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angelcwrites's review against another edition
4.0
VERY creepy. While it was quite short, I am glad that Dunkle didn't draw the suspense out too long. I thought the plot was excellent and its ties to Wuthering Heights made my literary heart sing. Definitely going to buy this book...as soon as I get over the terrifying cover.
saemiligr's review against another edition
1.0
I found myself more aggravated than anything else. Maybe I've read to many spoopy books but I saw the twist a mile away it was more annoying when the main characters bumbled around. The use of no name for the male character was also not needed. Even in another language you can pick up a name. Also constantly calling him a heathen and acting holier than thou. Also it reads as if the author never been around children.
amandapearl2's review against another edition
3.0
Confession time. I have never read Wuthering Heights. I don't really know what it's about. I know there's a boy named Heathcliff and he's a bit of a douche to a girl named Cathy, but beyond that I got nothing. The House of Dead Maids reads like a middle grade prequel/inspiration story for Wuthering Heights. I think it would be great for a middle school student to help introduce them to the more Bronte/Austen style of writing. I could see The House of Dead Maids being used in a middle school classroom and then Wuthering Heights being taught later in High School.
The House of Dead Maids is very creepy. I could totally see it being an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark. The story telling and pacing are very well done and while it isn't extremely scary, it maintains a level of suspense throughout the entire novel. I also thought the ending of The House of Dead Maids was very clever. I liked how it ties in the Bronte sisters and hints at the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. It an interesting addition to the Wuthering Heights tale, and it has definitely made me want to read Wuthering Heights.
Overall The House of Dead Maids is a great middle grade Gothic tale that maintains a a suspenseful tone without becoming too scary. I think will help spur an interest in classics in young readers and I would recommend it to any reader who is looking for a quick and ghostly story.
The House of Dead Maids is very creepy. I could totally see it being an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark. The story telling and pacing are very well done and while it isn't extremely scary, it maintains a level of suspense throughout the entire novel. I also thought the ending of The House of Dead Maids was very clever. I liked how it ties in the Bronte sisters and hints at the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. It an interesting addition to the Wuthering Heights tale, and it has definitely made me want to read Wuthering Heights.
Overall The House of Dead Maids is a great middle grade Gothic tale that maintains a a suspenseful tone without becoming too scary. I think will help spur an interest in classics in young readers and I would recommend it to any reader who is looking for a quick and ghostly story.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent creepy book! Loved it! Another great Clare Dunkle book! Must read more!!!
pqlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I can't wait to get this one - there's something about this cover that is really drawing me to this book.
I was surprised to discover that this seems on the Juvenile side, but it's still a good read. The writing style takes you back to the time period this takes place - it feels like it was written 100 years ago. So far, very good.
LOVED the ending!
I was surprised to discover that this seems on the Juvenile side, but it's still a good read. The writing style takes you back to the time period this takes place - it feels like it was written 100 years ago. So far, very good.
LOVED the ending!
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! What an inventive book...a classic "What if...." What if Tabby Ackroyd, maid to the Bronte brood, had an incredible adventure with a little boy much like the young Heathcliff? What if she told the Bronte sisters her stories and Emily fashioned them into her Wuthering Heights?
I've always wondered where the story of Heathcliff and Cathy came from. Haworth was one of my mother's favorite places to visit, and she filled me with stories of the quiet, the isolation, of the place. I know Jane Eyre is semi-autobiographical, so much of that story was braided with memories and experiences. But WHERE in the world did Wuthering Heights come from? Not from experience, not from memories...where??
Dunkle supplies us with a possible answer. What if Emily absorbed the fantastical stories Tabby told them? What if Tabby's stories weren't so fantastical after all, but true ghost stories of a place barely civilized, a place where ancient pagan rituals were commonplace, where ghosts and dead maids and masters walked the moors? What if a wild child whose only name was 'Heathen's git' shared fierce months with Tabby in a brooding, mysterious house filled with memories and dread?
This story gave me shivers and inspired me to reread Wuthering Heights...my friends and I have decided every woman is either Cathy or Jane...I'm definitely Jane, but now I want to explore Cathy's life again.
When I visited the author's website I was moved to tears, looking at those amazing pictures, thinking of my parents walking that same graveyard, looking over those moors. This book touched me in so many ways...the dead maids will haunt me now, as well as Tabby.
I've always wondered where the story of Heathcliff and Cathy came from. Haworth was one of my mother's favorite places to visit, and she filled me with stories of the quiet, the isolation, of the place. I know Jane Eyre is semi-autobiographical, so much of that story was braided with memories and experiences. But WHERE in the world did Wuthering Heights come from? Not from experience, not from memories...where??
