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barefootsong's review against another edition
4.0
Ghost stories are not usually my cup of tea, but I know the author through the interwebs and was intrigued by the historical setting so I decided to give this a try—and I loved it!
The Revenant is a well-written mystery/ghost story (with a dash of romance, of course!) with an interesting historical backdrop. The historical aspect was probably my favorite, actually, as I knew next to nothing about the time period/place and had certainly never read anything about the Cherokee Female Seminary before. But the other story aspects are all fantastic, too! And Willie is a great heroine and narrator; I loved watching her character develop over the pages as she gained an appreciation for Indian country, herself, and the things she ran away from. The resolution is also quite satisfying on all counts, without seeming rushed or unrealistic.
Definitely worth a read if you like mysteries, ghost stories, historical fiction, romance, or all of the above! :)
The Revenant is a well-written mystery/ghost story (with a dash of romance, of course!) with an interesting historical backdrop. The historical aspect was probably my favorite, actually, as I knew next to nothing about the time period/place and had certainly never read anything about the Cherokee Female Seminary before. But the other story aspects are all fantastic, too! And Willie is a great heroine and narrator; I loved watching her character develop over the pages as she gained an appreciation for Indian country, herself, and the things she ran away from. The resolution is also quite satisfying on all counts, without seeming rushed or unrealistic.
Definitely worth a read if you like mysteries, ghost stories, historical fiction, romance, or all of the above! :)
mjesmer's review against another edition
This was an unexpectedly good novel filled with almost believable mystery.
easolinas's review against another edition
2.0
Ghost stories should be spooky and mysterious. Otherwise, what's the point?
Unfortunately, neither thrill nor chill shows up until after the halfway point of "The Revenant," and even the few spooky moments aren't really scary. Sonia Gensler does provide a fascinating glimpse of the Cherokee Territories and the people who lived there, but her heroine doesn't get a lot of development until the book's end.
When her mother summons her back to the family farm, Willemina Hammond is desperate not to return. So she steals her rich classmate's unused teaching certificate and heads to the Cherokee Female Seminary in Oklahoma, posing as Angeline McClure. She's immediately assigned a room that once belonged to Ella, a girl tragically murdered by her hotheaded boyfriend a year ago.
And as the year goes by, strange occurrences start plaguing the school -- students are injured in "accidents," and someone keeps knocking at Willie's window. She begins to suspect that Ella was not murdered by her boyfriend, but by another lover. However, that man may be Eli Sevenstar, a handsome student who has ensnared Willie's heart. Was Eli the murderer, or did someone else have a motive?
Sonia Gensler has obviously done a lot of homework on her setting -- she studies the lives of the Cherokee of the late 1800s, the "half-blood" children who struggled for recognition, and their struggles between Cherokee traditions and white society. As a historical novel, "The Revenant" is a genuinely intriguing story that leaves you wanting to know more.
But as a ghost story, it falls flat. The first half of the story is a dull dry stretch of teaching woes, with the occasional mention of a desk falling on someone. It's not scary, and even when the "revenant" finally shows itself, it wasn't even vaguely frightening. The story DOES pick up when Willie finds a major clue to the murderer's identity, and the human criminal is actually scarier than any of the ghostly activity.
Also Willie's character development is mostly crammed into the last five chapters of the book, when she finally grows up and learns forgiveness, understanding, and the fact that her idolized father was a flawed person. It feels like Gensler got to the end of the story and realized that Willie was still a pretty thin character, so she wrote a short story to flesh her out and wrap up the romantic subplot.
"The Revenant" is a story with good bones, but a slow first half, an unscary ghost story, and a heroine who only becomes 3D in the last few chapters. I'd keep an eye out for Gensler's future works, but this one is mostly interesting for the information on the Cherokee.
Unfortunately, neither thrill nor chill shows up until after the halfway point of "The Revenant," and even the few spooky moments aren't really scary. Sonia Gensler does provide a fascinating glimpse of the Cherokee Territories and the people who lived there, but her heroine doesn't get a lot of development until the book's end.
When her mother summons her back to the family farm, Willemina Hammond is desperate not to return. So she steals her rich classmate's unused teaching certificate and heads to the Cherokee Female Seminary in Oklahoma, posing as Angeline McClure. She's immediately assigned a room that once belonged to Ella, a girl tragically murdered by her hotheaded boyfriend a year ago.
And as the year goes by, strange occurrences start plaguing the school -- students are injured in "accidents," and someone keeps knocking at Willie's window. She begins to suspect that Ella was not murdered by her boyfriend, but by another lover. However, that man may be Eli Sevenstar, a handsome student who has ensnared Willie's heart. Was Eli the murderer, or did someone else have a motive?
