Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Miramont's Ghost (and GIVEAWAY!)

And for some reason, I completely forgot that March is Reading Month or something. It's pretty convenient considering I have a bunch of reviews coming up for you. WIN.

Miramont's Ghost - Elizabeth Hall
Miramont's Ghost
Miramont Castle, built in 1897 and mysteriously abandoned three years later, is home to many secrets. Only one person knows the truth: Adrienne Beauvier, granddaughter of the Comte de Challembelles and cousin to the man who built the castle.
Clairvoyant from the time she could talk, Adrienne’s visions show her the secrets of those around her. When her visions begin to reveal dark mysteries of her own aristocratic French family, Adrienne is confronted by her formidable Aunt Marie, who is determined to keep the young woman silent at any cost. Marie wrenches Adrienne from her home in France and takes her to America, to Miramont Castle, where she keeps the girl isolated and imprisoned. Surrounded by eerie premonitions, Adrienne is locked in a life-or-death struggle to learn the truth and escape her torment.
Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, this hauntingly atmospheric tale is inspired by historical research into the real-life Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
Man, this book was kind of a downer. It wasn't as scary or creepy as I kind of thought it would be (which is good because I read before bed and I'm not trying to scare myself before bed), I found it to be more sad. I really felt terrible for Adrienne. As a young girl, it becomes obvious she's something of a clairvoyant, and because she's young, she basically blurts out what she sees in visions. Obviously, this is taking place in the late 1800's, so things like this aren't considered normal and the adults around her think she's some kind of mental case, feel sorry for her, or find her dangerous. Her grandfather is aware of what's happening, his wife had the same thing, and she died during the childbirth of her last daughter (who is also Adrienne's mother). Which that alone I thought was kind of an interesting tie in. Her other daughter, Marie, is Adrienne's aunt and she is the equivalent to the evil step mother in Cinderella. She's a terrible person and does really horribly mean and cruel things to Adrienne (as does Marie's son). 
The book starts with Adrienne as a small child, then jumps to her teenage years, and then it jumps again. Each time we take a jump, the book gets darker and more depressing. You feel worse and worse for Adrienne. I kept hoping something would happen to make all of the pain and torment she endures worth it, but I didn't feel like it did. And that's not a spoiler, because I don't think this book was ever meant to leave you feeling vindicated. I think you're meant to be as sad and beaten down as Adrienne, and in that way, it excels. It is rather difficult to get into. The beginning was really interesting, and then when we went forward to when she was 16, it got heavy and dark for me. By the time we jumped again I was so depressed that I felt like giving up because I just couldn't read it any more. I did finish, and I was left feeling this sense of despair. I haven't read the book Rebecca, so I can't tell you how it compares since it's considered to be reminiscent of it. But what IS super interesting is that Miramont's Castle is a real place. The story itself is fictional, but it's a very cool fact to remember as you go into the book. I had somehow missed that until I got to the end and read the information at the back of the book. I wished I had read that before I started reading, but I honestly didn't even notice it. 
You can purchase this book on Amazon (HERE)- the last time I checked it was free for Kindle Unlimited! Can't beat that! But you can also enter this giveaway to get a free one, EVEN BETTER. 
Sadly, this giveaway is for US/Canada only! 
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being a part of the tour.