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em_harring's review against another edition
2.0
Per FTC guidelines: I received this book as a digital arc from Edelweiss. I'm not being paid for my review; everything I write is 100% honestly how I felt.
I had high expectations for this book, which seems to be my downfall 80% of the time.
I read Winters' novel In the Shadow of Blackbirds and really enjoyed the atmosphere she created within the novel. It was spooky, haunting, and still somehow realistic even with its fantastical moments. At times it was eerie and gruesome--my favourite pairing. Upon reading the synopsis to this book, I was like "Awesome, another great atmospheric novel to read."
It fell flat. So flat.
The tone and presence I liked so much in Shadow just wasn't in this novel. The elements she had weaved throughout it were heavily influenced by the romance that took over the entire novel. By the end of the novel, I knew why everything had felt foggy and almost whimsically dreamy, which ended up working, but I still didn't feel the environment as much as I felt it in Shadow.
The strongest aspect of the book is the end when everything comes together. All of your questions are answered and it's actually really well done. What killed this book for me was just the romance between Ivy and the German. I didn't buy it. I didn't feel it at all. None of the characters seemed awfully developed, including Ivy. They had bodies, and they had dressing, but they had nothing underneath. No life.
I will say, I did love the jazz club. I thought that was a nice touch and probably one of the spaces in the book that felt the most atmospheric to me.
So, The Uninvited gets about a 2.5 from me. I can think of a handful atmospheric, haunting, ghost films or novels that achieve the same 'twist' ending, but with more heart and emotion.
I had high expectations for this book, which seems to be my downfall 80% of the time.
I read Winters' novel In the Shadow of Blackbirds and really enjoyed the atmosphere she created within the novel. It was spooky, haunting, and still somehow realistic even with its fantastical moments. At times it was eerie and gruesome--my favourite pairing. Upon reading the synopsis to this book, I was like "Awesome, another great atmospheric novel to read."
It fell flat. So flat.
The tone and presence I liked so much in Shadow just wasn't in this novel. The elements she had weaved throughout it were heavily influenced by the romance that took over the entire novel. By the end of the novel, I knew why everything had felt foggy and almost whimsically dreamy, which ended up working, but I still didn't feel the environment as much as I felt it in Shadow.
The strongest aspect of the book is the end when everything comes together. All of your questions are answered and it's actually really well done. What killed this book for me was just the romance between Ivy and the German. I didn't buy it. I didn't feel it at all. None of the characters seemed awfully developed, including Ivy. They had bodies, and they had dressing, but they had nothing underneath. No life.
I will say, I did love the jazz club. I thought that was a nice touch and probably one of the spaces in the book that felt the most atmospheric to me.
So, The Uninvited gets about a 2.5 from me. I can think of a handful atmospheric, haunting, ghost films or novels that achieve the same 'twist' ending, but with more heart and emotion.
bmg20's review
5.0
“Some spirits get stuck in the places where they died. […] Some struggle to complete a task they didn’t finish when they were alive. Others, they roam the earth, unsettled, restless, unsure what to do or where they belong. And then there are the lucky ones…”
In the midst of the final days of World War I, there is no peaceful end in sight in the town of Buchanan, Illinois. The hatred towards Germans continues to grow and the recent outbreak of Spanish influenza has many blaming the Germans for releasing the sickness. Most German residents have been ran out of town, but two brothers who own a furniture business still remain. One night, the violence escalates and one of the brothers ends up murdered.
“The world’s about to end. I can feel it in the marrow of my bones. I’m worried I’m about to miss out on a few things in life that shouldn’t be missed.”
Recovering from her own bout of influenza, Ivy sees the ghost of her grandmother only to discover a short while later that her father and brother have killed a young German business-owner. The women of the Rowan family are known for being able to see the ghosts of loved ones, but only when death is imminent. Ivy has remained at home, up until the age of twenty-five, in an attempt to shelter her brothers from their fathers violence. When her older brother Billy enlists and dies in battle, their fathers violence cannot be restrained. This recent act of violence on an innocent human being is enough to compel her to finally leave her childhood home and live her life. She takes up residence with a charismatic war widow by the name of May Dover and begins to drive an ambulance for the Red Cross. Her instincts keep telling her to seek out the surviving brother and do whatever she possibly can to free herself of the guilt her family has brought down upon her shoulders.
“Out there” – he nodded toward the window – “is chaos. In here, it’s paradise. We found paradise, Liebling. But you have to keep coming back to make it stay.”
When Ivy Rowan first approaches the furniture shop, she finds Daniel Schendel on his hands and knees scrubbing blood from the floorboards. His attempts to run Ivy off fall on deaf ears but instead their lonely souls find peace with one another. Together the two form the most frenetic of bonds, similar to the jazz music that flows through his bedroom window well into the nighttime. Within the walls of his apartment, they find freedom regardless of their heritage but when Ivy begins to see the ghost of her brother Billy, she begins to fear that the small life she’s built for herself is about to come crumbling down and she worries who around her is about to end up dead.
I could not have been more pleased with this book. Most definitely a new addition to my favorites shelf, The Uninvited is achingly lovely and possesses a most unexpected twist that is both harrowing yet hopeful. While the romance is a major factor in the story, it also touches on the more serious aspects of the time. The racism, the hatred, the narrow-mindedness, the deaths. It accurately portrays the difficulty in adapting to the times, living in a society that forces your hatred of a culture or constantly risking your own loyalties to be put into question. Her role as an ambulance driver makes Ivy a most memorable character and I loved this addition to her fascinating story. Truly a wonderful historical fiction tale with a most interesting dash of paranormal that will delight adult readers and Winters’ existing YA fans.
I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In the midst of the final days of World War I, there is no peaceful end in sight in the town of Buchanan, Illinois. The hatred towards Germans continues to grow and the recent outbreak of Spanish influenza has many blaming the Germans for releasing the sickness. Most German residents have been ran out of town, but two brothers who own a furniture business still remain. One night, the violence escalates and one of the brothers ends up murdered.
“The world’s about to end. I can feel it in the marrow of my bones. I’m worried I’m about to miss out on a few things in life that shouldn’t be missed.”
Recovering from her own bout of influenza, Ivy sees the ghost of her grandmother only to discover a short while later that her father and brother have killed a young German business-owner. The women of the Rowan family are known for being able to see the ghosts of loved ones, but only when death is imminent. Ivy has remained at home, up until the age of twenty-five, in an attempt to shelter her brothers from their fathers violence. When her older brother Billy enlists and dies in battle, their fathers violence cannot be restrained. This recent act of violence on an innocent human being is enough to compel her to finally leave her childhood home and live her life. She takes up residence with a charismatic war widow by the name of May Dover and begins to drive an ambulance for the Red Cross. Her instincts keep telling her to seek out the surviving brother and do whatever she possibly can to free herself of the guilt her family has brought down upon her shoulders.
“Out there” – he nodded toward the window – “is chaos. In here, it’s paradise. We found paradise, Liebling. But you have to keep coming back to make it stay.”
When Ivy Rowan first approaches the furniture shop, she finds Daniel Schendel on his hands and knees scrubbing blood from the floorboards. His attempts to run Ivy off fall on deaf ears but instead their lonely souls find peace with one another. Together the two form the most frenetic of bonds, similar to the jazz music that flows through his bedroom window well into the nighttime. Within the walls of his apartment, they find freedom regardless of their heritage but when Ivy begins to see the ghost of her brother Billy, she begins to fear that the small life she’s built for herself is about to come crumbling down and she worries who around her is about to end up dead.
I could not have been more pleased with this book. Most definitely a new addition to my favorites shelf, The Uninvited is achingly lovely and possesses a most unexpected twist that is both harrowing yet hopeful. While the romance is a major factor in the story, it also touches on the more serious aspects of the time. The racism, the hatred, the narrow-mindedness, the deaths. It accurately portrays the difficulty in adapting to the times, living in a society that forces your hatred of a culture or constantly risking your own loyalties to be put into question. Her role as an ambulance driver makes Ivy a most memorable character and I loved this addition to her fascinating story. Truly a wonderful historical fiction tale with a most interesting dash of paranormal that will delight adult readers and Winters’ existing YA fans.
