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Disclaimer: I bought this book to read to give it an honest opinion!
The Dark Unwinding
Sharon Cameron
Pages: 318
Published: September 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Hardcover
Overview:
When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.
Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.
As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it.
My Take:
I spied this book in the store as the cover caught my attention. The stunning blue dress was just too good to pass up. Once I had the book in my hands, I read what the story was about and figured to give the book a chance.
Basically Katharine is sent off to get her Uncle committed to the asylum by her greedy Aunt so that the family fortune could be released to her aunt. o off Katarine goes on an adventure in the matters of her uncle. What she finds is that her uncle state is a not crazy, but a genius inventor. It seems that her uncle is great with numbers and somehow could be seen as crazy back then compared today where he might have a disability.
Katharine learns that her Uncle employs quite a few people and begins to feel the burden of what to do. To protect her inheritance or this strange place? What will she decide?
Her uncle's apprentice Lane Moreau requests for a 30 day delay. Katharine accepts the request and she hoped she could pull it off but realizes her Aunt may try to sneak her claws in earlier. She did the best she could.
Of course there is a bit of love going around in this book between Lane Moreau and Ben Alridge and Katharine..so who will win? What will happen? As you find the answers towards the end of the book, it made me relieved!
All the characters in this book were strong and had their own uniqueness. They all played a part of the story. Some were quiet, some were quirky, some were protective and even catches your attention from beginning to end. If you like young adult historical, then this book is for you. The one thing that jumped out at me in the book is the spinning. What is that? You have to read the book to find out.
The ending of the book left me feeling that there could be a sequel. I hope so because this book had my attention and made me wonder what was going to happen. How the story went took me by a complete surprise! Nice little gem to read.
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Cover Rating: A
Story Rating: B
Disclaimer: I bought this book to read to give it an honest opinion!
Ripper
Author: Amy Carol Reeves
Pages: 340
Publisher: Flux
Published: April 8, 2012
Overview
It's 1888, and after her mother's sudden death, Abbie is sent to live with her grandmother in a posh London neighborhood. When she begins volunteering at Whitechapel Hospital, Abbie finds she has a passion for helping the abused and sickly women there.
But within days, patients begin turning up murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper. As more women are murdered, Abbie realizes that she and the Ripper share a strange connection: she has visions showing the Ripper luring his future victims to their deaths--moments before he turns his knife upon them. Her desperation to stop the massacres leads Abbie on a perilous hunt for the killer. And her search leads to a mysterious brotherhood whose link to the Ripper threatens not just London but all of mankind.
My Review:
The cover caught my attention immediately! I purchased this book and then started to read.
The setting takes place in 19th century in London. The author immediately makes you feel like you are there during that time period. Of course I liked how Abbie gets thrown into the world of the medical field. She seems to be the type of gal that can handle anything thrown her way. If I was thrown into that situation I don't think I could handle the cases that Abbie attended to. Abbie seems very interested in learning about the medical field and wants to pursue it. I thought this was great. During that time, it was very rare for women to try to pursue this considering most were to be married and have children.
Anyways, the main character is Abbie who has a wild spirit like her mother but is living with her grandmother who wants her to act a certain way. Her grandmother wants Abbie to have the proper upbringing. Although Abbie tries to abide her grandmother's rules but she knows better than to go down that path. She's a generous, kind and a hard worker character.
While she continues to volunteer, she gets visions tied in with Jack the Ripper killing the victims. Abbie is very brave to tolerate those visions she gets. I know I would be out of mind if I saw what Jack the Ripper did. This also gets Abbie's curiosity peaked as she tries to solve who Jack the Ripper is. Abbie also feels guilty that she had to see those women die and she cared for them.
Of course there is a love triangle in this story. There is Simon and William. The one thing different about this love triangle compared to the usual one is that Simon and William are both good guys. It's not like the good guy vs the bad guy. Okay Simon genially cares about his patients and would be a great approval from Abbie's grandmother as well. Simon is a saint type of guy. Then there's William who is a great physician as well but holds back in trust a bit. Simon is a bi tore open while William is a bit more closed. Who will Abbie go for?
The ending let me wanting more. Is there a second book? I so want to see what happens next with Abbie, Simon and William. Will the Ripper get caught? What will be next?
BR>
Cover Rating: A
Story Rating: B +
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Disclaimer: I bought this book to read to give it an honest opinion!
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 1/17/2012
Pages: 352
Overview
They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love . . .
My Take
The cover on this book is stunning which caught my eye right away. As I started this book the book has Louisa reflect on her past memories to present day. I could tell right away which chapter was her past and which was the present along with the help of the font style being different. This book was well written as it captured how it felt to be an asylum during the Victorian age. It gives you quite a perspective on how things were done there.
Louisa is the main character in this book who is a strong character with the odds against her. She isn't portrayed as a normal Victorian woman as she has a sense of being a tomboy. She does want to follow her father's footsteps in the medical field which I thought was awesome. Sadly during that time, women weren't really acceptable to be doctors. She didn't have the same interests as what was normal for women during the time. She rose up to the task when everything was taken away from her during her time at the asylum. She conditions she goes through is heartbreaking but Louisa has a strong spirit. She also has help from Eliza within the asylum.
The entire book made me guess what was going to happen next for Louisa. Was she going to escape? Was she going to find out why she was put in the asylum? Would she see her family again? Would she find love? I'm not giving the whole story away.
It was quite a different read and yet I'm glad I read it. The history really gives you a perspective on how it was like back then as a woman to go through many different things. I'm glad the author wrote this book. Hope you pick up a copy today and dive right into it.
Cover Rating: A
Story Rating: B