Sonia Gensler has obviously done a lot of homework on her setting -- she studies the lives of the Cherokee of the late 1800s, the "half-blood" children who struggled for recognition, and their struggles between Cherokee traditions and white society. As a historical novel, "The Revenant" is a genuinely intriguing story that leaves you wanting to know more.
But as a ghost story, it falls flat. The first half of the story is a dull dry stretch of teaching woes, with the occasional mention of a desk falling on someone. It's not scary, and even when the "revenant" finally shows itself, it wasn't even vaguely frightening. The story DOES pick up when Willie finds a major clue to the murderer's identity, and the human criminal is actually scarier than any of the ghostly activity.
Also Willie's character development is mostly crammed into the last five chapters of the book, when she finally grows up and learns forgiveness, understanding, and the fact that her idolized father was a flawed person. It feels like Gensler got to the end of the story and realized that Willie was still a pretty thin character, so she wrote a short story to flesh her out and wrap up the romantic subplot.
"The Revenant" is a story with good bones, but a slow first half, an unscary ghost story, and a heroine who only becomes 3D in the last few chapters. I'd keep an eye out for Gensler's future works, but this one is mostly interesting for the information on the Cherokee.
katiespina's review against another edition
2.0
Like Divergent, this book promised one thing and delivered something else entirely.
The Revenant presents itself to potential readers as a ghost story that takes place in a fascinating world of the Cherokee in the 1800s. Instead, it is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl that happens to deal with a ghost and has a predictable happy ending.
I'm disappointed that this was marketed as a ghost story. Ghost stories are a wonderful character development tool because human nature remains the same regardless of the era. A ghost's life story and reasons for haunting are often used as a mirror for the main character's flaws and failings. Through learning the ghost's story, the main character learns about him/herself and becomes a better person through the journey.
That didn't happen here. This story did not need ghosts. That minor subplot could have been plucked from this book, and the point of the story would not have changed, which is disappointing.
It was well written, but the fact that it didn't fulfill it's cover promises makes me disappointed overall.
The Revenant presents itself to potential readers as a ghost story that takes place in a fascinating world of the Cherokee in the 1800s. Instead, it is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl that happens to deal with a ghost and has a predictable happy ending.
I'm disappointed that this was marketed as a ghost story. Ghost stories are a wonderful character development tool because human nature remains the same regardless of the era. A ghost's life story and reasons for haunting are often used as a mirror for the main character's flaws and failings. Through learning the ghost's story, the main character learns about him/herself and becomes a better person through the journey.
That didn't happen here. This story did not need ghosts. That minor subplot could have been plucked from this book, and the point of the story would not have changed, which is disappointing.
It was well written, but the fact that it didn't fulfill it's cover promises makes me disappointed overall.
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
5.0
I have never reviewed a book written by a friend and colleague before. I taught with Sonia, and felt like I identified most deeply to Willie's struggles as a teacher. Those self-doubts will resonate with every teacher! But this book is so much more than a book about a teacher.
Willie comes alive from the first page when we discover she's a liar...she has run away from her family who wants her to leave school. She's swiped another girl's teaching certificate and has run away to Oklahoma...to the Cherokee Nation. She soon learns that the Cherokee, are indeed a Civilized Tribe. The Seminary she runs to is home to upwardly-mobile girls whose parents are rich, educated, and ever-so-slightly snobbish about their light skin color. The girls are prairie Mean Girls...especially Fannie. Since Willie is really younger than her students, she lets them intimidate her -- at first, until her friend Olivia takes her under her wing.
There's also a ghost story...the girl who used to live in Willie's room died under mysterious circumstances...was it an accident? Was it murder? Suicide? No one much wants to talk about it. But strange things happen at school...Willie hears tapping on her window, the girls often smell river water, the same river where Ella died. And rooms would suddenly go cold. Olivia believes there's a revenant at the school.
There's also a love story. Eli, oh Eli. They meet on the train, but they're both trapped by Willie's lies. She's younger than Eli, but he thinks she's a teacher, and she must pretend to be something she's not. Eli is charming...seems to be a ne'r-do-well, a failing student with no ambition.
The mystery unravels itself, just as Willie's lies unravel...I loved the way the ghost story resolves itself.
My only frustration is one I often feel with well-crafted YA novels...I wish it was a full-length adult novel. I could tell Sonia knew the entire back story of each character. Olivia, who introduces Willie to revenants, and ouija boards and grading rubics. Toomey, the stepfather who may not be as evil as Willie first believed. And Miss Crenshaw...oh, how I want to know HER story. So, for me, I want to know more about these characters. I want to watch them interact, to think, to dream. I wanted the story to have that time to develop...I wanted more.
