Of Monsters and Madness

July 28, 2014
In the first installment of a planned series, Verday (the Hollow trilogy) borrows from Gothic horror to reimagine Poe’s most enduring works as a string of strange, horrific events in 1826 Philadelphia,
20 years before the publication of “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “Annabel Lee.” Upon her arrival in Philadelphia to live with her father, 17-year-old Annabel Lenore Lee finds
herself in the favor of one of his assistants, Allan Poe. But as Poe’s scribblings become darker, and a spate of murders embroils Philadelphia, Annabel must unravel the nightmarish secrets inside her own home. Like her late mother, Annabel is an adept healer, but as narrator she is so mired in her romantic preoccupations and her father’s disapproval of her medical aspirations that some facets of the story are lacking. Instead of fully developing supporting characters, several remain flat through her eyes, and as the novel comes to a close Verday abruptly leaps a few weeks into the future to hastily set up the next book. Ages 12–up. Agent: Mollie Glick, Foundry Literary + Media.

June 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Upon her mother's death in 1826, Annabel Lee returns to Philadelphia to live with her father, a brilliant scientist prone to unsavory experiments. Her father's home is not the joyous and warm place she was expecting. But the loneliness ebbs when Annabel finds a friend in Allan, her father's assistant. When horrific murders begin occuring and her father's second assistant Edgar appears to know more than he lets on about Allan and Annabel's father, she must find out the truth or risk losing everything. Verday's novel is a quick read that hooks readers into the mysterious and gothic atmosphere of Annabel's Philadelphia. The plot is thrilling, though the "gruesome" murders are far from being truly gruesome, making the novel appropriate for some middle-school readers. Annabel is a strong character; she wants to be a doctor in a time when such professions were not encouraged for women. However, the novel's climax is rushed, which creates a confusing ending-perhaps in order to accomodate a sequel. A few key plots points toward the end of the novel happen abruptly and without previous clues or foreshadowing. A supplementary purchase for libraries where Megan Shepherd's The Madman's Daughther (HarperCollins, 2013) is popular.-Paige Garrison, Aurora Central Public Library, CO

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 In 1826, Annabel Lee travels from Siam to visit the father she barely remembers. While he is consumed by his gruesome experiments, Annabel finds solace in her father's assistant, Allan Poe. But she soon realizes that her father and his other assistant, the sinister Edgar, may be involved in a rash of local murders that are eerily similar to the horror stories Allan pens. Verday's gothic horror tale combines elements of Edgar Allan Poe's stories with Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and adds a dash of Frankenstein for good measure, though she freely admits to taking liberties with all her inspirations, both historical and fictional. The result is thoroughly dark and ominous, with a secret romance adding delicious tension. Unfortunately, a swift rush toward a mostly unresolved endingpaving the way for a sequelsomewhat undercuts the effective creepiness of the first two-thirds of the book. Fans of classic horror who are looking for a plucky, sometimes clueless heroine will find both here in spades.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)