Ashes on the Waves
By: Mary Lindsey

Challenge: RIP VIII

Published: 2013

# of pages: 373

Official description:

Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.
With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make awager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.
Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem, "Annabel Lee," Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love.

My opinion:  I think this will be included in my list of favorite books this year!  If you enjoy young adult fantasy, I highly recommend this.  It's such a sweet love story and I love the parallel with Poe's poem "Annabel Lee."  I also looked forward to the beginning of each chapter, where there were excerpts from Poe's works.

The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because it did move a little slowly at times.  I wish the murder mystery had started up a little earlier in the novel.


Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Unique fantasy, sweet love story, likable characters, a little slow, and - in parts - a little "too young adult."

Other reviews:
Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

The Distant Hours
By:  Kate Morton

Published: 2010

# of pages: 562

Official description: A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941. 
Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it. 
Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling.

My opinion:  I'm a big fan of Kate Morton, especially The Secret Keeper.  I enjoyed The Distant Hours as well, but not as much.  My favorite parts were the mysteries, the descriptions of Juniper, and the Gothic feel throughout the novel.  What I didn't like was the slightly disjointed feel.  There was a plot line that really could have been completely left out.  It didn't fit and I was left feeling disappointed that Morton didn't use another way of introducing the story of Milderhurst Castle.


Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Interesting, slightly creepy story, a little disjointed, nice characters


Other reviews:
S. Krishna's Books

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

The Uninvited Guests
By: Sadie Jones

Published: 2012

# of pages: 272

Official description: One late spring evening in 1912, in the kitchens at Sterne, preparations begin for an elegant supper party in honor of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday. But only a few miles away, a dreadful accident propels a crowd of mysterious and not altogether savory survivors to seek shelter at the ramshackle manor—and the household is thrown into confusion and mischief.
The cook toils over mock turtle soup and a chocolate cake covered with green sugar roses, which the hungry band of visitors is not invited to taste. But nothing, it seems, will go according to plan. As the passengers wearily search for rest, the house undergoes a strange transformation. One of their number (who is most definitely not a gentleman) makes it his business to join the birthday revels.
Evening turns to stormy night, and a most unpleasant parlor game threatens to blow respectability to smithereens: Smudge Torrington, the wayward youngest daughter of the house, decides that this is the perfect moment for her Great Undertaking.
The Uninvited Guests is the bewitching new novel from the critically acclaimed Sadie Jones. The prizewinning author triumphs in this frightening yet delicious drama of dark surprises—where social codes are uprooted and desire daringly trumps propriety—and all is alight with Edwardian wit and opulence.

My opinion:  This book took me a few chapters to get into, but after those chapters I couldn't put it down.  It was a strange story - a mix of historical fiction, Gothic, and paranormal fiction.  I chose to label it Gothic because of the secluded failing mansion that is cut off from the outside world.  The characters become isolated during a storm and all kinds of unusual things begin to happen.

Like many ghost stories do to me, I felt like the story went from being creepy to just weird.  The climax seemed a little rushed after the buildup, but overall I liked the ending and enjoyed the story.  The characters end up changing during the course of the novel and the entire novel ends with a mysterious occurrence that wraps up the whole book.


Why I gave this book 3/5 stars:  Kept my attention, creepy but not too scary, a rushed climax/ending, a little weird, characters that are hard to relate to.

Other reviews:
Bookfoolery and Babble

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

The Woman in Black

By: Susan Hill

Published: 1983

# of pages: 192

Challenge: RIP VI

Official description:

What real reader does not yearn, somewhere in the recesses of his or her heart, for a really literate, first-class thriller - one that chills the body with foreboding of dark deeds to come, but warms the soul with perceptions and language at once astute and vivid? In other words, a ghost story by Jane Austen.