One reviewer compared Sonia to Jennifer Donnelly, and I absolutely agree. Each of them has a sense of place and time that bring the story alive. They know how to craft intelligent, literate, interesting heroines we want to know.
I'm so proud of my friend, and I can't wait to hold MY OWN book in my hand and have her autograph it.
After I read it, I had several of my students read it and they loved it too...they loved the characters, the romance, and they wrote thank you notes to Sonia...this one is a winner!
Willie comes alive from the first page when we discover she's a liar...she has run away from her family who wants her to leave school. She's swiped another girl's teaching certificate and has run away to Oklahoma...to the Cherokee Nation. She soon learns that the Cherokee, are indeed a Civilized Tribe. The Seminary she runs to is home to upwardly-mobile girls whose parents are rich, educated, and ever-so-slightly snobbish about their light skin color. The girls are prairie Mean Girls...especially Fannie. Since Willie is really younger than her students, she lets them intimidate her -- at first, until her friend Olivia takes her under her wing.
There's also a ghost story...the girl who used to live in Willie's room died under mysterious circumstances...was it an accident? Was it murder? Suicide? No one much wants to talk about it. But strange things happen at school...Willie hears tapping on her window, the girls often smell river water, the same river where Ella died. And rooms would suddenly go cold. Olivia believes there's a revenant at the school.
There's also a love story. Eli, oh Eli. They meet on the train, but they're both trapped by Willie's lies. She's younger than Eli, but he thinks she's a teacher, and she must pretend to be something she's not. Eli is charming...seems to be a ne'r-do-well, a failing student with no ambition.
The mystery unravels itself, just as Willie's lies unravel...I loved the way the ghost story resolves itself.
My only frustration is one I often feel with well-crafted YA novels...I wish it was a full-length adult novel. I could tell Sonia knew the entire back story of each character. Olivia, who introduces Willie to revenants, and ouija boards and grading rubics. Toomey, the stepfather who may not be as evil as Willie first believed. And Miss Crenshaw...oh, how I want to know HER story. So, for me, I want to know more about these characters. I want to watch them interact, to think, to dream. I wanted the story to have that time to develop...I wanted more.
One reviewer compared Sonia to Jennifer Donnelly, and I absolutely agree. Each of them has a sense of place and time that bring the story alive. They know how to craft intelligent, literate, interesting heroines we want to know.
I'm so proud of my friend, and I can't wait to hold MY OWN book in my hand and have her autograph it.
After I read it, I had several of my students read it and they loved it too...they loved the characters, the romance, and they wrote thank you notes to Sonia...this one is a winner!
novelgoddess's review against another edition
4.0
**3.5 Stars**
To escape a life she doesn’t want, Wilhemina, impersonates a classmate and takes her teaching job out in the Cherokee nation. Once she arrives at the school, she finds she isn’t prepared to be a teacher of girls her own age. She is also thrust into the middle of a murder mystery. The previous year a classmate was murdered and Willie now inhabits her old room. Things start going bump in the night and the murdered girl’s former roommates are being inexplicably hurt. When Willie starts asking questions she starts to fall for one of the students at the boys school, who is also a suspect in the murder.
Typically, I don’t care for “Westerns” and I went into this book not knowing that it takes place during the “Wild West” era…but I got sucked in right away. So don’t let the time and place fool you, this story could take place in any time period, the author just happened to find a historical place with it’s own ghost story and fashioned this story around it.
As someone who loves to read about other cultures, real or fabricated for a story, this was fascinating in the culture of Cherokees of the time. This group of Cherokee student’s status was based on how much “white man” was in their ancestry. The more “white” you were, the higher your status, at least amongst the townpeople and the other Indian students.
Willie was an incredibly selfish character. I won’t lie, I wanted to slap her quite a few times. Man did she have some growing up to do…which she had actually accomplished by the end of the book. The school Head Mistress, was a stereotypical “harridan”, and Eli kept me guessing. I couldn’t decide if he was a charming slimeball or a knight in shining armor…he turned out how I thought he would…but I did learn which it was until the very end. For a moment I was afraid Ms. Gensler wasn’t going to reveal which one he was.
To escape a life she doesn’t want, Wilhemina, impersonates a classmate and takes her teaching job out in the Cherokee nation. Once she arrives at the school, she finds she isn’t prepared to be a teacher of girls her own age. She is also thrust into the middle of a murder mystery. The previous year a classmate was murdered and Willie now inhabits her old room. Things start going bump in the night and the murdered girl’s former roommates are being inexplicably hurt. When Willie starts asking questions she starts to fall for one of the students at the boys school, who is also a suspect in the murder.
