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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
A tropical island full of secrets. Two Victorian ghosts, trapped for eternity. And a seventeen-year-old girl determined not to be next.
inhaled this story and read it in a day. The first chapter immediately drew me in and Addie was such a likeable character. Violet, however, was the star of the show. Her dialogue was perfectly creepy for a dead three year old. Her mannerisms were absolutely horrifying and how Addie responded to her was so true to character.
The descriptions of the island were gorgeous and Eulalie was perfection.
Actual rating: 4.5 rounded down.
This story is set at a haunted, isolated island, as opposed to a haunted, isolated great house, and in the oppressive heat of a tropical setting, as opposed to the oppressive darkness of a remote countryside, but nevertheless it has a very Gothic feel to it. We have an unsettling place that is the source of most of the danger that threatens the main character, a mystery that ties to secrets from the past, and some really creepy supernatural elements, including
- obsessively passionate plants
- night terrors and creepy sleepwalking
- a Peter Pan-like love interest
- actual 19th century ghosts
It's an excellent horror story, and it features a main character, Addie, that felt realistic at her age, both in her innocent naivete and in her fierce courage. I also really loved Billy's characterization, and how his friendship with Addie was handled. Characterization in general was done really well in this book, but the plot was also well-paced, with plenty of reveals (well-timed if not unexpected) and plenty of action thanks to the constant threats from the island and Addie's own athletic personality.
I had some issues with the epilogue, which while somewhat interesting felt a bit tacked on and confused me about some elements of the story, but the book concludes perfectly well without it, so it's not a great drawback. I would love to read more speculative YA from this author, which is indeed a rare feeling for me.
This story is set at a haunted, isolated island, as opposed to a haunted, isolated great house, and in the oppressive heat of a tropical setting, as opposed to the oppressive darkness of a remote countryside, but nevertheless it has a very Gothic feel to it. We have an unsettling place that is the source of most of the danger that threatens the main character, a mystery that ties to secrets from the past, and some really creepy supernatural elements, including
- obsessively passionate plants
- night terrors and creepy sleepwalking
- a Peter Pan-like love interest
- actual 19th century ghosts
It's an excellent horror story, and it features a main character, Addie, that felt realistic at her age, both in her innocent naivete and in her fierce courage. I also really loved Billy's characterization, and how his friendship with Addie was handled. Characterization in general was done really well in this book, but the plot was also well-paced, with plenty of reveals (well-timed if not unexpected) and plenty of action thanks to the constant threats from the island and Addie's own athletic personality.
I had some issues with the epilogue, which while somewhat interesting felt a bit tacked on and confused me about some elements of the story, but the book concludes perfectly well without it, so it's not a great drawback. I would love to read more speculative YA from this author, which is indeed a rare feeling for me.
As soon as I put this down I wanted to pick it up again. This would make such a good season of American Horror Story.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Captivating, brilliant and adventurous, this novel kept me rooted in its myriad of surprises and atmospheric tropical charm ! A sentient island Eulalie , whose heart belongs to a little girl who was swept ashore as the ship carrying her family capsized - is the lone survivor and the island falls in love with this girl and nurtures her as it's own. Years later a ship loses its way to find a beautiful woman with white hair - the only inhabitant of this peculiarly gorgeous island and one of the crew members Jonah Burke - an artist at heart - falls in love with this woman who calls herself Eulalie & the island accepts Jonah and makes him its own except - Jonah has a fiance waiting for him back in England. Enraged by this - Eulalie tricks Jonah and escapes with the rest of the crew, leaving Jonah behind stranded all alone while the island cradles him to itself . For over two centuries the island lives and flourishes with a few people showing up now and again until two and a half centuries later - a young girl of seventeen comes with her family for a vacation and the island finds itself stirring to this new inhabitant and starts enfolding her in its beauty and magic, because - the Island of Eulalie gets what it wants !
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes