meghuff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
johnawickline's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
valagator's review against another edition
4.0
I want to say that this book was fantastic, but it was very poorly written. I could totally see most of the plot well before it was revealed.
sixtimes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
hallie james grew up believing her mother died in a house fire. but 30 years after this was supposed to have happened, she receives a letter from her mother, madlyn crane, who thought that hallie was dead all along as well. unfortunately madlyn dies shortly after writing the letter, as does hallie's dad, along with any explanations for what happened. so hallie journeys to her mother's house on the fictional great lakes island of grand manitou to uncover the truth. what follows is a chilling and atmospheric ghost story, perfect for a rainy autumn day. the writing is a little clumsy at times, and the ending was rushed... but the story was so gripping i didn't care. i ripped right through this one. thanks for recommending, kris!
margardenlady's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Interesting ghost story set on an imaginary island in Lake Superior. Hallie is called back to the island to inherit a house from a mother she never knew, just as her father is dying. Interesting character development and a healthy suspicion of the’ haunting’ makes this more believable. And yet there is a bit of mysterious happenings to intrigue us.
k_rod's review against another edition
5.0
A+++++++++!! I loved this book, couldn't put it down. I cannot wait for another book to come out by Wendy Webb. Amazing!!
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
This was an okay enjoyable read with plenty of atmosphere and gothic elements to recommend it, but for me, it was almost “textbook” gothic… what do you call it – a pastiche? Right down to calling the sprawling Victorian mansion Hill House. There are some genuine eerie moments and I don’t regret spending an afternoon curled up with this one, but unfortunately it’s one of those books that you know you’re going to forget in a day.
As my friends know I don’t read many mysteries, but when I do they generally fall into the “family secrets” sort where the protagonist goes poking around to uncover some dark and demented family past. The reveal and wrapping up of the mystery here can be seen coming a mile away, even if you’re not paying the least bit of attention, so that was disappointing too. If I’m going to invest the time to unravel a mystery, it better keep me guessing right up to the end. I want to be surprised and shaken. Overall this was a well-constructed novel, ably paced and written, but turned out to be more of a reasonable facsimile of a modern gothic tale, rather than the genuine article.
As my friends know I don’t read many mysteries, but when I do they generally fall into the “family secrets” sort where the protagonist goes poking around to uncover some dark and demented family past. The reveal and wrapping up of the mystery here can be seen coming a mile away, even if you’re not paying the least bit of attention, so that was disappointing too. If I’m going to invest the time to unravel a mystery, it better keep me guessing right up to the end. I want to be surprised and shaken. Overall this was a well-constructed novel, ably paced and written, but turned out to be more of a reasonable facsimile of a modern gothic tale, rather than the genuine article.