Groosham Grange & Return to Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz (2003)
Groosham Grange is a 1988 supernatural teen thriller by Anthony Horowitz, about a school off the coast of Norfolk where troubled kids are sent - only when they get there, they realise they’re being inducted into something much bigger.
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The edition was released in 2003, a double copy with the sequel ‘Return To Groosham Grange’ included. The second book was released in 1999, original named ‘The Unholy Grail’. I picked this copy up off Vinted and was really excited to save it for Halloween, drawn in by the awesome cover art and my awareness of Horowitz’ work.
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The first book centres around David, who’s parents are truly awful. They’re written in a way that makes them feel like caricatures, their personalities and actions so exaggerated, and I think this is really appealing for younger readers. David’s father Edward is wheelchair bound, the result of abuse at the hands of his father, and he often complains that David has it easy in comparison. I think in some ways this is a critique of physical punishment, but it also trivialises what kids go through for a cheap gag too.
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David reveals he’s been expelled from Beton College, much to the outrage of his father, and shortly after a letter arrives from Groosham Grange, inviting David to enrol. Each letter from Groosham Grange is tailored to the desires of prospective parents, so David’s promises discipline, something Edward is looking for. David is sent off the next day, catching a train to Norfolk where he meets Jeffrey and Jill who are also being sent to the same school. A priest enters their carriage and plays some religious songs, but has a heart attack upon hearing they’re headed to Groosham Grange, a bad omen for what lies ahead.
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They meet the school porter Gregor at the train station, a deformed man with a gurgling voice. I’ve spoken about how harmful disability as a horror trope is, and it’s something that is so commonly used - it informs the way people view others with visible disabilities and scarring, and there are always alternatives for creating suspense and terror. He drives them to a pier, where Captain Bloodbath ferries them over to the island where the school stands.
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Things appear sinister instantly, as the three newest students have to sign their names in blood. Classes aren’t the standard educational experience either, and Jeffrey begins to change, distancing himself from the group. When woken in the middle of the night, David notices everyone in his dormitory has disappeared, and Jill reveals she’s seen them walking into the library, only to vanish. This happens every night, and David becomes aware of a ring on their finger, seemingly a gift from the school.
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An inspector comes to investigate, though the staff give a false impression, and David and Jill manage to slip him a note, asking him to meet them at the cliffs later that evening. He does make it there, but both kids see his body contort and crush before their very eyes. Their next plan is to escape, using Captain Bloodbath’s boat to get away. David works out how to start the engine, while Jill desperately tries to cut through the rope anchoring it, and eventually he has to leave her behind when Bloodbath and Gregor catch up - the Captain jumps through the water to try and stop David, but loses his arms in the process as David drives away.
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He makes it to land and finds a library, where he’s able to learn more about the magical qualities of the school. He’s soon caught by Gregor and taken back to the island by deputy headteacher Mr Kilgraw, who’s gravely disappointed in him. When he gets back, Jill leads him down to the library, a black ring now on her finger, and takes him through a mirror portal that leads through tunnels to a chamber where the whole faculty are waiting, ready for David to accept his place too.
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The second book takes place almost a year later, as Jill and David have embraced the way of life at Groosham Grange. A prize is at stake for the best student, the prestigious Unholy Grail, and David is in hot competition with new arrival Vincent King. When sports day arrives, David uses magic to cheat and make Vincent lose, much to Jill’s distaste. For the rest of the year, everything goes wrong for David; he’s framed for stealing test answers, and one of his papers goes missing, allowing Vincent to take the lead and win the trophy.
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David had earlier seen Vincent sneaking into the forbidden East Tower, and later finds writing materials inside and a homing bat. Someone creeps up behind him and attacks, shoving him out of the window. Luckily vines break his fall, though when he returns inside all evidence has disappeared. Luckily he’d found some indication of foul play before his ordeal, as imprinted on the paper was a message to the Bishop of Bletchley, detailing a ploy to destroy the school by bringing the Unholy Grail to the shadow of Canterbury Cathedral.
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The crowning ceremony arrives and David’s parents arrive, with his Aunt Mildred in tow. Vincent is given the grail but this soon goes missing, along with Mildred’s handbag which is given back by Mr Helliwell, newest teacher at the school. Helliwell has been sympathetic towards David all year, the first to offer his regrets over the tricky situations he’s landed in.
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It’s only when the Unholy Grail is snuck off the island in Aunt Mildred’s handbag, that it soon becomes apparent the culprit was Helliwell all along, as David, Jill and Vincent are tied up in the East Tower and left to die. Runes blocking their magic, they manage to escape by normal means and David uses Mrs Windergast’s broomstick to fly across the ocean, following the stolen item before it reaches its destination.
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The closer it gets to Canterbury Cathedral, the more unstable it becomes, as David’s family begin to contort and change. They just make it Margate, as the whole town is affected by chaotic magic. Helliwell gets the grail as David plummets to the lawn within the cathedrals grounds, unable to move as the professor moves the Unholy Grail towards the shadows. David distracts him long enough to learn he met the Bishop in Haiti, where he was enlightened of his evil ways and sent on a mission to destroy Groosham Grange. This feels like a slight analysis of missionary work as a colonial tool, and the demonisation of other cultures, though it doesn’t dig too deep.
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At the last second David directs the broom up into the sky, narrowly missing Helliwell’s head and breaking the spire off the cathedral, which removes the shadow and any possibility of the Bishop’s plan coming to fruition. When David returns to Groosham Grange all damage done by the removal of the Unholy Grail is restored, and the staff use magic to repair Margate and to make all civilians forget what happened. David decides to leave the school and is wished farewell by Mr Kilgraw, as he hopes to find himself out in the real world.
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I really enjoyed this series, and loved that both stories can be read in this edition. The sequel was actually my favourite, and I think this is because the secret is out of the bag and the story is more rooted in magic than the original. I also feel that because the characters were already established by Return to Groosham Grange, Horowitz was really able to build upon this and expand the universe they live in, and the pacing was really great too.
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What I really loved is that the first book finishes with evil triumphant, unlike many tales where the protagonist is able to get away, and it has us questioning what evil truly is - perhaps it isn’t the boogeyman we conjure up, but instead the heinous acts committed by humanity against each other and the world we live in. Groosham Grange isn’t perfect, and there were some elements I didn’t like, but I still think it’s a very refreshing perspective on the horror genre for young and older readers alike.
