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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
I first read threw the book and was very confused at the relationship between them. I then come to face with the fact that back then they had to marry in the family and then it made more sense to me.
I didn't really have any idea what this was about when I picked it up but I was pleasantly surprised. I do wish the some of the captions/letters were larger though. I had a hard time reading some of the handwriting in the illustrations. The book was creepy and atmospheric and kept me on my toes. I had an inkling of who the villain might be but I was still hoping that it was going to be someone else. Definitely recommended!
The aesthetic of this is beautiful and really gothic and I would have loved giving it 5 stars for that but even though it was a well written middle grade I didn't enjoy reading the story as much as I did looking at it
Jennie and her twin were orphaned and sent to live with their mother's half brother. Jennie's twin brother and her cousins, including her cousin she is betrothed to, have joined the army to fight in the Civil War. Jennie's twin has died, her bethrothed died mysteriously, and her other cousin tells a story to Jennie about her fiance's death that she can't believe. What really happened? And what will happen to Jennie.
Maybe I would have liked it better if I were younger. Assigned for a course. Beautiful illustrations and the research that went into this book shows.
I love ghost stories. They are something new to me and so they are still unique. I haven't read very many but Picture The Dead ranks high among the ones that I have read and makes me very interested in reading more.
Jennie Lovell does not have an easy life. After being orphaned, she and her twin, Toby, are forced to live with their Aunt Clara and Uncle Henry. Things aren't too terrible though because Will and Quinn are there. Things get even better when Jennie falls in love with Will and he ask her to marry him. All that changes though when all three boys join up and are sent to fight in the civil war. Quinn is the only one who makes it home alive. But Will is still there and his ghost is trying to tell Jennie something. Will she find out what it is before it's too late?
Like I said, I haven't read many ghost stories so I didn't really know what to expect. At first it was kind of creepy but the ghosts were friendly so it got better. The mystery of what Will was trying to tell Jennie was what kept me reading. I never would have guessed it. The book was definitely a quick read and not just because of the plot. There were pictures and letters in the book that were very cool and they sped the book up a bit. It wasn't just words like most YA books.
The characters were only okay to me. I liked Jennie but she was almost obsessed with the ghost which seemed to blind her to what was right in front of her. I did like that she wasn't whiny or snotty though. She grew up in a wealthy household but she was friends with the servants and actually cared for them. It was nice. Quinn, on the other hand, confused me most of the book. I understood him more at the end.
Overall, Picture The Dead is just a really good book. If you are a fan of ghost stories, check it out. Well, even if you are not a fan, I recommend it. And who knows, maybe it will make you a fan! =]
Jennie Lovell does not have an easy life. After being orphaned, she and her twin, Toby, are forced to live with their Aunt Clara and Uncle Henry. Things aren't too terrible though because Will and Quinn are there. Things get even better when Jennie falls in love with Will and he ask her to marry him. All that changes though when all three boys join up and are sent to fight in the civil war. Quinn is the only one who makes it home alive. But Will is still there and his ghost is trying to tell Jennie something. Will she find out what it is before it's too late?
Like I said, I haven't read many ghost stories so I didn't really know what to expect. At first it was kind of creepy but the ghosts were friendly so it got better. The mystery of what Will was trying to tell Jennie was what kept me reading. I never would have guessed it. The book was definitely a quick read and not just because of the plot. There were pictures and letters in the book that were very cool and they sped the book up a bit. It wasn't just words like most YA books.
The characters were only okay to me. I liked Jennie but she was almost obsessed with the ghost which seemed to blind her to what was right in front of her. I did like that she wasn't whiny or snotty though. She grew up in a wealthy household but she was friends with the servants and actually cared for them. It was nice. Quinn, on the other hand, confused me most of the book. I understood him more at the end.
Overall, Picture The Dead is just a really good book. If you are a fan of ghost stories, check it out. Well, even if you are not a fan, I recommend it. And who knows, maybe it will make you a fan! =]
Picture the Dead is one of those books that I was actually really excited to read. It had a lot of things going for it: Historical Fictional, Civil War Era, non-traditional set-up, and a Gothic tale of Spiritualism. Normally one of those is enough for me to snag a book, but all of them together and I'm there. Sadly, something in Picture the Dead fell a bit short for me. It was just one thing that really bothered, but small things throughout the book.
At the start I was pulled into the book. No punches were held when I was thrown into the story as one of the boys returns home from the battlefield. The Civil War in its last few years, and things have gotten ugly. Jennie has been plagued by the ghost of her twin brother, but he's not the only ghost whose about to return to Pritchett House.
It was the first few pages that I devoured, but about halfway through is when I had hard time staying with the story. The writing style is wonderful and Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown did so much research into the era. Not just the war, but the fashion and attitudes of the time as well. Even the pieces of Jennie's scrapbook were amazing. However the plot went a bit wonky for me.
For me there were a few chapters where the plot sort of stopped and we were stuck with this internal debate with Jennie. Who I found the longer I was with the book I didn't really like. I know the era well enough to know women didn't have a lot of option outside of a decent marriage, but I found I didn't so much care what happened to Jennie.
However I wanted to see something horrid happen to Aunt Clara.
The last thing is really me being nit-picking I think. I wanted more of the ghost story aspect. The whole chills down my spine, sleeping with the lights on moments. Which wasn't really what we got. I know our ghost was suppose to be angry, but other than Jennie telling us he was angry, I didn't see it. The after effects of the haunting were described in Jennie's appearance, but there was only maybe two good moments where we saw their anger.