I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
salderson's review against another edition
3.0
I saw this book when I walked into the library the other day and thought it looked interesting. It helps that I'm doing a reading challenge and part of the challenge is to grab the first book I see at the library or the bookstore. To be honest, I had no idea what it would be about, but it was just sitting there on the shelves next to the door beckoning me to come in for a closer look. Well, being resolute in my goal of finishing my reading challenge of 52 books, I grabbed it.
Have you ever impulsively gone outside the realm of normal habits for yourself and look back and feel that it wasn't such a bad decision? Well that is how I feel with this book. It is definitely not in my realm of reading habits, but then that is part of the challenge I am taking. I am glad I read it, it was fun and quick. I won't pretend it was ground breaking or the next big craze in reading - it was a teen novel with some adult circumstances and older characters thrown in to age it just enough to appeal to a twenty-something crowd. Reading the back gave me the sensation it may be a paranormal, spooky read; perhaps a little on the dark side. Well..... I can't honestly say that it was. Although there were ghosts in the book, the book was definitely not a ghost story in the traditional sense. However, despite the conflict between the "hook" and the actual book, I did enjoy the book for what it was; an easy book meant to be read for the sake of the pleasure of reading.
One last thing I would like to say about the book is this: A huge redeeming quality in this book was the obvious amount of research done for this book. Winters was able to make the time period real and defined while also making the story almost timeless. I would recommend this book to others for an engrossing rainy day read.
Have you ever impulsively gone outside the realm of normal habits for yourself and look back and feel that it wasn't such a bad decision? Well that is how I feel with this book. It is definitely not in my realm of reading habits, but then that is part of the challenge I am taking. I am glad I read it, it was fun and quick. I won't pretend it was ground breaking or the next big craze in reading - it was a teen novel with some adult circumstances and older characters thrown in to age it just enough to appeal to a twenty-something crowd. Reading the back gave me the sensation it may be a paranormal, spooky read; perhaps a little on the dark side. Well..... I can't honestly say that it was. Although there were ghosts in the book, the book was definitely not a ghost story in the traditional sense. However, despite the conflict between the "hook" and the actual book, I did enjoy the book for what it was; an easy book meant to be read for the sake of the pleasure of reading.
One last thing I would like to say about the book is this: A huge redeeming quality in this book was the obvious amount of research done for this book. Winters was able to make the time period real and defined while also making the story almost timeless. I would recommend this book to others for an engrossing rainy day read.
100pagesaday's review against another edition
4.0
The females of the Rowan family have a secret; they can see the ghosts of loved ones who have passed. These uninvited guests however, are carrying an omen of a death soon to come. Ivy Rowan is 25 and has not lived much of life outside of her family farm. The Great War and the Spanish Influenza have taken their toll on her and her family. Ivy awakes after suffering the flu to learn that her father and brother have taken out their revenge on the last German business owner in town and have brutally murdered Mr. Schendel of Liberty Brothers Furniture. Unable to live with her father and brother’s deed, Ivy strikes out on her own and decides to pay penitence to the other Schendel brother in any way she can. With Daniel Schendel Ivy comes into her own, ignites her love of jazz and finds things that were missing in her life. However, when she begins to see her uninvited guests everywhere she turns, Ivy begins to fear life once again.
This was a very surprising book that was ultimately about a woman figuring out how to live life to the fullest in the most unexpected of ways. At first the blend of the time period with the element of the paranormal really intrigued me. Although, when I was reading, it was Ivy’s character that kept me wrapped up in the pages. Ivy surprised me with many of her actions, constantly showing parts of herself that made me respect her more and more. From her ever growing confidence to her ability to drive a model-T and her relationship with Daniel, Ivy is a woman full of heart that I could easily relate to. The other part of the book that drew me in was the setting, during the Great War in a small town suffering with Influenza. Terror and panic rule the streets, many people forget that the German immigrants were ostracized and blamed during this time period, the fear and misunderstanding was apparent in the streets of Buchanan, Illinois that probably mirrored many other small towns at the time. The paranormal aspect of the book seemed like just a side note at first, but grows steadily with time and offers a surprising twist near the end. When the twist was first offered, I felt a little crushed for Ivy, but with Ivy’s true nature shining through she carries on and continues to make the best of it. Overall, an engaging and unexpected book with wonderful characters, and a great blend of historical fiction and paranormal.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This was a very surprising book that was ultimately about a woman figuring out how to live life to the fullest in the most unexpected of ways. At first the blend of the time period with the element of the paranormal really intrigued me. Although, when I was reading, it was Ivy’s character that kept me wrapped up in the pages. Ivy surprised me with many of her actions, constantly showing parts of herself that made me respect her more and more. From her ever growing confidence to her ability to drive a model-T and her relationship with Daniel, Ivy is a woman full of heart that I could easily relate to. The other part of the book that drew me in was the setting, during the Great War in a small town suffering with Influenza. Terror and panic rule the streets, many people forget that the German immigrants were ostracized and blamed during this time period, the fear and misunderstanding was apparent in the streets of Buchanan, Illinois that probably mirrored many other small towns at the time. The paranormal aspect of the book seemed like just a side note at first, but grows steadily with time and offers a surprising twist near the end. When the twist was first offered, I felt a little crushed for Ivy, but with Ivy’s true nature shining through she carries on and continues to make the best of it. Overall, an engaging and unexpected book with wonderful characters, and a great blend of historical fiction and paranormal.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
qalminator's review
3.0
Strong opening, strong ending, weak middle. Basically, I started getting bored in the middle and wondering about the odd interpolation of events, and it went on just long enough that I considered giving up on the book. I'm glad I didn't, as the ending was quite good, if a bit schmaltzy, and too hopeful for my current frame of mind.
I did not see the twist coming, though in retrospect I feel like I should have.
Recommended mainly for people who like both ghost stories and romance, more strongly for people who like the latter, as the ghost story part is de-emphasized through much of the book, but the romance aspect goes nearly clear through.
I did not see the twist coming, though in retrospect I feel like I should have.
Recommended mainly for people who like both ghost stories and romance, more strongly for people who like the latter, as the ghost story part is de-emphasized through much of the book, but the romance aspect goes nearly clear through.
spookysoto's review
3.0
Rating: 3.5 I liked it a lot😁.
Feelings/ Emotions : Surprised, intrigued, moved.
Recommended if you like: Historical fiction, romance, paranormal stories, character driven stories.
Would I read something else from this author?: Maybe.
2018’s Around the year in 52 books: #20, A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends.
The uninvited is a history set in the USA in 1918, in the middle of the Spanish flu pandemic, one of the deadliest in human history. We follow Ivy, she and all the women in her family have the ability to see ghosts when a loved one is about to die.
I enjoyed it a lot, it was very atmospheric and educational, I haven’t read almost anything about this time period —War War I— and knew nothing about this pandemic. It was saddening to read about the anti immigrant sentiment —mostly geared toward Germans —, misplaced patriotism, paranoia and all the horrific acts human beings are capable of because of fear, ignorance, power or war. What’s even more saddening is that this is still going on, it’s cyclic, what’s different is the war and the ethnic origin of those suffering from the discrimination and persecution.
In the middle of all of this there’s a compelling love story, an interesting array of side characters, and the paranormal stuff. I was expecting more ghost, and that to be the focus, so I felt the premise and title was very misleading.
I was immersed in it but I like more plot driven stories, so this dragged a bit for me and was a tad too repetitive, I was almost bored in some parts. Ivy got on my nerves because of her indecision. Nela and Addie also bothered me a lot because they were too demanding of Ivy. I also think it took too long to wrap things up.
In the end I do recommend it if you like slower paced stories, historical fiction and don’t mind some supernatural sprinkled in.
Feelings/ Emotions : Surprised, intrigued, moved.
Recommended if you like: Historical fiction, romance, paranormal stories, character driven stories.
Would I read something else from this author?: Maybe.
2018’s Around the year in 52 books: #20, A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends.
The uninvited is a history set in the USA in 1918, in the middle of the Spanish flu pandemic, one of the deadliest in human history. We follow Ivy, she and all the women in her family have the ability to see ghosts when a loved one is about to die.
I enjoyed it a lot, it was very atmospheric and educational, I haven’t read almost anything about this time period —War War I— and knew nothing about this pandemic. It was saddening to read about the anti immigrant sentiment —mostly geared toward Germans —, misplaced patriotism, paranoia and all the horrific acts human beings are capable of because of fear, ignorance, power or war. What’s even more saddening is that this is still going on, it’s cyclic, what’s different is the war and the ethnic origin of those suffering from the discrimination and persecution.
In the middle of all of this there’s a compelling love story, an interesting array of side characters, and the paranormal stuff. I was expecting more ghost, and that to be the focus, so I felt the premise and title was very misleading.
Spoiler
Until it wasn’t! I have to admit I didn’t see the twist coming, I guess I had given up on the paranormal side of the story. I mean, I knew Daniel was dead a minute before it was revealed (what a genius!🥇), and once it was revealed it was natural for me to expect Ivy and the rest of the characters to be dead too🏆. I loved that, and it’s the reason I gave it an additional half star.I was immersed in it but I like more plot driven stories, so this dragged a bit for me and was a tad too repetitive, I was almost bored in some parts. Ivy got on my nerves because of her indecision. Nela and Addie also bothered me a lot because they were too demanding of Ivy.
Spoiler
Of course, once you find out they’re dead you can understand their behavior.In the end I do recommend it if you like slower paced stories, historical fiction and don’t mind some supernatural sprinkled in.
tobyyy's review against another edition
2.0
I cannot. There was just too much going on for such a little book... way too many different themes were all vying for attention and I just couldn’t do it.
Winters’ writing style is fantastic, though, in terms of her use of descriptive language and characterization... so I won’t totally discount her and at some point in the future, may try to read one of her other books. But for now, I am sad and bereft as I was seriously looking forward to this book.
So, for plot: 1/5 stars.
But for writing ability (description and characterization as well as the more technical aspects — sentence structure, grammar, etc.): 4/5.
Overall rating: 2/5.
Winters’ writing style is fantastic, though, in terms of her use of descriptive language and characterization... so I won’t totally discount her and at some point in the future, may try to read one of her other books. But for now, I am sad and bereft as I was seriously looking forward to this book.
So, for plot: 1/5 stars.
But for writing ability (description and characterization as well as the more technical aspects — sentence structure, grammar, etc.): 4/5.
Overall rating: 2/5.
bespectacled_bibliophile's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
DNF at 53%.
This could have been great...if the author chose one things to focus on. You have Spanish Flu, racism, anti-German sentiments during WWI, and that was clearly just too much for this author.
There are too many characters, some we meet and some who keep getting mentioned (I do not care about Ivy's 10 friends from her teen years). Ivy ends up creating these strong bonds with people within seconds of meeting them. Its just ridiculous.
Also, can we talk about the first time Ivy and Daniel hook up? Because that was heavy on the coercion, and pretty lacking in the consent. Eww.
I had previously written In the Shadow of Blackbirds by the same author and had enjoyed it. But this was so utterly disappointing that I don't believe I'll pick up another by her.
This could have been great...if the author chose one things to focus on. You have Spanish Flu, racism, anti-German sentiments during WWI, and that was clearly just too much for this author.
There are too many characters, some we meet and some who keep getting mentioned (I do not care about Ivy's 10 friends from her teen years). Ivy ends up creating these strong bonds with people within seconds of meeting them. Its just ridiculous.
Also, can we talk about the first time Ivy and Daniel hook up? Because that was heavy on the coercion, and pretty lacking in the consent. Eww.
I had previously written In the Shadow of Blackbirds by the same author and had enjoyed it. But this was so utterly disappointing that I don't believe I'll pick up another by her.
waclements7's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book. It’s a somewhat strange time to read it because in some ways, while the players have changed, and we don’t have an influenza right now, the general atmosphere feels a little like the present. Our influenza is the alt right, I suppose, and it’s terribly sad that people don’t learn.
I really liked the incorporation of music, because so often it is what can join people of all kinds together. I don’t want to talk too much about it because I don’t want to give anything away, but I will just say I was surprised.
I identified especially with Ivy—her character resonated with me, especially in her attempts to make wrongs right.
Recommended.
I really liked the incorporation of music, because so often it is what can join people of all kinds together. I don’t want to talk too much about it because I don’t want to give anything away, but I will just say I was surprised.
