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whatsheread's review against another edition
Grief is a tricky thing. It can cause someone to give up, to barricade oneself behind closed doors and remove oneself from the world as a way to compensate. Conversely, it can cause one to romanticize the past, to view a relationship through rose-colored glasses and consider past situations as better than they actually were. Yet, no matter how one reacts to grief, the one overarching issue that everyone has is the lack of closure. It is this need for closure in which the Stewart twins find themselves ensnared.
The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead explores this world of grief through the eyes of Emily, as she deals with the repercussions of her actions and understands just how far one is willing to go to obtain closure with a dearly departed. The story ultimately crosses generations, with Emily uncovering family secrets and the impact of grief on her own ancestors. These secrets are intriguing, but Emily's reactions to them are what make the story. Emily is an interesting character, seemingly heartless and yet filled with guilt. Watching Emily uncover the power she has over people and struggling with this guilt is at once horrifying and yet hopeful. She understands that she is fulfilling a need within people's lives, and her discovery of just how tenuous the line is between helping and hurting is fascinating.
For those who are have read about the Fox sisters in previous novels, like Deborah Noyes' Captivity, it would be easy to dismiss The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Yet, unlike these other novels, Mr. Elwork explores the deception behind the Spiritualism movement and how easy it would be to take advantage of grieving people with minimal effort. This approach is refreshing in its honesty, and yet, he writes in such a way that the line between fact and fiction is blurred, and what seems like deception becomes a form of therapy.
The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead is one of those novels that sounds simple in its concept but ends up being so much more detailed in its execution. To describe it as a novel about grief is too simplistic, as is the idea that it is about deception. It is about that and so much more. When done poorly, something this complicated could be confusing and distracting. However, Mr. Elwork is able to bring together all the of the elements in a most effective manner, creating a story that is creepy and yet heart wrenching. Amy Einhorn Books has done it again with a novel that is fresh and immensely enjoyable in a psychologically uncomfortable way.
The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead explores this world of grief through the eyes of Emily, as she deals with the repercussions of her actions and understands just how far one is willing to go to obtain closure with a dearly departed. The story ultimately crosses generations, with Emily uncovering family secrets and the impact of grief on her own ancestors. These secrets are intriguing, but Emily's reactions to them are what make the story. Emily is an interesting character, seemingly heartless and yet filled with guilt. Watching Emily uncover the power she has over people and struggling with this guilt is at once horrifying and yet hopeful. She understands that she is fulfilling a need within people's lives, and her discovery of just how tenuous the line is between helping and hurting is fascinating.
For those who are have read about the Fox sisters in previous novels, like Deborah Noyes' Captivity, it would be easy to dismiss The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Yet, unlike these other novels, Mr. Elwork explores the deception behind the Spiritualism movement and how easy it would be to take advantage of grieving people with minimal effort. This approach is refreshing in its honesty, and yet, he writes in such a way that the line between fact and fiction is blurred, and what seems like deception becomes a form of therapy.
The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead is one of those novels that sounds simple in its concept but ends up being so much more detailed in its execution. To describe it as a novel about grief is too simplistic, as is the idea that it is about deception. It is about that and so much more. When done poorly, something this complicated could be confusing and distracting. However, Mr. Elwork is able to bring together all the of the elements in a most effective manner, creating a story that is creepy and yet heart wrenching. Amy Einhorn Books has done it again with a novel that is fresh and immensely enjoyable in a psychologically uncomfortable way.
hollowbook's review against another edition
5.0
Really good. I took my time reading it, because it was such a pleasure.
kellyhager's review
4.0
Shortly after their thirteenth birthday (in 1925), Emily and Michael start holding seances (for lack of a better word) with the neighborhood children. Emily's found that she can crack her ankle in such a way that nobody can see it move and it sounds like a knock. They call them "spirit knockings" and the children all agree to not tell their respective parents or family members. But, of course, that ends up not being true.
I really enjoyed this story, which is a combination of a family saga (there are several flashback chapters about the twins' ancestors) and a coming of age story. I can't condemn Emily for pretending to be able to contact the dead---she does it out of a desire to help people; she's not making fun. But wow, such a cruel thing to do.
This is such a creepy story, too---while the seances are fake, ghosts are all over this story. Recommended.
I really enjoyed this story, which is a combination of a family saga (there are several flashback chapters about the twins' ancestors) and a coming of age story. I can't condemn Emily for pretending to be able to contact the dead---she does it out of a desire to help people; she's not making fun. But wow, such a cruel thing to do.
This is such a creepy story, too---while the seances are fake, ghosts are all over this story. Recommended.
tundragirl's review
3.0
I wish this novel had picked a direction and stuck with it. I was really interested in the family history of these twins, but just when things got interesting, and juicy stuff was hinted at, we went back to the boring business of the girl being able to throw sounds with her ankle. Better focus would have improved this book a lot.
wictory's review
1.0
It sounded really great. But it put me off almost immediately. In a foreword, the author explains that he ripped the whole story off of a pair of sisters in upstate New York in the 1920s and apologizes that the story inspired him, but that he didn't quite do it justice and he begs the reader to forgive him. I really can't appreciate an author with no confidence.
The story is weak, and it is VERY based on the Fox sisters and relies on boredom and unexplained coincidence (a ridiculous ankle bone trick) as the crux of the plot. Weak!
The story is weak, and it is VERY based on the Fox sisters and relies on boredom and unexplained coincidence (a ridiculous ankle bone trick) as the crux of the plot. Weak!
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