ooh yeah I remember that book, it was creepy for me too.

I think you and some others here got it right, being told what to feel is just not a great narrative strategy. Better to let the reader/audience figure it out themselves.

tbqh it has mostly been well-written children’s books that have made me feel things someone in my situation shouldn’t feel ie fear, sorrow, melancholy, horror…The Series of Unfortunate Events and that one plot in Percy Jackson with Circe being some examples