Austen we cannot, alas, give you, but Susan Hill's remarkable Woman In Black comes as close as the late twentieth century is likely to provide. Set on the obligatory English moor, on an isolated causeway, the story has as its hero one Arthur Kipps, an up-and-coming young solicitor who has come north to attend the funeral and settle the estate of Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. The routine formalities he anticipates give way to a tumble of events and secrets more sinister and terrifying than any nightmare: the rocking chair in the nursery of the deserted Eel Marsh House, the eerie sound of pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and, most dreadfully, and for Kipps most tragically, the woman in black.

The Woman In Black is both a brilliant exercise in atmosphere and controlled horror and a delicious spine-tingler - proof positive that that neglected genre, the ghost story, isn't dead after all.

My opinion: This is the type of ghost story I enjoy! The Woman in Black is short, but is still a great example of the Gothic genre. The story has the feel of a novel written in the 1800s, so I was surprised that it was written in 1983. I feel like ghost stories nowadays have to be scarier and scarier, just like horror movies. People have become desensitized, which is reflected in literature and film.

Anyway, I was happy with the amount of supernatural suspense. There were times I was tensed up, just waiting...waiting... feeling so incredibly creeped out! But it isn't overwhelming, just the perfect amount. I highly recommend this well-written ghost story to lovers of Gothic tales, lovers of suspense, and anyone who wants to try reading a story from this genre. It's a good book to start with because it isn't going to be too much for someone who is sensitive.

Oh yeah, and can I just say that I liked the ending as weird as that may sound? It was unexpected and definitely rounded out the novel.

Look for the movie coming out in February 2012! Looks SO creepy, it gives me goosebumps to watch the trailer.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars: It was very well-written and a great story. In order for me to give it 5 stars, however, I would want it to absorb me so much that I can't stop thinking about it and imagine myself in the novel alongside the main character. This didn't do that for me, so that's why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

Other reviews:

chrisbookarama

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

The Lantern

By: Deborah Lawrenson

Published: 2011

# of pages: 383

Challenge: RIP VI

Official description:

When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom, their whirlwind relationship leads them to purchase Les Genevriers, an abandoned house in a rural hamlet in the south of France. As the beautiful Provence summer turns to autumn, Eve finds it impossible to ignore the mysteries that haunt both her lover and the run-down old house, in particular the mysterious disappearance of his beautiful first wife, Rachel. Whilst Eve tries to untangle the secrets surrounding Rachel's last recorded days, Les Genevriers itself seems to come alive. As strange events begin to occur with frightening regularity, Eve's voice becomes intertwined with that of Benedicte Lincel, a girl who lived in the house decades before. As the tangled skeins of the house's history begin to unravel, the tension grows between Dom and Eve. In a page-turning race, Eve must fight to discover the fates of both Benedicte and Rachel, before Les Genevriers' dark history has a chance to repeat itself.

My opinion: The Lantern is creepy and mysterious, but not gruesome, gory, overdone, or stupidly fake suspense novel. It fits in with the Gothic genre nicely. I was a little confused at first about the narrating style. There's 2 first-person narrators and then a few sections that are told in third-person, but just about one of the characters. It all makes sense at the end, but at the very beginning it's very confusing, especially the two separate first-person narratives. So I will just let you know, at the beginning there's 2 different women "speaking!"

I wish I could say that this book was awesome, a page turner that I couldn't stop thinking about. However, I felt like it was disjointed and that perhaps the author became sidetracked. For example, one of the narrators seems to hold back while telling her story. But suddenly discusses in detail the process of making lavender into scented oil. It didn't match with the narrator at all. I feel like the author was interested in that process, probably went to visit a factory and learn about the process, and wanted to use all of the information in the novel, even though it didn't fit in.

Also, I found it interesting that the title's object didn't play a large part in the book. I wish it had a different title actually, that way it wouldn't seem that the author meant for the lantern be such a core part of the story. Also, I didn't appreciate how Lawrenson explicitly mentions the connection of this novel to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I think the similarities between the two novels are obvious and it was silly that the narrator Eve was telling the reader this.

Overall, even though some of the things about the story bothered me, I enjoyed the overall plot, the characters, and the amount of suspense and mystery. I recommend this to readers who want a modern day Gothic tale.

Why I gave this book 3/5 stars: Neat plot, unique story, not very well written, a little disjointed.

Other reviews:

chrisbookarama
Life by Candlelight

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

Peony in Love

Her Fearful Symmetry
by: Audrey Niffenegger

Challenges: TBR 2010

Published: 2009

# of pages: 416


What a unique and interesting book! Niffenegger also wrote The Time Traveler's Wife and while Her Fearful Symmetry isn't as good (in my opinion), it is still a great read.

The story follows twins Valentina and Julia as they travel from their home in America to London, to move into their deceased aunt's home. Their aunt leaves mysterious instructions, which adds to the mystery of the London flat that overlooks Highgate Cemetery. The girls meet some interesting characters as they settle in: a man who was the lover of their aunt and an OCD man who hasn't left his flat in years. The twins have always been inseparable, but they start to drift apart in their new home after being drawn to different men and discovering that there's a reason why Valentina often feels like she's being watched in the apartment.

The story is creepy, but not scary. It's definitely a Gothic tale, but I felt that it flowed well unlike many Gothic stories I've read in the past that seem disjointed in parts. I liked the connections Niffenegger made between Valentina and Julia and Elspeth and Edie. The ending was a complete surprise, I have to admit I didn't see it coming at all. There were actually several surprises throughout the novel, but the actions of Valentina and Elspeth shocked me.

This would be a great book club choice. It's interesting that I often think that books that don't have happy endings or go the way I want them to go make good book club reads. I think it's because they are thought provoking. After I finished this story I told my husband about it because it's a little frustrating...it made me want to tell someone just so they could say, "weird," haha. It's not that I didn't enjoy the book, I thought it was great, but it is definitely not at all like The Time Traveler's Wife. I want to read it again now that I know how it turns out because it's one of those books you can read multiple times and continuously discover new things.

I recommend this to lovers of the Gothic genre or anyone looking for a book that is full of surprises.


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.
book-a-rama

Haunting Bombay
by: Shilpa Agarwal

Challenge: R.I.P. IV

Published: 2009

# of pages: 368


It's past the due date for the R.I.P. IV challenge, but I finished this book October 28, so I completed it within the time frame. I was just too lazy to write a review before today!

The story follows the Mittal family living in Bombay in 1960. The main character, Pinky, is a 13 year old girl who lives with her grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousins in a bungalow that is haunted by the ghost of an infant. One night the ghost is released from the room it has been confined in for 13 years and the Mittal family is never the same.

This is a "scary" book, but it is really horrifying because of the nature of the ghost and the family's secrets. There were a few times, especially at the beginning before much is revealed, where I felt a little creeped out. However, after learning more about the family, I just felt so sad for all of them, but especially Savira. I suppose this wasn't the best book to read as the mother of an infant.

Anyway, in spite of the sadness, it was a good mystery that I kept wanting to read to find out what happened. However, I felt like it was a little choppy. The scenes kept jumping from one thing to another and there were a few parts I felt could have been left out. I found it interesting that the women in the book were all connected, but in a way that was what was a little confusing.

And I just have to say...part of the reason I enjoy reading books that take place in India or have Indian characters is because of the beautiful names! I loved the names Savira, Maji, Jaginder, Avni, Parvati.... so pretty. Haha, I just noticed several of them have Vs in them, and that's obviously something I'm drawn too (my son's name is Evan).

Anyway, I recommend this to adult readers who enjoy the Gothic genre, Indian history, or ghost stories/mysteries that are more suspense filled than scary.



Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.
book-a-rama

The Woman in White
by: Wilkie Collins

Challenges: TBR Challenge

Published: 1860

# of pages: 528


I was disappointed that it took me so long to read this book. I was reading some non-fiction books at the time and had a lot going on, but I think that affected my opinion of the book. I loved the first part and thought it was very well written and I was thoroughly hooked on the mystery. However, there comes a time in the novel where it feels like it should end...but it doesn't. After that it dragged for me. Although like I said, it may have been because I was already taking awhile to read it. But I think I would have been more motivated to pick it up and read if it hadn't been so slow.

The story is mainly told by Walter, an art instructor. Just before he goes to live on a private estate to tutor two women, he meets a mysterious woman dressed all in white on a dark road in the middle of the night. He helps the woman to town and finds her a carriage, but soon discovers that there are men from an asylum looking for her. The occurrence haunts him even after he goes to the beautiful estate to teach young ladies art skills.

Of course he falls in love with the beautiful, perfect, feminine Laura. Her half sister, Marian, is the opposite of Laura. Not so good looking, outspoken, outgoing, and more "masculine," but still very nice and considerate. These characters are a very interesting part of the novel. I found Laura's character to be very dull and washed out. She's the perfect woman for the time the novel was written, but she's treated like a child throughout the entire novel. Walter and Marian spend all of their time protecting her. Marian is a character that is full of life. So why the heck does Walter fall in love with Laura instead? I guess it's just because of her looks, or maybe he's really intimidated by Marian. It's awful because Marian is obviously not marriage material according to any of the men in the book. They admire her, but that's as far as it goes. I thought it was interesting that Collins wrote a character like Marian and I can't figure out if he's still sexist for making Laura the most "desirable" female or if he was trying to make a point that Laura was the dull, stupid one and Marian the smart one that actually thinks for herself. So maybe he wanted people to think that Laura shouldn't really be the attractive one???

Anyway, Walter soon discovers that he can't get away from the woman in white, even in his new situation. The woman becomes entangled with Laura and Marian and he soon finds himself investigating crimes and trying to save Laura from Sir Percival Glyde. There's a neat plot twist and I was impressed at the intricacy of the novel. However, like I said before, I became a little tired when Walter changes tactics from trying to save Laura to revenge on Sir Percival.

So I'm not really sure what I thought about this book. I liked it, but also found some of it to be very boring. I am also still frustrated at how Walter and Marian treated Laura and at Laura's character for being so weak. However, I still recommend this to lovers of the classics, Gothic tales, and mysteries.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
by: Maggie O'Farrell

Published: 2008

# of pages: 256


Fascinating book! It's disturbing at times, but I learned a lot and I enjoyed the way it was written. Word of advice: try to read this as quickly as you can. It won't be hard, it's a book that you can't put down once you start to read, but it's told by different narrators, one of which is in a journal form that is in fragments. It's hard to understand, but it all comes together and it's easier if you read it all at once or within a couple of days so that you can remember the different parts.

The story is about a few different women, but it hinges on Esme, who in the present time of the story is being released from a psychiatric hospital. Esme's great-niece, Iris, has power of attorney over Esme and must pick her up from the hospital and is responsible for finding the older woman a place to live. As the two women meet for the first time, family secrets start to unfold and the story of how Esme Lennox disappeared from the world forever is told.

I've learned about the psychiatric hospitals of the past in one of my college literature classes, but this taught me even more about the status of women in the early to mid 1900s. It's shocking that even in a more modern time like that, women were still treated terribly. I think it's important for everyone to remember that part of history, which is one reason why I recommend this book. Not long after reading the book I watched the movie "The Changeling." Which I also recommend watching after reading this book. It was a neat coincidence that I came into contact with two related stories so close together, but I'm glad I read and watched them.

There are disturbing images in the book and some adult situations although those are not very graphic or detailed. I recommend this to all adults, especially those interested in Gothic stories, the history of women, or just a good read.


