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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
I thought this was very good upper middle grade/YA historical fiction. I liked the use of pictures throughout to help tell the story. I think the plot and characters needed a little more development but over all a good read.
I liked it though it felt bittersweet to me and I had higher hopes I'll admit. The book itself is stunning but I felt the style of art inside didn't match the tone of the book. Idk I wanted to like the book more than I did but it was still a good read :)
I've lately been interested in YA books with illustrations included in the pages and combined with my general admiration for Adele Griffin, I figured this was a no-brainer.
It did end up being a little bit of a mixed bag for me, although overall I liked it. I loved the pictures but there was writing included that I found hard to read especially because it was white font on black background. But the actual pictures themselves were amazing and apparently based on real examples, which makes it all that much cooler to this history nerd. I also loved that it was set during the Civil War (toward the tail-end) as that's probably my third favorite time period.
Then there was the story itself: well-written, good pacing, and plenty of suspense around the presence of the ghosts. However I didn't really feel main character Jennie Lovell. I could sympathize with her plight (unwanted ward of family, frightened of where she'll end up now that her fiance is dead). Most of the other characters didn't endear themselves to me, except for Jennie's fallen fiance Will, whose name I love (there are so many great YA boys named Will).
I also loved the inclusion of some lesser-known Civil War facts revolving around the prison Andersonville, known as Camp Sumter. I did not know that second name so I was confused at first but the author's note helped clarify and expand my knowledge-love it! I also loved the inclusion of spiritualism, a phenomenon gaining strength due to the loss of so many during the war and one that went on for a long time afterward. I've read late 1800s books with spiritualism at the center. It's interesting to imagine the possibilities of contacting your loved ones once they've passed. I also enjoyed that I read this around Halloween but it wasn't too spooky.
Overall: A well-written and illustrated book but not as strong character-wise.
It did end up being a little bit of a mixed bag for me, although overall I liked it. I loved the pictures but there was writing included that I found hard to read especially because it was white font on black background. But the actual pictures themselves were amazing and apparently based on real examples, which makes it all that much cooler to this history nerd. I also loved that it was set during the Civil War (toward the tail-end) as that's probably my third favorite time period.
Then there was the story itself: well-written, good pacing, and plenty of suspense around the presence of the ghosts. However I didn't really feel main character Jennie Lovell. I could sympathize with her plight (unwanted ward of family, frightened of where she'll end up now that her fiance is dead). Most of the other characters didn't endear themselves to me, except for Jennie's fallen fiance Will, whose name I love (there are so many great YA boys named Will).
I also loved the inclusion of some lesser-known Civil War facts revolving around the prison Andersonville, known as Camp Sumter. I did not know that second name so I was confused at first but the author's note helped clarify and expand my knowledge-love it! I also loved the inclusion of spiritualism, a phenomenon gaining strength due to the loss of so many during the war and one that went on for a long time afterward. I've read late 1800s books with spiritualism at the center. It's interesting to imagine the possibilities of contacting your loved ones once they've passed. I also enjoyed that I read this around Halloween but it wasn't too spooky.
Overall: A well-written and illustrated book but not as strong character-wise.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be...it was even better. I really enjoyed it and would definitely read it again.
Funny, I forgot I had read this book, but indeed I did last year.
I don't normally read gothic, historical fiction but this novel has given me a taste for it. Picture the Dead is the story of Jennie Lovell, a young orphaned woman living with her aunt and uncle, entirely alone now that her love, her brother, and her cousin have gone off to fight in the Civil War. Toby, her brother, is already dead. Soon Quinn, her cousin, returns injured with news of Will's death. At first everything suggests that Will died a heroic death, but Jennie soon finds out that she's not getting the whole truth of it, that there in fact might be something sinister involved.
I think some readers might recognize a bit of a Jane Eyre vibe in this novel, except that this time ghosts are genuinely involved and the ending is much more on the dark side. As much as I enjoy finally reading a stand alone novel, I almost wish this had a sequel, or that these authors would write another novel in the same category. The characters may not be entirely developed, but you do find yourself cheering for one person or another at some point. This was a satisfying read and I'd recommend it to just about anyone.
I think some readers might recognize a bit of a Jane Eyre vibe in this novel, except that this time ghosts are genuinely involved and the ending is much more on the dark side. As much as I enjoy finally reading a stand alone novel, I almost wish this had a sequel, or that these authors would write another novel in the same category. The characters may not be entirely developed, but you do find yourself cheering for one person or another at some point. This was a satisfying read and I'd recommend it to just about anyone.
Interesting and well-told story. It captured the feeling of 19th century American spiritualism perfectly. The ghostly elements were just creepy enough to work, and the plot had surprising twists. Of course no Southerner can really sympathize with the plight of Northern bankers during the Civil War (new dresses, new wallpaper, servants, food, parties, frivolous picture-taking), so it had that working against it in my reading. I was also frustrated by some of the handwritten letters that appear as part of Jennie's scrapbook, because they're hard to read. But otherwise, as I said, a highly enjoyable book with lots of suspense, chills, and twists, pulled together in a unique visual format.
I am so tired of lame characters.
Really, really tired.
This book would have been awesome if the author had taken the time to actually develop her characters. As it was, I had no clear picture of anyone (except Aunt Clara, and that's just because she's a massive cliché) and so didn't particularly care who lived, who died, or who went mad. It was all the same. Jennie was boring. Quinn was - what, tripolar? Will was a weak plot device, and what was even the POINT of Jennie's twin Toby?
The plot was scattered, too. There were a lot of random additions - Toby, Mavis, Nate, the dry descriptions of 1800s photography - that didn't mesh with the main plot. And don't even get me started on the whimper of an ending. All in all, one of the weaker ghost stories I've read.
Really, really tired.
This book would have been awesome if the author had taken the time to actually develop her characters. As it was, I had no clear picture of anyone (except Aunt Clara, and that's just because she's a massive cliché) and so didn't particularly care who lived, who died, or who went mad. It was all the same. Jennie was boring. Quinn was - what, tripolar? Will was a weak plot device, and what was even the POINT of Jennie's twin Toby?
The plot was scattered, too. There were a lot of random additions - Toby, Mavis, Nate, the dry descriptions of 1800s photography - that didn't mesh with the main plot. And don't even get me started on the whimper of an ending. All in all, one of the weaker ghost stories I've read.
Loved this! The atmosphere, the graphic novel aspect. A quick spooky read.