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  • Tag: genre: history

    • Book Review: “The Book of Life” by Deborah Harkness

      Posted at 7:42 pm by Laura, on July 19, 2014

      The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness 16054217

      Publisher: Viking
      Published: July 15, 2014
      Genre: fiction, fantasy
      ISBN: 9780670025596
      Goodreads: 4.39
      Rating: ★★★★★

      Historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

      One of three missing pages from Ashmole 782 is in Diana and Matthew’s possession. After the news of Diana’s pregnancy takes hold on the de Clermont family, the politics of the covenant and Congregation, the secrets inside the manuscript, Diana’s growing power and purpose, and Matthew’s blood rage and past guilts become more pressing than ever. From the laboratories at Yale to the many homes of Europe, from Diana’s childhood home to a deserted concentration camp in Poland, Diana and Matthew must face the world together and fight for the love, family, and future.

      harknessquote

      Once again, I’m stunned by Harkness’s brilliance. She somehow managed to write a stunning, scholarly, thrilling ending to this trilogy — all while continuing to career as a professor and academic. Wow. I bow to her. I am Fernando to her Diana.

      Like A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night, The Book of Life is filled with academic jargon across all disciplines and fields, making this reviewer long once more to be locked in a library and researching just for the sake of researching (and the hot beverages and tweed and autumn leaves and cozy warmth…I digress). Everything from modern science and DNA coding to history and art helps piece together the giant puzzle that is the connection between vampires, witches, daemons, and humans. This book could also be described as one giant family reunion, one crisis after another around every page turn. Characters from the previous books crop up and play their role, some of them more crucial than before. My heart swelled for Gallowglass, to name just one character in many.

      What’s fantastic about these characters and their secrets are how all their stories are truly interwoven, without many of them realizing it. It makes the world feel more authentic. Even more so, it humanizes these creatures — many of whom (particularly one of Matthew’s disowned offspring who is the main villain of this book) remind us that the horrors we read in books do, in fact, happen to people every day.

      Book One focused on discoveries, particularly on an all-consuming love. Book Two focused on accepting one’s identity, and the growing love between Matthew and Diana, and how the boundaries changed in that relationship. This book particularly tested them — as partners, as lovers, as mates, as parents, as creatures — and while all was not rosy, it was never without love. So beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow together. I’m sad to see the trilogy end, as I’d love to know what happens (to every character), but that’s the joy of imagination: I can think of their futures in my head and believe it to be true.

      Intelligent and exciting, the All Souls trilogy is not one to be missed.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: romance, goodreads, review
    • Top Five Books of 2013

      Posted at 7:32 pm by Laura, on December 7, 2013

      top5books2013

      Once again, 2013 was a difficult year to narrow down which books made my top five list. I read several ARCs this year (which I will not include in this challenge), as well as over 20 young adult gothic books and loads of fantasy. To see all the books I’ve read in 2013 (and to come at least in the few weeks we have left), check out my Goodreads challenge.

      In no particular order, here are my Top Five Books of 2013! To see my picks for 2012, click here. Those books still stand to be in a Top Five placement!

      1. Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole (see my review!)
        16127238The epistolary format of this book was so well done. It’s rare to find a novel written entirely in letters — and done well! Plus, paralleling the storylines between two World Wars made it all the more powerful. I could go on and on about this book — all the themes of love, war, triumphs, failures, traveling across great lands and seas, life — but I’ll leave it here in hopes you get a chance to pick up this book one day.
      2. The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle (see my review!)
        13018514This book was for my graduate thesis — and quite honestly was the one that helped me discover what I wanted to write for my thesis! I stared at it for weeks on the shelf at work, and began to wonder, “Is gothic coming back? And back in the YA format?” After those questions, I saw the gothic everywhere! So thanks, Laura Bickle, for unknowingly sparking this!
        Thesis epiphany aside, Hallowed Ones was terribly frightening. I thoroughly enjoyed it, all the gore and shock and transgressions and suspense. You’re in for a good story with this one!
      3. Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell (see my review!)
        15752152If you’re an Anglophile in any way, or if you love history and monarchies and empowering women, this is absolutely a must-read. Follow Emma of Normandy as she begins her journey as queen of what we know today as England. It’s phenomenal.
      4. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (see my review!)
        12394100I love fantasy, but I’m not one for dragon stories. This completely changed my entire perspective, and introduced me to a whole new world of YA fantasy I didn’t think was possible. Any musician, medieval history buff, and high fantasy indulger would enjoy this. Juliet Marillier’s Shadowfell is near-tie with this book.
      5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (see my review!)
        8490112Every time a friend or customer asks for a good fantasy recommendation — or any recommendation, really — I always mention this book. The setting (Prague), the topic of art, the discussion on discrimination and stereotyping, the concept of war and love and tragedy and sacrifice, was daunting yet perfect. It blew my mind, I devoured the second book, and now I can’t possibly wait any longer for the third!

      The theme for favorite books of 2013 seems to be independent, empowered (and empowering) women in history and fantasy. Not too shabby!

      What are your favorite books from 2013?

      Posted in books, Update Post | 17 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: history, genre: young adult, goodreads
    • Book Review: “Letters from Skye” by Jessica Brockmole

      Posted at 9:13 pm by Laura, on November 4, 2013

      Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole 16127238

      Publisher: Ballantine Books
      Published: July 2013
      Genre: historical fiction, WWI / WWII fiction
      ISBN: 9780345542601
      Goodreads: 3.94
      Rating: ★★★★★

      March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

      June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

      When Margaret Dunn’s mother, Elspeth, up and leaves Edinburgh in June 1940 after a series of bombs, Margaret is left with only one clue as to her whereabouts and intentions: a letter written to “Sue” from “Davey” in 1914. As Margaret searches for her mother’s past, Elspeth is searching for David Graham, an American she corresponded without before and throughout the First World War. Told entirely through letters, these women face two very different wartime atmospheres, and are determined to uncover the past that may heal the future.

      The whole concept of a book written entirely in letters fascinated me. There’s something antiquated about it, something charming, and it brought me back to a time when a response from a loved one was never instantaneous. People were open and emotional and detailed in their letters — there were few forms of communication to truly and accurately keep up with friends and family. When David mailed an obscure Scottish poet, he didn’t expect a response — and she didn’t expect a letter from anyone outside of Skye or Scotland, for that matter. Their surprises, witty quips, slow exposure of their true feelings, and later their deep love and devotion through one another, all grip you and hold you from the first page to the last.

      Another technique I really liked was Margaret’s discovery of other aspects of Elspeth’s life that Elspeth would either never mention in the letters or it would be mentioned later by Elspeth or David. For example, Elspeth and David indirectly refer to an incident between David and her brother Finlay, but it’s Finlay who writes a letter to Margaret explaining what happened. Or, in another instance, Margaret finds a letter that was never sent, which then changes the course of the book.

      Like reading a friend’s diary, this book is deeply emotional, incredibly moving, and impossible to put down.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: history, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “The Secret Daughter of the Tsar” by Jennifer Laam (ARC)

      Posted at 8:21 am by Laura, on October 14, 2013

      The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam 17286831

      Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
      Publishing Date: October 22, 2013
      Genre: historical fiction
      ISBN: 9781250040916
      Goodreads: —
      Rating: ★★★

      Veronica is an aspiring historian living in present-day Los Angeles when she meets a mysterious man who may be heir to the Russian throne. As she sets about investigating the legitimacy of his claim through a winding path of romance and deception, the ghosts of her own past begin to haunt her. Lena, a servant in the imperial Russian court of 1902, is approached by the desperate Empress Alexandra.  After conceiving four daughters, the Empress is determined to sire a son and believes Lena can help her. Once elevated to the Romanov’s treacherous inner circle, Lena finds herself under the watchful eye of the meddling Dowager Empress Marie. Charlotte, a former ballerina living in World War II occupied Paris, receives a surprise visit from a German officer. Determined to protect her son from the Nazis, Charlotte escapes the city, but not before learning that the officer’s interest in her stems from his longstanding obsession with the fate of the Russian monarchy.

      Lena, a servant in the royal household and favorite of Empress Alexandra, is asked to help Alexandra conceive a boy after giving birth to four daughters. But in 1920, when Alexandra is delirious from the medication given during labor, Dowager Empress Marie threatens Lena and strikes a bargain to help save the Russian monarchy. Fast forward to WWII occupied Paris as Charlotte flees with her ex-husband and son Laurent to Spain to escape the Germans. Fast forward to the present day, where Veronica is working on her book for tenure and failing miserably. But suddenly a Russian man named Michael seems to be the key to her future with the Romanov family.

      I was a little skeptical about reading a book with three POVs, as they can sometimes be confusing, sloppy, and muddle. Laam, however, was very consistent with her chapters, clearly marked the years and locations, and each piece of the puzzle started to fit together perfectly. This book was in no way confusing with the multiple perspectives.

      The story was enjoyable and kept my attention. It was like a journey across Europe and time, an adventure across the generations. About halfway through the novel, though, when Veronica is visiting New York and meets another claimant to the Russian throne, the circumstances seemed elevated to ludicrous proportions. The other portions of the book, with Lena and Charlotte, maintained reality at least. But after Veronica’s visit to New York, the link between the three women was obvious. I raced to the end just to see how exactly they each reacted to their situations.

      Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book for review.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: history, goodreads, review
    • Top Ten Tuesday: Books on Fall TBR List

      Posted at 10:45 am by Laura, on September 17, 2013

      Top Ten Tuesday, a concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, is a themed post that connects bloggers to bloggers, bloggers to readers, and readers to readers. Every Tuesday has a special topic, and this Tuesday is Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List, in no particular order.

      top ten tuesday

      1. The Last Enchantments by Charles Finch — An ARC I received that is very good so far! William Baker takes a year off from his life in NYC and moves to Oxford, England. While there, he’s caught up in sudden friendships and a whirlwind romance, experiences he never thought would fall into his plans away.

      2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth — Because I have to know how it ends.

      3. The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam — Another ARC I received. After falling in love with Paullina Simons’s trilogy, and then reading Natalie Standiford’s Cold War account, it seems Russian-themed fiction is destined to fall into my hands and sink deep into my heart. I have hopes for this one.

      4. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield — As a long-time fan of The Thirteenth Tale, I’m beyond excited to read this next chilling book by Setterfield! She has the power to unsettle and fascinate, and I cannot wait to read her words again.

      5. The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott — From the author that brought you The Dressmaker is another ARC due out in February 2014. This book follows a young woman who becomes a Mill Girl, and the series of events from working conditions to a murder of a fellow factory worker leads to a shocking court case based on true facts.

      6. . The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett — Hay-on-Wye, Victorian painters, Shakespeare manuscripts, lost love, books, obsession, history…This is the book for me!

      7. Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd — An ARC that will be published in January 2014, and the sequel to The Madman’s Daughter, a retelling of H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr Moreau, this book is bound to be great for Victorian London enthusiasts and fans of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

      8. Stolen by Lucy Christopher — I’m always talking about this book and recommending it to people, and yet I’ve never read it! It’s about time that I do.

      9. And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard — An ARC due out in January 2014 about a girl traumatized by a school shooting, interwoven with healing inspiration from Emily Dickinson’s works.

      10. Just One Day by Gayle Forman — Another one of those books I’m always recommending yet I’ve never read. Need to get on that.

      What are some books on your to-read list this fall?

      Posted in books, Top Ten Tuesday | 4 Comments | Tagged books, genre: dystopian, genre: gothic, genre: history, genre: mystery, goodreads, top ten tuesday
    • Book Review: “The Boy on the Bridge” by Natalie Standiford

      Posted at 8:03 am by Laura, on September 5, 2013

      The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford 16270141

      Publisher: Scholastic
      Published: July 2013
      Genre: young adult, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9780545334815
      Goodreads: 3.4
      Rating: 
      ★★★.5

      Laura Reid goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad as Cold War paranoia is peaking in 1982. She meets a young Russian artist named Alexei and soon, with Alexei as her guide, Laura immerses herself in the real Russia–a crazy world of wild parties, black-market books and music, and smuggled letters to dissidents. She must keep the relationship secret; associating with Americans is dangerous for Alexei, and if caught, Laura could be sent home and Alexei put under surveillance or worse. At the same time, she’s been warned that Soviets often latch onto Americans in hopes of marrying them and thus escaping to the United States. But she knows Alexei loves her. Right?

      Nineteen-year-old Laura Reid has always been fascinated with Russian language and culture. Russia was the country of poetry, passion, soul, violence, and despair. She studied Russian language in high school and now in college she finally has the chance to spend a semester in Leningrad and truly immerse herself in the culture in the middle of the Cold War. Homesick after two weeks and desperate to not be paranoid about the KGB, Laura begins to wonder if this opportunity was a waste. It all changes when she meets Alexei after he prevents gypsy women from snatching her wallet. His attentions seem honest, but Laura can’t help but wonder if he’s only friendly because she’s American and wants an easy ticket out of the USSR.

      My interest in this book is three-fold. First, I am my mother’s daughter, and have some strange fascination with Cold War Russia. Second, I have been to Russia, back in 2004 when I was a young teenager. I remember the very cool summer weather, glittering palaces and museums, carbonated water, strange chicken meals and beet salad, markets, and gypsy children playing accordions. In a way, I was curious to see if this Laura saw the same things I did, and viewed them the way I did: dirt poor people living among the lavish buildings, terrible food yet beautiful culture. Third, this book simply looks like a nice light read, a little love story to warm the heart.

      The third reason for my interest crashed. Laura is paranoid just like the Russians at the beginning of the book, and she does view Moscow and St. Petersburg similarly. And while this is a love story, it’s one that’s also filled with doubts and does not quite leave the heart filled with warmth and joy. Alexei, nicknamed Alyosha, is fascinated by American culture and introduces Laura to his friends. Any time Laura is with him, she believes they are in love. He means every word he says, and every interaction is filled with a natural love. Like Laura, you fall in love with Alexei when you’re with him, and have your doubts when you’re away. Does he truly love her? Or does he just want to marry her and get out of the country? And no matter which one is true, how could Laura bear it if Alexei was discovered and arrested by the KGB?

      The author could have used more descriptions, more ways to make the reader both trust and distrust Alexei, more ways the readers could love St. Petersburg while also fear it. Albeit through the most simple of sentences, it’s a heartbreaking story filled with fear and hope, love and doubt. Every page is filled with passion and emotion.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: history, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “Longbourn” by Jo Baker (ARC)

      Posted at 10:00 am by Laura, on September 4, 2013

      Longbourn by Jo Baker 17345210

      Publisher: Random House
      Publishing Date: October 8, 2013
      Genre: historical fiction
      ISBN: 9780345813602
      Goodreads: —
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      A brilliantly imagined, irresistible below-stairs answer to Pride and Prejudice: a story of the romance, intrigue and drama among the servants of the Bennet household, a triumphant tale of defying society’s expectations, and an illuminating glimpse of working-class lives in Regency England.

      Our heroine is Sarah, an orphaned housemaid beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When the militia marches into town, a new footman arrives under mysterious circumstances, and Sarah finds herself the object of the attentions of an ambitious young former slave working at neighboring Netherfield Hall, the carefully choreographed world downstairs at Longbourn threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, up-ended. From the stern but soft-hearted housekeeper to the starry-eyed kitchen maid, these new characters come vividly to life in this already beloved world.

      Orphaned housemaid Sarah mends, washes, cleans, and cooks for the Bennet household, with the help of little Polly, Mrs Hill, and Mr Hill. Life is simply a never-ending list of chores for Sarah till a mysterious new footman catches her attention. Occupied with thoughts of his origins and distracted by Bingley’s servant, Sarah and the rest of the downstairs household is turned upside down as each Bennet daughter is exposed to society’s forms of acceptable love.

      I never knew I needed to read the downstairs version of Pride & Prejudice till I read this book. It’s an absolutely fascinating account of what life was truly like in Regency England for the lower classes. How a pig not only provides meat but also soap. How the chamber pots must be taken out daily, the ways people bathed and cleaned laundry and interacted with one another. Though Sarah is only a maid, she too must abide by society’s rules and uphold the Bennet family honor. She cannot fool around or behave mischievously; it would reflect poorly on the family.

      The reader is not only given a glimpse of Sarah, but also of Mrs Hill, Mrs Bennet’s maid. We learn her history and her connections to Mr Bennet and the new footman James. Mr Collins is explored outside of Elizabeth’s painful judgment, and James’s history with the militia gives the reader further clues to Wickham’s misdemeanors. The reader is exposed to life before, during, and after the original book, and I loved reading the decisions the characters make and their motivations for their actions. Downstairs intermingles with upstairs so fluidly it was as if I was still reading the original classic.

      Thank you, Random House, for providing this book for review!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: history, review
    • Book Review: “The Book of Blood and Shadow” by Robin Wasserman

      Posted at 10:01 am by Laura, on August 2, 2013

      The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman 14823593

      Publisher: Ember
      Published: paperback July 2013
      Genre: young adult, thriller, gothic
      ISBN: 9780375872778
      Goodreads: 3.61
      Rating: ★★★★

      One night is all it takes to change Nora Kane’s life forever. Her best friend is dead; her boyfriend has vanished. And the trail of blood leads straight back to her: The person who might be responsible. The person who might be next.

      Desperate to save the people she loves and determined to find justice for the ones she’s lost, Nora unearths a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. Something to which Nora herself might hold the key. It turns out her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries—and solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

      On the night Nora’s boyfriend disappears, her best friend is murdered, and his girlfriend is sent to an institution, she realizes the Latin translations of letters and manuscripts they worked on was not their crazy professor’s idea of torture but his truly sane quest to attempt to uncover an ancient, world-changing secret. Nora takes it upon herself to flee to Prague to exact revenge, but soon discovers she is key to centuries-old secrets, lies, and conspiracies.

      Deeply intelligent and immensely witty, Nora is quite the protagonist to follow and a pleasure to read. Already a wounded character from the start — dead older brother, workaholic mother, and recluse father — she shares the slow-building and enriching friendship she forges with Chris, Adriane, and Max. They work together to translate Latin manuscripts their strange, presumably insane, professor claims will change the world, and constantly reminds them that someone is watching their progress. None of them believe it till the night all four are ripped apart.

      Having been to Prague, I loved the descriptions of Old Town, and the wild history the city endured for centuries. The quest spent there was full of surprises, and it was difficult to know who to trust in this thriller. With two secret societies warring one another over an ancient machine that could potentially speak to God, Nora is dragged into making the discovery and destroying it. I had to remind myself there are no good guys in this story. One society aims to create the machine to speak to God, to know there is a Creator and we can communicate with Him; the other society aims to destroy the machine, to prove that God’s existence is in faith in Him, not in proof. In this sense, the book is quite realistic: there is no way to tell who is good and who is bad, and the decisions to be made have dire consequences either way.