Other Reviews:
BookBound
Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

Rebecca
by: Daphne du Maurier

Published: 1938 (Harper 2006)

# of pages: 386

Quote: "And time will melow it, make it a moment for laughter. But now it was not funny, now I did not laugh. It was not the future, it was the present. It was too vivid and too real." -p. 222


I started reading this on Halloween. It's a Gothic suspense, I think just perfect for being creeped out, but not too scared. And it's true, this was a great suspense novel that kept me on my toes. Apparently this is a very well known book, but I'm ashamed to admit that I've never heard of it before. Have you? There's even an Alfred Hitchcock film based on the novel that I'm going to check out from the library tonight. I'll let you know if it's good!

The story follows a young lady who falls in love with a wealthy estate owner, Maxim. She hears rumors about how he's been married before and although he admits it, he stays pretty quiet about the subject. He asks her to marry him and takes her back to his house, Manderley. The novel follows her as she adjusts to a new environment and the fact that Maxim had a beautiful and vibrant wife named Rebecca, who is still revered and respected by the household and their neighbors.

Mrs. Danvers is in charge of the household staff and is the creepy antagonist in the novel. The reader is constantly wondering what she's really up to. Maxim is slightly oblivious to household affairs and so the narrator is left to herself to discover how deep Rebecca's influence over Manderley is.

I had an idea of the big plot twist towards the beginning of the novel but then second guessed it. I think all readers will always be a step ahead of the narrator when it comes to some of the surprises she receives, but I think it's safe to say that when the big plot twist occurs you will be surprised. And even after the big surprise the reader is still left wondering what will happen. There's always a sense of dread throughout the book, even when things seem to be going well.

The narrator is sweet and timid with an overactive imagination. In some ways she reminds me of myself, especially how she makes up scenarios in her mind of what could happen. I'm glad to say that I'm not nearly so timid as she is. She's painfully shy and there were times I wanted to go in the book and just encourage her to step out a little and not be so scared of upsetting people. However, I think her character was realistic and am glad du Maurier chose her personality type for a main character.

I recommend this book to everyone. It's a well written classic that may be a little too serious for some young adults, but is great for high schoolers and adults.

Other Voices, Other Rooms by: Truman Capote

Challenges: My Year of Reading Dangerously

Published: 1948

# of pages: 194

Quote: "Females in Miss Amy's age bracket, somewhere between forty-five and fifty, generally displayed a certain tenderness toward him, and he took their sympathy for granted; if, as had infrequently happened, this affection was withheld, he knew with what ease it could be guaranteed: a smile, a wistful glance, a courtly compliment: 'I want to say how pretty I think your hair is: a nice color.'"


This book definitely reminds me of the many literature courses I took while I was in school. This would have been the perfect book to read, analyze, and write an essay about. This novel is loosely based on Capote's own childhood, a fact that he originally disputed, but later admitted.

The story about Joel Knox, who is 13 and moves from New Orleans to live with his father in rural Alabama after his mother's death, really is a "gothic coming-of-age story", like the biography in this edition states. A scary, dilapidated mansion, a secluded family full of secrets, glimpses of a mysterious woman in the window, and many other components of this story qualify it for the gothic genre.

Capote mentions many "taboo" things in this novel, including rape and homosexuality, as well as including characters who are part of the minority of society like a dwarf in a circus, a little girl who is almost made an outcast because of her tomboyish ways, a hermit witch doctor, and many others. However, he includes these issues and characters in a fascinating way, seen through the eyes of Joel, a boy who is wise beyond his years.

I really enjoyed the character of Joel. He was so logical, but still a little boy. He was learning so many new things, but he saw everyone for who they were, not in the way the rest of society told him to see them. He meets Zoo, a "crazy" young woman whom he begins to love. The same is true of his cousin Randolph, who is a homosexual that the people in town smirk about. He also accepts and becomes friends with Idabel, a wild little tomboy that most people, including her twin sister, can't stand because she dresses and acts like a boy.

I recommend this book because of the powerful content, the beautiful writing style and descriptions, and the lessons that can be learned by following Joel as he adjusts to his new life.