The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
My rating: 3/5 cats
i have got to stop reading mediocre books. this was my second in a row, and it is making me cranky.
i am trying to only read spooky books for october, and i thought this would be a good place to start. (it is also my first YA book in a month—did you miss me, YA publishing industry?)
but then i remembered: i don’t find ghosts particularly spooky. and the ghost in this one is more of the casper the friendly helpful ghost variety rather than the “boo, i’m gonna getcha” kind. the people in this book are much spookier than the ghosts. View Spoiler » the beatings, the locking in the cellar, that i understand. while it is repugnant, it is something that is accepted as a means of punishing fellow-servants. View Spoiler », and then hiding so you can see a fourteen-year-old girl’s reactions to View Spoiler » is crazyland on ice.
as a historical page-flipper, it is fine. this is probably totally appropriate for a younger-than-teen audience View Spoiler ». but that’s really just one brief sentence in an otherwise pretty safe book. get a sharpie, you’ll be fine.
the historical element was good—there is enough detail included that it feels authentic (sorry, ceridwen), and it gives a good sense of the hierarchy within the servant-world.
but overall, i gotta say “meh.” it’s fast and fine for the kiddies, but i don’t see this one crossing over into adult readership. and nor should it—teenagers put “keep out” signs on their bedroom doors for a reason.
and dana! i have just read TWO BOOKS IN A ROW in which there are amputations. how you like me now?
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