Wakestone Hall by Judith Rossell
A Stella Montgomery Intrigue Book book 3. ABC Books, 2018,
ISBN: 9780733338205
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended.Themes: Family, School Life, Mystery,
Belonging. Judith Rossell's marvellous magical Victorian series
comes to a conclusion with Wakestone Hall. She has captured the
hearts and minds of many young and older readers who have taken
Stella Montgomery to heart.
Orphan Stella Montgomery's life has been filled with tragedy, drama
and heartache. She has discovered new friends, learnt self-reliance
and discovered an inner magical self. Stella is packed off to
Wakestone Hall, her three aunts and her mother's former boarding
school. Here it is expected that she will learn to follow the
guidelines, live by the strict rules and become an obedient child.
Stella's unhappy and finds school life most difficult. There are so
many regulations, from no conversation after lights out and no
arising from their bed until morning. Late one night Stella rescues
a cat from the rooftops, and so begins a chain of events that leads
her down a different and dangerous path. Ottilie and Agapanthus the
two new girls assist Stella in releasing the cat and they become
secret friends. Miss Garnet the head-mistress, a strict
disciplinarian, is hiding a cruel secret that Stella needs to solve
as well. She wants to know more about her poor mother's history and
delves into her aunts' school life as well. Ottilie's mother has
disappeared and the young girl looks for clues on their school
excursions to the museum and gardens. When Ottilie is kidnapped by
the evil men from the Fair, Stella and Agapanthus step up to
investigate.
Their dangerous mission leads them behind the scenes at the
fairground, where they are chased by the evil Gabbro Brothers.
Stella and Agapanthus meet two young boys, scrappers who make a
living by searching the underground passages under the town looking
for anything that can be sold to make money. Through underground
passages, in slum apartments, driven by the need to find answers and
a sense of belonging, Stella and her friends learn resilience as
they rely on each other's' abilities.
Rossell's world-building is shaded with darkness and light,
beautifully written with powerful messages of hope, growing into
one's true self, belonging, acceptance and resilience. Her gorgeous
purple-toned illustrations and vignettes, bring the Victorian era
alive. Her evocative characters heighten the elements of good and
evil, and her touch of magic adds to the delight of reading these
stories. Fans both young and older, myself included will be saddened
by the end of Stella Montgomery's journey.
Rhyllis Bignell