle Ages.
I couldn’t put down this book and found it super interesting. I really liked the author’s writing style as they kind of jumped from the present to Hannah’s hallucinations which fit pretty well for the story. I really liked all the characters and how the author put a lot of effort into adding specific details about the other kids in Hannah’s ward. It’s fun to see the mystery unfold and see everything connected at the end. That being said, I would say the only things that really disappointed me was the end as I felt like it felt a bit rushed. I feel like there were a lot of better ways that they could’ve ended this mystery and that the ending for the book wasn’t one of those. I wished they could’ve made the ending a bit less rushed and more detailed. But I feel like that was really the only flaw I found for this book. I recommend this to people who enjoy mysteries or wish to read a book that showcases the issue of treatments of mental health and the lasting impact of trauma. I would also recommend this for people aged 13 and older. Overall, a great read that I will be reading again!