Typically, I don’t care for “Westerns” and I went into this book not knowing that it takes place during the “Wild West” era…but I got sucked in right away. So don’t let the time and place fool you, this story could take place in any time period, the author just happened to find a historical place with it’s own ghost story and fashioned this story around it.
As someone who loves to read about other cultures, real or fabricated for a story, this was fascinating in the culture of Cherokees of the time. This group of Cherokee student’s status was based on how much “white man” was in their ancestry. The more “white” you were, the higher your status, at least amongst the townpeople and the other Indian students.
Willie was an incredibly selfish character. I won’t lie, I wanted to slap her quite a few times. Man did she have some growing up to do…which she had actually accomplished by the end of the book. The school Head Mistress, was a stereotypical “harridan”, and Eli kept me guessing. I couldn’t decide if he was a charming slimeball or a knight in shining armor…he turned out how I thought he would…but I did learn which it was until the very end. For a moment I was afraid Ms. Gensler wasn’t going to reveal which one he was.
icameheretoread's review against another edition
4.0
What a pleasure! This is not only a spooky ghost story, but a highly researched historical novel as well. I could not put it down, and do not remember reading anything like it before.
I was super pleased to see the main character grow up during this novel, the change was subtle,and realistic. Very well done!
The ghost here is a real chiller, but scarier than the dead is the behavior of the living. This novel, at its core, is really about class and social standing. It is about how we treat each other and how money and standing effect that.
There are really three stories in one here and each is handled very well. I really enjoyed it.
I was super pleased to see the main character grow up during this novel, the change was subtle,and realistic. Very well done!
The ghost here is a real chiller, but scarier than the dead is the behavior of the living. This novel, at its core, is really about class and social standing. It is about how we treat each other and how money and standing effect that.
There are really three stories in one here and each is handled very well. I really enjoyed it.
nchinnici's review against another edition
3.0
The Revenant is a historical fiction coming of age story peppered with mysterious and ghostly events.
This story follows Willie, who has assumes the name of her former classmate to become a teacher in Indian Territory to escape returning to the home she hates. When she arrives at the school, she discovers that one of the students died the previous year and strange occurrences have been happening. This main plot line was intriguing and unfolded at an even pace, but there is also a romantic subplot that didn’t quite match up to it. That being said, the story moved along quickly and was easy to read.
Some of the characters in this book were more fleshed out than others, and many fell a bit flat. But the way the author used them to explore the social structures in that place and time was nicely done. However, the strongest aspect of The Revenant is the setting. The boarding school and its surroundings were described clearly and were easy to visualize. Which makes sense given the author’s note at the end explaining all of Gensler’s research and how she tried to remain true to the history of the setting.
In the end, I liked The Revenant. But I can’t help but think that if I’d come across it when I was a teenager, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.
This story follows Willie, who has assumes the name of her former classmate to become a teacher in Indian Territory to escape returning to the home she hates. When she arrives at the school, she discovers that one of the students died the previous year and strange occurrences have been happening. This main plot line was intriguing and unfolded at an even pace, but there is also a romantic subplot that didn’t quite match up to it. That being said, the story moved along quickly and was easy to read.
Some of the characters in this book were more fleshed out than others, and many fell a bit flat. But the way the author used them to explore the social structures in that place and time was nicely done. However, the strongest aspect of The Revenant is the setting. The boarding school and its surroundings were described clearly and were easy to visualize. Which makes sense given the author’s note at the end explaining all of Gensler’s research and how she tried to remain true to the history of the setting.
In the end, I liked The Revenant. But I can’t help but think that if I’d come across it when I was a teenager, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
Willie is 17 years old when she steals another young lady's teaching credentials and then moves to Indian Territory to teach at The Cherokee Seminary for Girls. She does this to avoid going back to the farm to help her mother and step-father with young twin boys and a new baby, not to mention all the chores. She is shocked to find the seminary much bigger and more elegant than she imagined – plus she is not much older than the senior girls attending the school. She is in for more surprises though, one in the form of a ghost and the other in a handsome young man.
Surprisingly good mix of paranormal, history, and mystery. Tough sell for teens, however.
Surprisingly good mix of paranormal, history, and mystery. Tough sell for teens, however.
heatherjodavis's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely fell in love with the characters. It helped that I was already in live with the setting, having gone to NSU and taking every single class in my major in Seminary Hall. The story was a beautiful tale of love, regret, and hope that things work out in the end. Loved it! Loved it like I love my precious Northeastern!