"The Daughters of Block Island" by Christa Carmen is a great gothic novel with a twist. I love atmospheric gothic novels, and this book grabbed my attention. The book kicks off with a bang, a letter from a dead woman, the prologue does a great job of setting up the tone, and builds up to an explosive climax.
The book is written in the present tense, from the third POV, and follows two estranged sisters: Blake Bronson and Thalia Mills. The book is divided into two sections: the first section follows Blake, and the second section follows Thalia. Just as we grow attached to Black, something happens, and then we are whisked away to Thalia's story.
Blake Bronson didn't have an easy life. She is an orphan and former alcoholic on the mend who comes to Block Island to find her birth mother, finds she has a sister, and ends up entangled in her very own gothic tale that doesn't end well for her.
Thalia was also unaware of the existence of Blake. A letter from Blake brings her back to the island she left a while ago to find out what happens to Blake and to uncover the island's secrets. Dangers are afoot, and if she is not careful, she too may suffer the same fate as her sister.
I enjoyed the story very much. The author weaves a tangled web and what began as a seemingly simple tale, turned out to be much more. There are several threads running through the story, some going back 100 years, and they all intersect. I had my suspicions, but they didn't come close to the curve balls the author threw at us.
A long-buried secret, ghosts, a gothic feel, secret passageways, murders, crumbling castle - this book has everything a reader wants from such a tale. Everything is sketched in good detail. The surprising twists brought to mind the gothic tales of "Rebecca", "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and "Jane Eyre", to name a few. There are many references and name-dropping of popular books, such as Ann Radcliffe’s "The Mysteries of Udolpho", but as I read some of them, I didn't mind. The book wasn't as creepy as I thought it will be, which is a good thing, but was still loaded with surprises, dark twists, creepy moments, and shocking revelations that leave you breathless as you follow the heroine around the island. Be prepared to jump out of your skin!
The setting is beautifully constructed, and there's a solid cast of supporting characters. I could imagine myself on the island, the descriptions were so vivid. And to think the real history of the White Hall (yes, there was such a place according to the author) is just as scandalous as our tale.
The ending was definitely hold-your-breath drama, and I loved how the author tied up all the loose ends very neatly. I highly recommend the book to fans of gothic novels and anyone looking for an exhilarating emotional ride filled with suspense.
* For more info about the book: "The Daughters of Block Island" by Christa Carmen
*Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
The book is written in the present tense, from the third POV, and follows two estranged sisters: Blake Bronson and Thalia Mills. The book is divided into two sections: the first section follows Blake, and the second section follows Thalia. Just as we grow attached to Black, something happens, and then we are whisked away to Thalia's story.
Blake Bronson didn't have an easy life. She is an orphan and former alcoholic on the mend who comes to Block Island to find her birth mother, finds she has a sister, and ends up entangled in her very own gothic tale that doesn't end well for her.
Thalia was also unaware of the existence of Blake. A letter from Blake brings her back to the island she left a while ago to find out what happens to Blake and to uncover the island's secrets. Dangers are afoot, and if she is not careful, she too may suffer the same fate as her sister.
I enjoyed the story very much. The author weaves a tangled web and what began as a seemingly simple tale, turned out to be much more. There are several threads running through the story, some going back 100 years, and they all intersect. I had my suspicions, but they didn't come close to the curve balls the author threw at us.
A long-buried secret, ghosts, a gothic feel, secret passageways, murders, crumbling castle - this book has everything a reader wants from such a tale. Everything is sketched in good detail. The surprising twists brought to mind the gothic tales of "Rebecca", "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and "Jane Eyre", to name a few. There are many references and name-dropping of popular books, such as Ann Radcliffe’s "The Mysteries of Udolpho", but as I read some of them, I didn't mind. The book wasn't as creepy as I thought it will be, which is a good thing, but was still loaded with surprises, dark twists, creepy moments, and shocking revelations that leave you breathless as you follow the heroine around the island. Be prepared to jump out of your skin!
The setting is beautifully constructed, and there's a solid cast of supporting characters. I could imagine myself on the island, the descriptions were so vivid. And to think the real history of the White Hall (yes, there was such a place according to the author) is just as scandalous as our tale.
The ending was definitely hold-your-breath drama, and I loved how the author tied up all the loose ends very neatly. I highly recommend the book to fans of gothic novels and anyone looking for an exhilarating emotional ride filled with suspense.
* For more info about the book: "The Daughters of Block Island" by Christa Carmen
*Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
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