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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this book. Maud is a wonderfully realistic character, and I really feel for her. It’s a little hard to read at first because you know early on that she’s going to get her heart broken, but you can also see that there are a lot of people around her who love her that she just doesn't realize. I also liked that the book portrayed people who sought out seances sympathetically, rather than as foolish twits who deserved to be separated from their money like most books do. I did find the ending kind of pat, but that’s to be expected given the intended audience’s age, and the book at least keeps you guessing about the mechanics of it.
The pace was perfect. A slow, character-driven story. Complex characters. You get emotionally drawn in to this world. A twist in the latter pages that I did not see coming. Excellent, excellent read!
Read my full review at my blog Tree, Root, and Twig
Read my full review at my blog Tree, Root, and Twig
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a story that grabbed me from the very start and I could not put down. Read it in an afternoon. I can't wait to read more by Ms Schlitz!
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of this book is unique: 11-year old Maud Flynn is adopted by three spinster sisters for the purpose of impersonating a drowned child in false séances that will scam a grief-stricken mother out of $5000.
In fact, it’s such a wild premise that every moment the book chooses to focus on other plot points feels like a waste of time. Once the “spiritualist” side of the book kicked in (about 1/3rd of the way through), my attention was fully engaged, but until then, the plot dragged.
Certain elements of the book are also confusing or unclear. For example, why does Maud need to have an older brother? His appearance changes nothing--[Maud doesn’t return to her biological siblings , nor does she even seem pleased to see him. I suppose he was included to illustrate the way Maud has always been passed over/left behind, but this could have been easily demonstrated without the unnecessary complication of secret siblings.
However, the relationship between Maud and Hyacinth was well drawn. Hyacinth is, at her core, selfish, manipulative, and emotionally abusive, and the devastation her alternating love/rejection works on Maud felt true to life. Maud is an orphan looking for a fairy godmother, and she must learn the bitter truth that this fairy godmother sees her as nothing more than an object to be used.
The ending of A Drowned Maiden’s Hair is tidy, perhaps too tidy(I personally would have preferred Maud to return to her brother and younger sister) , but I will take a happy ending over a sad one any day.
3.75 stars.
In fact, it’s such a wild premise that every moment the book chooses to focus on other plot points feels like a waste of time. Once the “spiritualist” side of the book kicked in (about 1/3rd of the way through), my attention was fully engaged, but until then, the plot dragged.
Certain elements of the book are also confusing or unclear. For example, why does Maud need to have an older brother? His appearance changes nothing--
However, the relationship between Maud and Hyacinth was well drawn. Hyacinth is, at her core, selfish, manipulative, and emotionally abusive, and the devastation her alternating love/rejection works on Maud felt true to life. Maud is an orphan looking for a fairy godmother, and she must learn the bitter truth that this fairy godmother sees her as nothing more than an object to be used.
The ending of A Drowned Maiden’s Hair is tidy, perhaps too tidy
3.75 stars.
This was a good story. An orphan gets adopted by three sisters so she can help them fake a seance.
The designation of this book as "a melodrama" kind of says it all. It's a marvelously baroque tale of orphanages, spiritualism, and family secrets, with enough of the supernatural to give the reader a slight shiver. While it is indeed melodramatic, it also at times genuinely tugs at one's emotions, and Maud, the main character, is a true delight.
When I first saw the cover I didn't think much of the book, but after I started reading the book I couldn't put it down! So captivating and real are the struggles of Maud.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes