Review 'Howe has a historian's sure grasp of period detail as well as a keen ear for contemporary dialogue...Annie is a sassy heroine who takes the unfamiliarity of being dead and the wonders of new technology in her stride'. (Independent)‘Lush, twisty and spellbinding, Katherine Howe’s The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen will keep you up all night and not let you go in the morning. Utterly beguiling from beginning to end.’ (Megan Abbott, award-winning author of Dare Me and The Fever)‘Hauntingly etched, creating an eeriness that lingers after the novel's romantic ending.’ (Publishers Weekly, starred review)‘This strange and gorgeous novel is rich with humor, ghosts, art, and true love, but I think I loved it best for its characters: a group of loyal friends who ricochet together through the streets of a hummingly alive New York City, searching for a lost ring, a devastating secret, and, most of all, for the people they want to become.’ (Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of The Precious One, Belong to Me, and Saving Lucas Biggs)‘A tautly paced page-turner that blends historical fiction, romance, and the supernatural.’ (School Library Journal, starred review) About the Author Katherine Howe is the author of the #2 New York Times bestseller The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, as well as The House of Velvet and Glass. She is a direct descendant of three of the women accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials, one who was hanged and two who survived. She lives in Palo Alto, USA.
K**L
Good book
Interesting book, I really like Katherine Howe. It’s not quite as amazing as “the Physik Book of Deliverance Dane” but it’s still a good read!
D**E
Gave up half way through.
Loved the author’s Discovery of Witches books. This one starts ok then got very dreary and I gave up. Disappointing.
P**Y
A mysterious YA
Book Review Summary:The plot of this book really grabbed my attention so when I got an email asking whether I would review it I obviously said yes. With the suspense of Annie's character and the quest to find out about her past, The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen is a great ghost book.Plot:Wes is a filmmaker who wanted nothing more than to quit his old college course and enrol at NYC. Taking a summer course, he is experimenting with his filmmaking techniques when he finds a mysterious girl and which will take him on an adventure that transcends history. One of the aspects that really interests me about this book was the filmmaking element as this is something that I had wanted to do in the past as well as finding it incredibly interesting to learn about. I, therefore, found this to be an engaging part of the story and I liked it. The elements of Wes's films were also intriguing and I think that it would be interesting to see what they would be like in real life. The mystery aspect of the story was also something I liked, is the fact that it was suspenseful and I just wanted to know what happened next. This was often linked to Annie as a character and learning about her past. This was definitely something that kept me engaged in the story which did make it a very entertaining read.Characters:I did enjoy the characters in this book. Wes was quite likeable but he could be seen to just pine over Annie's character to the fact that she can be seen as a bit of a manic pixie dream girl however over the course of the book this changes and as we get to see more of Annie's history, she evolves as a character. I often enjoy Wes but I do feel like other characters were more likeable and overpowered him. Compared to other main male protagonists, however, he was not one of the douchey male characters that you often see. I really enjoyed Maddy as a character though and it was great to see her character change as we found out more about her. I also really enjoyed Tyler as a character and often thought that he matched Wes, often both being important to the story.Writing:I do think that the book was well-written. I think that when an author attempts to do dual narrative, the two characters can often blur into one and there is no distinction between the two voices but this was not the case with Annie and Wes. I thought that they were quite unique and therefore this was a nice experience to see their two personalities. I also enjoyed the use of Annie's narrative as this often meant that the story evolved and moved which often made it more interesting. Seeing the history of Annie was also really interesting and I often enjoyed this was written about.The Verdict:The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen is a well-written ghost story that is a must for anyone who loves a good mystery.
M**E
A perfectly haunting story
* I have been given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review * This was a perfectly haunting story, a ghost story that doesn’t ever say the word ‘ghost’ and one that I’d definitely recommend to people who enjoyed ghost stories from Susan Hill and Juno Dawson.The annoying thing about this book is it’s hard to review without being spoilery, and I really wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone. So this may be a bit of a short and vague review, but rest assured that I really enjoyed it and you probably will too.The book is split into three parts. The first is where we meet Wes, a film student who’s helping his friend Tyler film a seance for an art film. I related to the two boys really well, having had a lot of film maker friends at university. It felt good to be in their world of cameras and showcases and late night edits. At the seance, Wes meets two mysterious girls: the titular Annie, and grungy but friendly Maddie. While Maddie happily lets Wes take her out for pizza and drinks, Annie is harder to get hold of, coming and going as she pleases and often ditching Wes completely, until she shows up suddenly in his bedroom one night.In the second part, we see what Annie has been doing in between her comings and goings in Wes’ life. And the third part sees them both reunited as they try and solve the mystery of Annie’s missing cameo (a kind of ring). I won’t say too much about these bits, as that way spoilers lie!I really enjoyed the mystery elements to the book, and while I sussed out one key thing pretty early on, there were plenty of other surprises that kept me on my toes, right until the end. Annie’s section was the bit that really got to me: it’s haunting and scary and the idea of being stuck in her situation is something that really unnerves me. The romance was quite prominent in the book, with Wes developing feelings for both girls in different ways, but I didn’t feel like the plot revolved around it too much: it was more about the mystery than anything.This was a really face paced and fascinating book, filled with suspense and secrets, and is perfect for anyone looking for a modern ghost story.
D**S
Compelling mix of historical fiction, the supernatural and romance
This is a wonderful mix of historical fiction, the supernatural, and romance. While studying at NYU in hopes of becoming a documentary film maker, Wes meets and strange but lovely girl, Annie. He and his buddy are filming a seance and Annie is blocking the shots. The narrative shifts between NYC in 1825 and the present, and from the first person perspective of first Wes, then Annie. This is brilliantly done.Don't let the 400 pages scare you. I bought the book yesterday and finished it today. It's fast-paced, has a good mystery, some twists, and the characters are all fascinating.Highly recommended for readers 14 and up.
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