I identified especially with Ivy—her character resonated with me, especially in her attempts to make wrongs right.
Recommended.
withthebanned's review against another edition
5.0
We follow Ivy as she leaves her childhood home behind. She does her best to move on from the violence and guilt that her family brings. As Ivy leaves home, she walks by the store in which her father and brother committed a horrible act of violence and finds Daniel Schendel down on the floor, doing his best to remove the blood from his floorboards. Ivy does her best to push into Daniel’s life and provide him with some sort of solace to replace the guilt that she feels from her family’s crime. Over time, the two are able to build something beautiful despite the horror that is right outside their door.
"I know he's in mourning and a tragic figure, which I'm sure melts your poetry-loving heart."
This novel broke my heart in the very best way. Like other novels by Cat Winters, Ivy is living in a rather difficult time for women. Therefore the growth of her character was truly amazing to watch. Her strength shone through the terror and ugliness of the time in which she is living, I especially liked her role in driving an ambulance for the Red Cross. Daniel grows in his own way as well, and learns to trust that not everyone is as hateful and close-minded as those he had come in contact with prior to meeting Ivy. The secondary characters have their own layered and interesting personalities and I found that I really cared about each one.
As you may know, I adore Cat Winters and her novels. I find them to be some of the most atmospheric and deep feeling novels that I have ever read. The Uninvited was no different, in fact, I fell even more in love with this novel than the prior two that I have read. One of the things that I have been wanting with the atmosphere and mystery that surrounds novels by Cat Winters is more romance. More adult, curl your toes with passion romance. I am so happy to tell you that The Uninvited is filled to the brim with these passionate encounters. Being that Ivy is older and that the novel was more adult than the author’s other novels we are able to see a positively fantastic plot element that I so desperately needed.
“Out there,” he nodded toward the window. “is chaos. In here, it’s paradise. We found paradise, Liebling. But you have to keep coming back to get it.”
The Uninvited was filled with horror, hatred, and so much ugliness. However, with every bleak moment there was a moment of hope and even love. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking in so many ways, I read it months ago and still cannot stop thinking about it.
Shelf Talker: There is so much to be said about The Uninvited. It is a truly beautiful and atmospheric historical fiction novel filled with paranormal elements, phenomenal plot twists, jazz, and a romance that will make your heart ache. Cat Winters has most definitely become one of my “auto-buy” authors, I can’t get enough of her work.
"I know he's in mourning and a tragic figure, which I'm sure melts your poetry-loving heart."
This novel broke my heart in the very best way. Like other novels by Cat Winters, Ivy is living in a rather difficult time for women. Therefore the growth of her character was truly amazing to watch. Her strength shone through the terror and ugliness of the time in which she is living, I especially liked her role in driving an ambulance for the Red Cross. Daniel grows in his own way as well, and learns to trust that not everyone is as hateful and close-minded as those he had come in contact with prior to meeting Ivy. The secondary characters have their own layered and interesting personalities and I found that I really cared about each one.
As you may know, I adore Cat Winters and her novels. I find them to be some of the most atmospheric and deep feeling novels that I have ever read. The Uninvited was no different, in fact, I fell even more in love with this novel than the prior two that I have read. One of the things that I have been wanting with the atmosphere and mystery that surrounds novels by Cat Winters is more romance. More adult, curl your toes with passion romance. I am so happy to tell you that The Uninvited is filled to the brim with these passionate encounters. Being that Ivy is older and that the novel was more adult than the author’s other novels we are able to see a positively fantastic plot element that I so desperately needed.
“Out there,” he nodded toward the window. “is chaos. In here, it’s paradise. We found paradise, Liebling. But you have to keep coming back to get it.”
The Uninvited was filled with horror, hatred, and so much ugliness. However, with every bleak moment there was a moment of hope and even love. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking in so many ways, I read it months ago and still cannot stop thinking about it.
Shelf Talker: There is so much to be said about The Uninvited. It is a truly beautiful and atmospheric historical fiction novel filled with paranormal elements, phenomenal plot twists, jazz, and a romance that will make your heart ache. Cat Winters has most definitely become one of my “auto-buy” authors, I can’t get enough of her work.