Review: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (October 10, 1983)
Age Group: Adult
Pages (Paperback): 164
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780307950215
Genre: Horror/Historical

Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford—a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway—to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow’s house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images—a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child’s scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black. Psychologically terrifying and deliciously eerie, The Woman in Black is a remarkable thriller of the first rate.

______________________________________________________

Overview: 

Don't go into this book expecting it to be the movie. Don't go into this book hoping for resolution. This book is extremely dense to read without any real events occurring. This book did not give enough of an experience for the effort that I put into sifting through the thickness of descriptors and historical atmosphere. A quick albeit disappointing selection.

Review:

There are times when we cannot remove the expectations that we have of something going into it and this book was an unfortunate victim of that scenario. I watched the movie for this book before even knowing it was a book and I kept the expectations of the relatively entertaining book when I went into this historical book. In a book to movie adaptation, we tend to think that the book is always better. In this instance, the movie should not only be given its own identity but I did find it better than the book.

Perhaps it is against my reading style but this book was written in a historical style that hinted at classic. This was the type of writing that focused on building atmosphere but instead makes the reading dense and heavy. This may or may not have effected the way that I experienced the haunting that this story focuses around.

The pacing that was used to setup the haunting was well done but there was an existing problem with the amount of actual events or action that kept the story propelled. I was also disappointed in the lack of resolution that came with the ending of the story. I wasn't looking for anything heroic or magnificent but the ghost story took some leaps in the end that were just ill placed.

Overall, this story was disappointing and not a fulfilling haunted story. It accomplished a historic and chilling tone but that was all that was successful about this selection.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Quirk Publishing (June 7, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (eBook): 225
Source: Bought
ISBN-13: 9781594745133
Genre: Historical/Paranormal
Author: Twitter | Website

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
_______________________________________________________________

Overview:

Ransom Riggs has created a naturally creepy world within reality. Focusing on Jacob and the mission he undergoes after the death of his grandfather, we are introduced to some of the most unique characters YA may have ever seen. This historical fiction set September 1940 is slowly paced but packs interesting twists and riveting detail. However, the ending, while it is sophisticated and realistic, is not what one would expect from a stand-alone read.

Review:

This dual genre selection is a wonderfully, chilling creation by a talented writer. This book and its cover set you up to believe that you might just be in for the haunted thrill ride of your reading life; but instead, you get an unraveling mystery and the dangers of the peculiar world.

This book is hauntingly paranormal yet oddly contemporary even in such a historical setting. The story is deep and the vintage photographs adds a new and interesting dimension to the book. However, some of the images are difficult to really understand what is going on. I understand they're vintage and authentic but at a certain point the lack of clarity in the images hinders the usefulness of it, but they were still very unique and effective.

What was most impressive was that the images were so relevant and integral to the description of the characters. The characters all had such unique and individually defined personalities that they were all stars of this book. In some instances, the naming choices tended to run together and left me sorting through the character list to make sure I knew who I was reading about.

The implementation of the plot throughout the entire book is fantastically well done but the book still lacked a strong pace. In the beginning, before finding the house, the story was drudgery. There was no solid indication of the things that would later blow our minds, there was no significant action, just a slow introduction to what might be a delusional 18-year-old boy.

Overall, this book could very well be a stand alone but it left me with a sense of a cliffhanger; perhaps something more is in store for the peculiar children, but maybe not. The ending was a little sudden and wasn't definitive enough for me to enjoy the fact that this was intended as a stand alone.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: HarperTeen (April 28, 2009)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 338
Series: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia (Book 1)
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780061730214
Genre: Historical/Fantasy

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.

Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.

It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.

__________________________________________________________

Overview:

This book provided a great setting with accurate historical lore for China. The setting was flawless and the realism allowed you to be pulled into the story with all the rich details Pon provides. The characters are well rounded and Ai Ling shows a level of bravery that is deep within herself throughout the whole book with or without Chen Yong. While all of this provided a strong base for the story, and the supernatural element was tastefully added, something was missing from this book. I enjoyed the story and the plot but it wasn't gripping but the battles were close in timeline and always plain when considering the epic fantasy tendency this book is given.

Review:

This book is beautiful. From the cover to the concept to the writing, it is absolutely lovely. Pon does an amazing job at setting the historical stage for the setting we find ourselves in. The facts of this book and its historical context is so accurate and breath taking; it is easily my favorite part of the book. I would love to delve more into what life is like for Ai Ling in the time period. The intricacies of something as simple as her bound hair give a dynamic and life to the book that the characters and plot alone could not accomplish.

In turn, the setting is nothing without the story. Ai Ling is such a fierce female. She is strong and determined and it is easy to feel and revel in her determination to find her father. In her journey, she struggles and faces great adversity but understands the importance of the mission she set upon and never wavers in her strength to continue. Chen Yong, the male lead, is an easily likeable character as well. Strong, chilvarous, and handsome, he is hardy and worth all the interest Ai Ling can manage to give him.

Though the setting, plot and characters were strong, something kept throwing me off while I was reading this. I was not hooked into the story by the throat and was easily able to set it down for a reading break. This may be in part to the way that battles were written in this book. Pon threw Ai Ling up against some of the most unimaginable evil and yet in the span of moments the battle was over. After the first two or three occurrences, I felt the idea of battle was monotonous and lacked appropriate plot manifestations.

This book is preceded by the sequel, Fury of the Phoenix. I hope for more information on Silver Phoenix to be revealed and more interaction and development of what could be between Ai Leng and Chen Yong. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction or epic fantasy. It has characteristics that most fantasy lovers will thoroughly enjoy.

Rating out of 5: