Thursday, October 20, 2011

Say it with me...FORMULAIC!

Not always a bad thing as Michael Ford demonstrates in The Poisoned House.  Nice little gothic mystery all wrapped up in a neat little package with a happily ever after.  The plot was very easy to follow, but adding the supernatural elements was...interesting. Definitely mixed thigns up a bit.  I thoroughly enjoyed the main character Abi.  If I hadn't realized early on what a smoke-screen her treatment was, Mr. Ford may have been able to fool me.  I want good things to happen to Abi.  She's a fun character.

Rating this book is tricky.  Does it lose points for being too formulaic?  Does the addition of completely unbeleivable elements nullify the enjoyment of an easy-to-follow story? I think this is a nice, quick read - especially for lovers of historical fiction books. However, I do not think that every new YA book has to reek of the supernatural just because that is what is in vogue right now. I would have preferred it if that element had been eliminated.

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