finished reading

I was looking for a Halloween-themed story that wasn't gory/horror and this was it!  I'm not quite sure what genre it is--maybe magical realism.  And it's not scary but it's kind of creepy and spooky.  More like the Addams Family than Stephen King.

Annie is brokenhearted.  Absolutely shattered when Sam, her boyfriend, best friend, and roommate, breaks up with her.  She had created a humble New York City life with Sam and at its abrupt end, she hurriedly finds a new teaching job in an upstate town.  The small town she moves to is filled with quaint shops and friendly, quirky people.  And Sophie.  

The relationship with Sophie is a balance between empowering and toxic.  The story explores feminist themes and self-love.  It is smartly written and quite humorous.  And perfect for the season of ghosts, witches, and things that go bump in the night.

From the publisher:

All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.

Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?