ARC Review: Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Book provided by NetGalley and the publisher
Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.
Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America’s oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.
AH’s Review – 3 Skulls – C+
Everyone likes a good mystery and one of the most mystifying events in American history has to be the disappearance of a colony of settlers from Roanoke Island, VA in the late 16th century. The entire settlement of 114 people just vanished. All that was left was the word CROATAN carved into a tree.
The disappearance of a colony of settlers makes a fascinating premise behind Gwenda Bond’s new book Blackwood. Basically, this story was a modern day retelling of the Roanoke Island disappearances. At a town play, the main character witnesses a dark presence. The next day, 114 people are missing. And so begins the story.
I was very excited to get a copy of this book. The cover was lovely. I was prepared to be wowed. Instead, I was left a little confused. I’m not a big fan of changes in fonts accompanied by shifts in time and points of view. Done right, the narrative flows. In this book, it was a little confusing. Not only do we have changes of view between the main characters, the island itself has its own point of view.
I actually liked the two main characters Miranda and Phillips. Miranda Blackwood is a down on her luck kind of girl. She is a bit of a recluse and an oddball. People do not treat Miranda well. Miranda’s family is cursed – she cannot even leave the island. Doing so causes her physical pain.
I found Phillips to be charming for a 17 year old boy. Phillips had the ability to hear spirits. This ability only manifests itself when he is on the island. The farther away from the island he gets, the less he hears the spirits. When Phillips sensed that Miranda was in danger, he felt the need to protect her. Phillips and Miranda work together to stop a malevolent presence from taking over the island.
Would I recommend Blackwood? For me, it was just an OK read. I was just expecting more action, more mystery. I think that young adult readers may enjoy this book.
Rating:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
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AH
Hi all! Bonjour! I’m AH and I am obsessed with reading. I read all kinds of books, but my favorites are paranormal romance and urban fantasy. What is it about those vampires and shape-shifters? Lately, I seem to be reading a lot of dystopian books as well. Are zombies the new vampire? I hope not. I have 3 boys – all reluctant readers so I tend to read a lot of young adult books aimed at boys. I want them to catch the reading bug too! I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts about books with you. Hope we can discover some great reads together.