Dunkle supplies us with a possible answer. What if Emily absorbed the fantastical stories Tabby told them? What if Tabby's stories weren't so fantastical after all, but true ghost stories of a place barely civilized, a place where ancient pagan rituals were commonplace, where ghosts and dead maids and masters walked the moors? What if a wild child whose only name was 'Heathen's git' shared fierce months with Tabby in a brooding, mysterious house filled with memories and dread?
This story gave me shivers and inspired me to reread Wuthering Heights...my friends and I have decided every woman is either Cathy or Jane...I'm definitely Jane, but now I want to explore Cathy's life again.
When I visited the author's website I was moved to tears, looking at those amazing pictures, thinking of my parents walking that same graveyard, looking over those moors. This book touched me in so many ways...the dead maids will haunt me now, as well as Tabby.
hannahwales3's review against another edition
3.0
This book was...fine. It was a real quick read and it was compelling enough. I would like to say that I called the Wuthering Heights thing from like, Chapter 2. However, the way it was incorporated in the end felt super clunky. Overall, fine enough. It had a spooky air and it felt like a good beginner's horror novel. The protagonist was interesting enough. The little boy's character was fine enough, but it really relied on that payoff of learning he would become Heathcliff in the end. Besides that, if you hadn't read Wuthering Heights, it just wouldn't pay off at all. If you're into Wuthering Heights, maybe check it out? It was a fine, quick read.
sickwithsin's review against another edition
2.0
Just finished reading The House of Dead Maids ... and I'm not sure what to think of it.
On one hand, I'm wishing that it had been a standalone novel. With some decent plot (and character) development, Dead Maids could have been a ripping ghost story - instead there's just barely enough plot to connect the story to Wuthering Heights. The end of Dead Maids gets wrapped up in a neat little bow - which dulls some of the fright and suspense of the previous pages.Somehow Tabby's story ends up being both a prelude to and inspiration for Wuthering Heights. What?
On the other hand, this novel did almost kind of make me want to read Wuthering Heights, so mission accomplished I suppose ...
Yeah, no. The House of Dead Maids could have been great, should have been standalone. Two stars for wasted potential.
On one hand, I'm wishing that it had been a standalone novel. With some decent plot (and character) development, Dead Maids could have been a ripping ghost story - instead there's just barely enough plot to connect the story to Wuthering Heights. The end of Dead Maids gets wrapped up in a neat little bow - which dulls some of the fright and suspense of the previous pages.
On the other hand, this novel did almost kind of make me want to read Wuthering Heights, so mission accomplished I suppose ...
Yeah, no. The House of Dead Maids could have been great, should have been standalone. Two stars for wasted potential.
iilex's review against another edition
4.0
I was wary before reading this, because a lot of the Goodreads reviews are fairly negative. I'm glad I took a chance, however, because I actually really liked The House of Dead Maids.
Here are a few things you should know before reading: this is older middle grade/very young YA - if you're looking for a book for older teens, you won't like this. But if you're like me and like MG, then you'll be fine. Secondly, don't think of this as a prequel to Wuthering Heights. I know it's billed as that, but the book has very little connection to Wuthering Heights. That's not a bad thing, but if you were hoping for an actual prequel, you'll be disappointed. I feel sort of bad, because I liked this book and I don't think the author deserves so many negative reviews!
The House of Dead Maids is a nice little ghost story. It's deliciously creepy and I love the historical setting. Even though it's not deeply explored, I like the conflict here of ancient pagan customs vs. 19th century Christianity (just to note: there's probably nothing realistic about the rites depicted here, but I'd imagine that there were legends about them anyway). This book read a lot like an old gothic novel, which I also liked. This was a very short book, and I read it within a couple of hours - I consider those hours well-spent. This was a lovely spooky MG/YA gothic.
Here are a few things you should know before reading: this is older middle grade/very young YA - if you're looking for a book for older teens, you won't like this. But if you're like me and like MG, then you'll be fine. Secondly, don't think of this as a prequel to Wuthering Heights. I know it's billed as that, but the book has very little connection to Wuthering Heights. That's not a bad thing, but if you were hoping for an actual prequel, you'll be disappointed. I feel sort of bad, because I liked this book and I don't think the author deserves so many negative reviews!
The House of Dead Maids is a nice little ghost story. It's deliciously creepy and I love the historical setting. Even though it's not deeply explored, I like the conflict here of ancient pagan customs vs. 19th century Christianity (just to note: there's probably nothing realistic about the rites depicted here, but I'd imagine that there were legends about them anyway). This book read a lot like an old gothic novel, which I also liked. This was a very short book, and I read it within a couple of hours - I consider those hours well-spent. This was a lovely spooky MG/YA gothic.