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burningupasun's review
5.0
Since I had only recently read Cat Winter's other book set in this same time period (In The Shadow of the Blackbird), I couldn't help comparing these two books. At first, my comparison mostly revolved around the fact that this book felt less "atmospheric" and creepy than the other, and that's true. But after the surprise revelation about 3/4ths of the way through the book, the real difference between the books reveals itself. One, to me, is a book about the living, and the other is a book about the dead. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil this book, but suffice it to say that it is an emotional, but wonderful read. I found myself crying more than once, but especially at that big revelation. I saw it coming a little way in advance but that didn't make it hit me any less harder.
As always, Cat Winters manages to write a book that is historically accurate and gives the reader a great glimpse at the time period, while also challenging the norms of the time through her characters and her plot. I absolutely loved both Ivy, the main character, and this book as a whole. I definitely, definitely recommend it to everyone. But keep a box of tissues nearby!
(Side-note, I also found that parts of this story regarding the treatment of Germans in the U.S. during the War really resonated with the way people in the U.S. currently treat Muslims, or anyone from the Middle East. The cultures people are denigrating have changed, but the reactions haven't.)
As always, Cat Winters manages to write a book that is historically accurate and gives the reader a great glimpse at the time period, while also challenging the norms of the time through her characters and her plot. I absolutely loved both Ivy, the main character, and this book as a whole. I definitely, definitely recommend it to everyone. But keep a box of tissues nearby!
(Side-note, I also found that parts of this story regarding the treatment of Germans in the U.S. during the War really resonated with the way people in the U.S. currently treat Muslims, or anyone from the Middle East. The cultures people are denigrating have changed, but the reactions haven't.)
laurenbookishtwins's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.
First Impressions: Disappointing and kind of boring. Had it not been for the last 20% and that massive twist, I think my rating would have been lower.
Review: It's 1918, and twenty-five year old Ivy is just recovering from the flu when she sees her Grandmothers ghost. These ghosts are harbingers of bad news - someone is going to die. She calls them the Uninvited. An hour later, her father and brother come home covered in blood after killing a young German after the death of her brother, Billy, in the war. She leaves home amid the chaos and discovers the flu has its hold on her little town in Illinois. With her new found freedom, Ivy discovers jazz, love and passion, but soon her uninvited guests start making regular appearances and Ivy knows disaster is about to follow.
I don't read adult novels often, but as I am a fan of Cat Winters after absolutely devouring her [b:In the Shadow of Blackbirds|13112915|In the Shadow of Blackbirds|Cat Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608s/13112915.jpg|18286614], I thought I'd give it a go. Overall, I'm more than slightly disappointed by Winters new novel, The Uninvited.
As a history nut, I undeniably loved the atmospheric setting of a country stricken by influenza, suffering through the effects of war, and the rise of jazz. Yet whilst I loved this, I felt that not much happened, despite moving at such quick pace, it all felt quite boring. I wasn't particularly fond of any of the characters all that much, and on a whole, I felt let down by The Uninvited. What saved this book for me, and left no doubt in my mind that I'll be reading more of Winters, is that twist that left me in awe.
Overall, a great atmospheric novel, but tame and quite boring at times.
First Impressions: Disappointing and kind of boring. Had it not been for the last 20% and that massive twist, I think my rating would have been lower.
Review: It's 1918, and twenty-five year old Ivy is just recovering from the flu when she sees her Grandmothers ghost. These ghosts are harbingers of bad news - someone is going to die. She calls them the Uninvited. An hour later, her father and brother come home covered in blood after killing a young German after the death of her brother, Billy, in the war. She leaves home amid the chaos and discovers the flu has its hold on her little town in Illinois. With her new found freedom, Ivy discovers jazz, love and passion, but soon her uninvited guests start making regular appearances and Ivy knows disaster is about to follow.
I don't read adult novels often, but as I am a fan of Cat Winters after absolutely devouring her [b:In the Shadow of Blackbirds|13112915|In the Shadow of Blackbirds|Cat Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608s/13112915.jpg|18286614], I thought I'd give it a go. Overall, I'm more than slightly disappointed by Winters new novel, The Uninvited.
As a history nut, I undeniably loved the atmospheric setting of a country stricken by influenza, suffering through the effects of war, and the rise of jazz. Yet whilst I loved this, I felt that not much happened, despite moving at such quick pace, it all felt quite boring. I wasn't particularly fond of any of the characters all that much, and on a whole, I felt let down by The Uninvited. What saved this book for me, and left no doubt in my mind that I'll be reading more of Winters, is that twist that left me in awe.