      Wasserman’s writing style is artistic, with long descriptive sentences that have the potential to become run-ons till she loops it back to the subject. In these descriptions, we learn Nora’s thoughts and feelings, what she sees and hears, what brings back memories and what can link us to a clue into the future. While overabundant, and some sections unnecessary, it was easy to get pulled into the descriptions and the vast historical references, and fall into the story, making this book incredibly difficult to put down.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: history, genre: thriller, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “The Poisoned House” by Michael Ford

      Posted at 6:04 pm by Laura, on July 11, 2013

      The Poisoned House by Michael Ford 7795293

      Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
      Published: September 2012
      Genre: young adult, gothic, mystery, history
      ISBN: 9780807565902
      Goodreads: 3.59
      Rating: ★★★★

      Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs. Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there’s something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself–a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.

      Abigail Tamper would love nothing more than to escape Greave Hall, a place that has only brought grief since her mother’s death. But Mrs. Cotton, the wicked housekeeper, has other plans for the scullery maid. When the master’s son returns from war, mysterious things begin to happen to and around Abi, circumstances that cannot be explained without a person accusing her of madness.

      This is a quietly brilliant ghost story. Everything about it mimicked the work of Wilkie Collins: subtle gothic tones, household disturbances, tyrannical person of some power over the protagonist, and massive family secrets that only the protagonist can discover and reveal. The atmosphere was chilling and the situations dramatic. I loved the moments the ghost would make its presence known. I really enjoyed the superstition that came into play as well.

      Ford’s ghost story was a nice change from the fantastical ghost stories of disturbed spirits out to harm living people. There’s a line between frightening someone into realizing/recognizing a secret that needs to be put to rest, and chasing after someone for the pure enjoyment of watching them flee in fear.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: history, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “A Spy in the House” by Y.S. Lee

      Posted at 3:52 pm by Laura, on June 28, 2013

      A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee 9322741

      Publisher: Candlewick Press
      Publishing Date: April 2009
      Genre: young adult, mystery, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9780763652890
      Goodreads: 3.79
      Rating: 
      ★★★

      Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there?

      Mary Lang is sentenced to death at age 12 for thievery when a young lady saves her and offers her a place at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Eager to start a new life, Mary accepts and changes her name to Quinn. By the time she’s 17, she is asked to become a member of an undercover all-female detective agency. She is placed in a prominent household as a companion to a spoiled daughter, and is supposed to uncover the truth about a series of shipwrecks pertaining to smuggled artifacts. But what she finds out, and who she works with, is the biggest surprise of all.

      For diving into the book knowing absolutely nothing about it, I really enjoyed it. It was a quick read, and Lee certainly knows her Victorian history and culture. I was happy to see all aspects of Victorian London in the 1850s addressed: the snobbery of the upper class, the poor on the streets in filth, the Great Stink from the Thames, opium use, the influx of Asian sailors, and the oppression of women. Apart from Dickens, authors rarely remark upon the hushed-up or negative aspects of life of that time. If anything, these are mentioned in passing while the upper class characters go about their country holiday. This was, ironically, refreshing!

      Mary is an exception in Victorian culture. She is part Chinese and part Irish, but her features both help and hinder her navigation through society. Porcelain white English women know she looks different and assume she has black Irish, Spanish, or French ancestors, and Chinese women consider her too white to be a part of their culture. Not only is her race enough to make her an outcast, but her orphaned life, childhood crimes, and headstrong will sets her apart as well. She has “ideas” and “notions” and likes to be independent. It makes her job in the Agency easy. She’s already tough for a woman, and no one will pay attention to her in the household because of her outcast status, so snooping should be easy.

      Another aspect that I found refreshing in this mystery was the love interest — or lack thereof. James Easton is a charming man and thoroughly believes in Mary’s capabilities to be an independent woman. Mary stayed true to her character throughout the book and wouldn’t toss all responsibilities aside, though, and I’m grateful for that.

      What prevented me from giving this book five stars was the lack of urgency on her assignment. It sounded, from the very beginning, like another agent already had most of the work done and Mary would only be in the way. And as Mary continued to search for clues, three or four different plots spun in different directions, to the point where I’d forgotten what Mary’s original assignment was. Thankfully they all linked together in a cohesive manner, but it almost felt as if Mary wasn’t needed in the first place.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
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    • Hello, I’m Laura!

      I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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