I admit, I reached for this book because of its pretty, impish cover, which reminded me of my favorite adult coloring books. And the fact that I’ll read anything about a house.

Wow, was there more. Here’s my brief take:

Hannah Rothschild’s House of Trelawney is wild, richly funny, beautifully rendered. It is dialogue-intense, breathlessly smart. When it scathes, even, its satire is accompanied by full-hearted affection for this wonderful, awful, meticulously-drawn band of characters. This is a place-based book, and I was seeped in it from the first page. Trelawney is a house like no other. It’s the most unique story I’ve read in years.