Overall, a great atmospheric novel, but tame and quite boring at times.
haileym_25's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
emleemay's review
4.0
Mama paled. "Are you saying that you and Peter killed a man tonight?"
"No." Father shook his head. "That wasn't a man. He was a German."
Yet another instance where I pick up a Cat Winters novel and the real world just melts away.
Firstly, you should know that this isn't supposed to be a YA book, unlike Winters' other marvelous works - [b:In the Shadow of Blackbirds|13112915|In the Shadow of Blackbirds|Cat Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608s/13112915.jpg|18286614] and [b:The Cure for Dreaming|20702018|The Cure for Dreaming|Cat Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397628715s/20702018.jpg|24967486] - but I do think that all her books have a lot of crossover appeal. The romance is more mature, more sexual, and the characters themselves are in their mid-to-late twenties, but that's where the differences end.
Winters is a master at blending horrifying historical fact with beautifully eerie supernatural elements. This is her second story set in 1918 America, a time when America's young men were sent to their deaths in Europe, and the home front was fighting an entirely different war against the Spanish influenza pandemic. Hospitals were full, untrained young women were performing nurse duties, and the scent of death constantly filled the air.
But [b:The Uninvited|19547848|The Uninvited|Cat Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415313161s/19547848.jpg|27679567] is also different from Winters' [b:In the Shadow of Blackbirds|13112915|In the Shadow of Blackbirds|Cat Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608s/13112915.jpg|18286614] because it tells another story - a dark underside to American life in 1918. In 1918, being "American" was of utmost importance and the American Protective League roamed the streets looking for German sympathizers. German immigrants were often murdered and the police didn't care enough to investigate the crimes. It was a time of panic, suspicion and xenophobia.
“The world’s about to end. I can feel it in the marrow of my bones."
When Ivy Rowan's father and brother murder a German man, she leaves home and gets taken in by an old acquaintance. Unable to cope with the shame she feels on behalf of her family, she approaches the dead man's brother - Daniel - in an attempt to alleviate her guilt and offer some solace.
From this, their relationship develops. What starts as a means of seeking comfort on both their parts becomes something more. But both Ivy and Daniel must constantly keep looking over their shoulder. The APL is on the warpath and they certainly wouldn't take kindly to a romance between a German man and an American woman.
It's a sensual, frightening and eye-opening book. The author once again crafts wonderful female characters and develops complex and humourous relationships between them. It's so strange how the book can be at once a quiet, introspective read and a fast-paced, supernatural adventure through the horrors of history.
I impatiently wait for her next book, adult, YA or otherwise.
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chelbelle122's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5
History repeats itself...
...but that plot twist² got me.
History repeats itself...
...but that plot twist² got me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Hate crime, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
clummo's review against another edition
2.5
At times I wasn't sure what this book was trying to be. Historical drama? Romance? Paranormal thriller? It kind of flip-flops between the three, though the paranormal stuff (which was the main draw for me personally) takes a backseat a lot of the time.
The characters are very melodramatic, especially Ivy, which made it hard to root for her at times. Wasn't a huge fan of the hot-and-cold romance either and I never entirely understood what they saw in each other since they fell out with each other every few hours.
I guess I'm not really the intended target audience, as I anticipated more of a horror/thriller angle from the blurb when it leans heavily towards historical romance.
The characters are very melodramatic, especially Ivy, which made it hard to root for her at times. Wasn't a huge fan of the hot-and-cold romance either and I never entirely understood what they saw in each other since they fell out with each other every few hours.
I guess I'm not really the intended target audience, as I anticipated more of a horror/thriller angle from the blurb when it leans heavily towards historical romance.
melissaverasreads's review
3.0
Let's talk about how you shouldn't take advantage of people to have sex with them: You. Shouldn't. Do. It.
The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2 is because the ending was really good. But the romance is trash, and the story itself doesn't have much going for it 🤷🏽♀
The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2 is because the ending was really good. But the romance is trash, and the story itself doesn't have much going for it 🤷🏽♀
za_'s review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.75
While reading, I really wanted to know when this book was written. It talks about the Spanish Flu and there were just so many parallel to COVID. Then, it was written prior to COVId, it shows people are generally the same, and we don’t really learn from the past.
The MC leaves her family home after her father and brother kill a German man. She is disgusted by their actions.
She moves in with a women named May and starts seeing who she thinks is the brother of the German man who was killed.
It turns out she was already dead and that the German man she was seeing was the one her family killed and everyone she interacted with was dead.
She tries to convince them to all go to have fun at this jazz club instead of being stuck.
The book was too slow. The uninvited part didn’t really make sense or play into it until the very end.
Gave me Great Gatsby vibes and I also don’t like that book