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sunshine_ghost's review against another edition
2.0
The story is just bad. I could pick it apart easily but just leaving it at bad provides about as much effort as it deserves. I’m only awarding it two stars because at least the setting made for some vivid mental imagery; I am overly fond of gothic southern settings.
erikawastaken's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book as a tween/teen and the plot always stuck with me - though I blame Vampire Diaries for really stirring up the memories. Thanks to the folks at r/whatsthatbook, my vague memories of a girl goes to a plantation, there are hot brothers, and magic helped me determine it was in fact this book.
In reading this, I suddenly had a strong understanding of where my interesting in dark, bully, why choose romances came from
In reading this, I suddenly had a strong understanding of where my interesting in dark, bully, why choose romances came from
charlottesometimes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
lberestecki's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
audreyintheheadphones's review
4.0
Y’ALL. All I did was go looking for a haunted house book. A little YA, a little gothic horror — something like we all read sitting in the back of 7th grade science.
What I got? Was [b:Flowers in the Attic|43448|Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1)|V.C. Andrews|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327880853s/43448.jpg|3311885] meets Angel Heart.
I am so confused. I have read many Richie Tankersley Cusick YA books and they loosely follow the Scooby Doo model of Gothic horror: someone does something spooky, everyone gets chased through mysterious hidden passages and the villain turns out to be the high school principal. This is a formula.
And yet.
This book felt like Cusick got so tired of having to pull her punches with those Scooby books that she bottled up all those punches and, after a mimosa brunch with Ms. [a:Ruby Jean Jensen|238263|Ruby Jean Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267135679p2/238263.jpg], she decided to just LET FLY with this completely over the top totally-not-at-all YA novel, which you could apparently order at a Scholastic Book Fair.
(If you are not familiar with Ms. Ruby Jean Jensen, check out [b:House of Illusions|2068081|House of Illusions|Ruby Jean Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327953337s/2068081.jpg|2073309] or [b:Wait and See|1680719|Wait and See|Ruby Jean Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327952846s/1680719.jpg|1677243]. Or just know that it seems like Jensen’s authorial monologue is consistently something like, “…Child homicide? Demon doll? ...Why not both, Ruby Jean? Why not both? With CARNIES.” 90s horror has a lot of explaining to do and a lot of therapy bills to pay, is what.)
Anyway, I am willing to swear that the result of that boozy, citrus-soaked brunch was this book.
Basically, if it seems too over-the-top for a regular 90s YA novel, you will find it right here.
So. Content warnings: *deep breath*
Incest. Rape. Cannibalism. Child abuse. The mammy trope. Full-twisting incest in the layout position straight into a punch front. Body horror and mutilation. Magical Negro trope. Suuuuuper poor parenting choices.
But that plot tho.
(More spoiler spoilers):On a 19th century plantation somewhere in the South, two brothers by different mothers (but both with luxurious flowing locks) live an affluent slave-holding life that’s interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious young family relation who happens to have body-oddy-oddy. She and Brother #1 fall in love, much to the annoyance of Brother #2. Then Brother #1 and the young family relation run away to go bone in one of the family mausoleums.
Unfortunately, they’re discovered by Brother #2, who is hopping mad, right up until they invite him to join the party.
Extra unfortunately, said party is discovered by one of the plantation slaves, who curses everyone involved in this hot mess as well as the family line in general.
And it. Gets. Weirder. From. There.
The curse involves Brother #1 needing to consume human flesh on the regular and Brother #2 being some kind of teleporting uber-creep, plus, for a big finale, unless the two of them manage to knock up their female relations, everyone vanishes in a puff of smoke.
This works for about a hundred years, until the 2nd to last of their female line loses her mind after getting pregnant by her great-great-great-great-great-great-uncles and runs away. She goes progressively less sane and then for some reason her daughter returns to the ancestral manse.
People, this is why you need to talk to your children about family curses.
As you might imagine, the ancestral manse is not a happy place, what with the cannibal and creepy versions of the Nelson brothers running loose and kidnapping people as entrees, plus the original slave who started it all hanging about throwing snakes at people. (She is still Big Mad.)
Here is the thing, though: with all this going on (*gestures at, well, all this and a yard full of family mausoleums*) this book still passes the Bechdel test.
I am as shocked as you, although possibly less shocked because after reading this book I am not sure I will ever be shocked again. Do not go into this expecting a nuanced reflection of the roots of family or slavery or inter-generational trauma. This is none of those books. This is a wild horror hootenanny 1992-style. And as long as you're able to look past the kind of Dynasty: Unleashed shenanigans and super-gross ending, it's a decent haunted plantation book.
Did I mention it's not a YA?
What I got? Was [b:Flowers in the Attic|43448|Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1)|V.C. Andrews|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327880853s/43448.jpg|3311885] meets Angel Heart.
I am so confused. I have read many Richie Tankersley Cusick YA books and they loosely follow the Scooby Doo model of Gothic horror: someone does something spooky, everyone gets chased through mysterious hidden passages and the villain turns out to be the high school principal. This is a formula.
And yet.
This book felt like Cusick got so tired of having to pull her punches with those Scooby books that she bottled up all those punches and, after a mimosa brunch with Ms. [a:Ruby Jean Jensen|238263|Ruby Jean Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267135679p2/238263.jpg], she decided to just LET FLY with this completely over the top totally-not-at-all YA novel, which you could apparently order at a Scholastic Book Fair.
(If you are not familiar with Ms. Ruby Jean Jensen, check out [b:House of Illusions|2068081|House of Illusions|Ruby Jean Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327953337s/2068081.jpg|2073309] or [b:Wait and See|1680719|Wait and See|Ruby Jean Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327952846s/1680719.jpg|1677243]. Or just know that it seems like Jensen’s authorial monologue is consistently something like, “…Child homicide? Demon doll? ...Why not both, Ruby Jean? Why not both? With CARNIES.” 90s horror has a lot of explaining to do and a lot of therapy bills to pay, is what.)
Anyway, I am willing to swear that the result of that boozy, citrus-soaked brunch was this book.
Basically, if it seems too over-the-top for a regular 90s YA novel, you will find it right here.
So. Content warnings: *deep breath*
But that plot tho.
(More spoiler spoilers):
Unfortunately, they’re discovered by Brother #2, who is hopping mad, right up until they invite him to join the party.
Extra unfortunately, said party is discovered by one of the plantation slaves, who curses everyone involved in this hot mess as well as the family line in general.
And it. Gets. Weirder. From. There.
The curse involves Brother #1 needing to consume human flesh on the regular and Brother #2 being some kind of teleporting uber-creep, plus, for a big finale, unless the two of them manage to knock up their female relations, everyone vanishes in a puff of smoke.
This works for about a hundred years, until the 2nd to last of their female line loses her mind after getting pregnant by her great-great-great-great-great-great-uncles and runs away. She goes progressively less sane and then for some reason her daughter returns to the ancestral manse.
People, this is why you need to talk to your children about family curses.
As you might imagine, the ancestral manse is not a happy place, what with the cannibal and creepy versions of the Nelson brothers running loose and kidnapping people as entrees, plus the original slave who started it all hanging about throwing snakes at people. (She is still Big Mad.)
Here is the thing, though: with all this going on (*gestures at, well, all this and a yard full of family mausoleums*) this book still passes the Bechdel test.
I am as shocked as you, although possibly less shocked because after reading this book I am not sure I will ever be shocked again. Do not go into this expecting a nuanced reflection of the roots of family or slavery or inter-generational trauma. This is none of those books. This is a wild horror hootenanny 1992-style. And as long as you're able to look past the kind of Dynasty: Unleashed shenanigans and super-gross ending, it's a decent haunted plantation book.
Did I mention it's not a YA?
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