Also the ending left me wanting a bit a more. I don't mind a happy, or even a happy adjacent, ending, but I wanted a bit more with the big reveal I guess. Wanted Jennie to be angrier or something. Maybe for Toby to have not have left her at all. Just something
That all being said, Picture the Dead, was a quick read that had parts I really enjoyed. I liked that these two authors didn't really hold punches when talking about the ugliness of the Civil War. A lot of people were driven to things they would never have done before the war. Even its lead to the Spiritualism Movement as more and more boys were being announce Killed in Action.
I loved their dive into the Spiritualism Movement and the photography used then to capture the ghosts of loved ones. Through my weird fascination with the Civil War and 19th Century I love the idea of the Spiritualism Movement would have been like in its height. So it was lovely to get a taste of that in Picture the Dead.
The artwork attached to the story as Jennie scrapbook was amazing however. I thought it added a nice visual as Jennie pieced things together. I was able to see the things she saw in the photos and clippings. They were also I nice way to help see the characters coming and going since a few had photos taken.
Buy, Borrow, or Skip: Borrow it. Maybe I'm too picky when it comes to ghost stories, and I missed out one something with Picture the Dead. The writing is solid and its an easy afternoon fire, curled up in blanket book.
This review, and other bookish things, can be found on my blog, Bookish Whispers!
At the start I was pulled into the book. No punches were held when I was thrown into the story as one of the boys returns home from the battlefield. The Civil War in its last few years, and things have gotten ugly. Jennie has been plagued by the ghost of her twin brother, but he's not the only ghost whose about to return to Pritchett House.
It was the first few pages that I devoured, but about halfway through is when I had hard time staying with the story. The writing style is wonderful and Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown did so much research into the era. Not just the war, but the fashion and attitudes of the time as well. Even the pieces of Jennie's scrapbook were amazing. However the plot went a bit wonky for me.
For me there were a few chapters where the plot sort of stopped and we were stuck with this internal debate with Jennie. Who I found the longer I was with the book I didn't really like. I know the era well enough to know women didn't have a lot of option outside of a decent marriage, but I found I didn't so much care what happened to Jennie.
However I wanted to see something horrid happen to Aunt Clara.
The last thing is really me being nit-picking I think. I wanted more of the ghost story aspect. The whole chills down my spine, sleeping with the lights on moments. Which wasn't really what we got. I know our ghost was suppose to be angry, but other than Jennie telling us he was angry, I didn't see it. The after effects of the haunting were described in Jennie's appearance, but there was only maybe two good moments where we saw their anger.
Also the ending left me wanting a bit a more. I don't mind a happy, or even a happy adjacent, ending, but I wanted a bit more with the big reveal I guess. Wanted Jennie to be angrier or something. Maybe for Toby to have not have left her at all. Just something
That all being said, Picture the Dead, was a quick read that had parts I really enjoyed. I liked that these two authors didn't really hold punches when talking about the ugliness of the Civil War. A lot of people were driven to things they would never have done before the war. Even its lead to the Spiritualism Movement as more and more boys were being announce Killed in Action.
I loved their dive into the Spiritualism Movement and the photography used then to capture the ghosts of loved ones. Through my weird fascination with the Civil War and 19th Century I love the idea of the Spiritualism Movement would have been like in its height. So it was lovely to get a taste of that in Picture the Dead.
The artwork attached to the story as Jennie scrapbook was amazing however. I thought it added a nice visual as Jennie pieced things together. I was able to see the things she saw in the photos and clippings. They were also I nice way to help see the characters coming and going since a few had photos taken.
Buy, Borrow, or Skip: Borrow it. Maybe I'm too picky when it comes to ghost stories, and I missed out one something with Picture the Dead. The writing is solid and its an easy afternoon fire, curled up in blanket book.
This review, and other bookish things, can be found on my blog, Bookish Whispers!
I was really excited to read this one because it had pictures leading in to each chapter, much like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The story itself is wonderful. This is a true historical fiction taking place in Massachusetts during the Civil War (1864 to be exact). The female protagonist is Cinderella-ish (relegated to the attic room but an evil aunt and forced to do housework to earn her keep) but the most exciting part of this novel is it's insight to the Spiritualist movement of this period- something I studied, and loved, in college! I take one star off because of the inclusion of the pictures. I had two issues with them: 1. The are spoilers to what happens in the chapters (I wish they were at the end of the chapters!) and 2. They were hand/ computer drawn rather than actual photographs. I felt that the took away from the validity, romance, and seriousness of the story.
dark
mysterious
This was a book I didn’t plan to read this year — it was just something I re-discovered as I went through our old books, but I suppose I’ve always been intrigued by it because it’s quite similar to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, with the use of photographs (in this case, illustrated) to aid the storytelling.
Though Picture the Dead was a short read, I still found it to be a bit slow-paced. Nevertheless, it was an immersive reading experience for me and hooked me enough that I found myself having dreams about it.
Though Picture the Dead was a short read, I still found it to be a bit slow-paced. Nevertheless, it was an immersive reading experience for me and hooked me enough that I found myself having dreams about it.
I like the atmosphere of the entire book, and I could easily envision it having a screen adaptation. As Holly Black said in her review, “[it’s] eerie, romantic, moody, and immersive.” And indeed it was.
I really enjoyed the way this story was told partially through scrapbook form. I think that this book is a great example of how multiple literacies can impact a variety of different types of readers.