“The book isn’t part of the tradition that tries to cover up truths, and that are afraid of giving the children a little scare. The comparisons are delightfully disgusting, the thoughts are disturbingly true, and the descriptions are strangely plausible. It seems probable that the thoughts and the descriptions come from a child’s perspective, and this is well done – we see the world through the eyes of a child … The surprising events and the horrible descriptions make the book thrilling also for grown-ups that aren’t afraid of getting spooked. It’s original, thrilling, and absolutely worth reading.”
Vilde G. Havrevold, Fredrikstad Blad

“Chilling suspense, humour and intelligent portrayal of loneliness and death fit into the framework of a proper and incredibly well-written ghost story… Hagerup serves us with precision the everyday life of a neglected child who is left alone and doesn’t fit in anywhere…  Bullying and loneliness are the main subjects, and they are brilliantly conveyed through a proper, almost “old fashioned” ghost story… We meet a cast of people and ghosts that creates an intense excitement that Hagerup passes on with a lot of humour… This is the art of storytelling, with depths, where loss and death are topics being handled.”
Anja Rålm, Verdens Gang

Hilde Hagerup paints with her language. She creates an unpleasant, unsettling mood that stays throughout the entire book. With short sentences and passages, and with a lot of air in the text, she creates coldness and eeriness, and turns Frostøy into a very unpleasant place. The composition is good; information is given in suitable portions until the entire puzzle is finished. Or?? There’s no room for a traditional happy ending here, as this is a book that really takes ghosts seriously. There’s nothing childish or make-believe over this – and that’s a good thing. The strong ties between friends and family lie underneath it all and are positive elements, but at Frostøy nothing should be taken for granted either. The fact that the ghosts are humans and not just flat, hideous characters makes this book better than many other ghost stories. The story is traditionally spooky and uses well-known methods from horror literature and movies. Maybe it’s a bit complicated towards the end, but the mood is impeccable. I started reading it in bed, but I continued reading this in daylight, to put it that way.
Oppland Arbeiderblad, Linn T. Sunne