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The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones
Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father, Marc, offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she’s glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she’s shocked to fi nd someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket sound track embedded in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want? Part gripping thriller, part family drama, this fast-paced novel plays out in alternating viewpoints, in a pastoral setting that is evocative and eerie — a mysterious character in its own right.
Hardcover
First published May 12, 2009
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About the author
Tim Wynne-Jones
72 books163 followersTim Wynne-Jones (born 12 August 1948) is an English–Canadian author of children's literature, including picture books and novels for children and young adults, novels for adults, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical and an opera libretto.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best Young Adult (2002): The Boy in the Burning House
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best Young Adult (2002): The Boy in the Burning House
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
April 2, 2012
Rarely do I actually write a review for a 1 star book. However I found The Univited so frustrating and borderline offense that I feel the need to explain my feelings.
I was iffy about this book when they introduced the main character driving down the road just wearing a bra. Not a sports bra, but a bra and not for any real reason. When a male writer creates a female character who's beautiful, sexy and often not wearing many clothes, I'm a little leery. Sometimes it feels like male writers create heroines who are merely their fantasies, not real well-devolved characters. It's like "look I'm a sassy free woman comfortable with my sexuality" but it's done in a way that doesn't feels genuine.
My discomfort grew with an unnamed character (you later find out who) is spying on Mimi, refers to one of her friends as "faggy." I'm not saying it's not okay to have homophobic characters. Homophobes exist. But it was used casually without any purpose to illustrate that a guy was effeminate. I know most authors would argue "but that's what the character says" but when it's not necessary it should be edited out. I'm not comfortable reading books with hate speech unless it is addressing the issue of hate.
This book had a plot that seemed to amble without going anywhere. Someone is spying on Mimi and Jay (the second main character), being a creeper. The story has numerous POVs, which is not that well executed. The POVS eliminate all the drama of who's spying. The reader knows who's spying and why they are spying. Now that I've had a couple weeks away from this book I'm wondering where the story was even going. Mimi was trying to write a screenplay. Jay was trying to write a song. They were building a friendship. Creeper dude was spying and lusting. But what was the real point?
This book also had a creepy case of sibling lust. It started when Mimi showed up and met Jay who (SPOILER ALERT) is her half brother. Even after she realizes that she still finds him attractive. However that was minor and quickly went away. But there's another half-sibling lurking in this book. And he lusts after Mimi, admiring everything about her, imagining a life with her. He doesn't know that she's his sister. But the reader knows and that makes it creepy enough. This goes on for chapters and chapters. And honestly I'm not sure where the sibling-lust ends because I did not finish this book.
I've only ever DNFed one book. Normally I stubbornly force myself through a book, even if it's a miserable reading experience, because I don't want the book to beat me. I couldn't fight this book. The plot seemed to be going nowhere, the main character felt flat and every time the sibling-lust came up I cringed. To me it was pretty obvious the author was trying to be edgy. But sometimes less is more. Where this book is concerned, I recommend avoiding it altogether.
In case you are wondering I listened to this on audiobook. I listened to 5/7 CDs before stopping. The narrator was unremarkable but not bad either. The problem was the story itself.
I was iffy about this book when they introduced the main character driving down the road just wearing a bra. Not a sports bra, but a bra and not for any real reason. When a male writer creates a female character who's beautiful, sexy and often not wearing many clothes, I'm a little leery. Sometimes it feels like male writers create heroines who are merely their fantasies, not real well-devolved characters. It's like "look I'm a sassy free woman comfortable with my sexuality" but it's done in a way that doesn't feels genuine.
My discomfort grew with an unnamed character (you later find out who) is spying on Mimi, refers to one of her friends as "faggy." I'm not saying it's not okay to have homophobic characters. Homophobes exist. But it was used casually without any purpose to illustrate that a guy was effeminate. I know most authors would argue "but that's what the character says" but when it's not necessary it should be edited out. I'm not comfortable reading books with hate speech unless it is addressing the issue of hate.
This book had a plot that seemed to amble without going anywhere. Someone is spying on Mimi and Jay (the second main character), being a creeper. The story has numerous POVs, which is not that well executed. The POVS eliminate all the drama of who's spying. The reader knows who's spying and why they are spying. Now that I've had a couple weeks away from this book I'm wondering where the story was even going. Mimi was trying to write a screenplay. Jay was trying to write a song. They were building a friendship. Creeper dude was spying and lusting. But what was the real point?
This book also had a creepy case of sibling lust. It started when Mimi showed up and met Jay who (SPOILER ALERT) is her half brother. Even after she realizes that she still finds him attractive. However that was minor and quickly went away. But there's another half-sibling lurking in this book. And he lusts after Mimi, admiring everything about her, imagining a life with her. He doesn't know that she's his sister. But the reader knows and that makes it creepy enough. This goes on for chapters and chapters. And honestly I'm not sure where the sibling-lust ends because I did not finish this book.
I've only ever DNFed one book. Normally I stubbornly force myself through a book, even if it's a miserable reading experience, because I don't want the book to beat me. I couldn't fight this book. The plot seemed to be going nowhere, the main character felt flat and every time the sibling-lust came up I cringed. To me it was pretty obvious the author was trying to be edgy. But sometimes less is more. Where this book is concerned, I recommend avoiding it altogether.
In case you are wondering I listened to this on audiobook. I listened to 5/7 CDs before stopping. The narrator was unremarkable but not bad either. The problem was the story itself.
September 19, 2024
This was weird, I struggled to decide between a 2 or a 3 star.
Where to even start? If you like books that make you feel really uncomfortable then I think you would really like this. It slows down around the 200-250 page mark and starts to feel long-winded and a bit boring. It drags a little and ends up giving too much away which spoiled the last twist for me.
It's harsh that this is one of the lowest book rating books on my TBR according to Goodreads because I have read worse, but it isn't anything I would recommend. The writing style was decent but it felt blunt at times and a little bland. I wouldn't actively stay away from this author, saying that I don't think I would purposely look for them either.
If you like to be creeped out rather than scared, if you like to feel a bit icky and uncomfortable and you want a fairly fast-read then this isn't a bad choice.
Where to even start? If you like books that make you feel really uncomfortable then I think you would really like this. It slows down around the 200-250 page mark and starts to feel long-winded and a bit boring. It drags a little and ends up giving too much away which spoiled the last twist for me.
It's harsh that this is one of the lowest book rating books on my TBR according to Goodreads because I have read worse, but it isn't anything I would recommend. The writing style was decent but it felt blunt at times and a little bland. I wouldn't actively stay away from this author, saying that I don't think I would purposely look for them either.
If you like to be creeped out rather than scared, if you like to feel a bit icky and uncomfortable and you want a fairly fast-read then this isn't a bad choice.
January 13, 2018
I really thought this novel would be creepy and maybe have a supernatural component given the description and cover, but it didn't. I'm not really quite sure what the author was trying to accomplish. The novel is a bit like "Flowers in the Attic" meets the cast of "Friends". Not cool. I was drawn in my the storytelling, but it ultimately just didn't come together and the ending felt like a cheat.
June 21, 2009
Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com
When New Yorker Mimi drives all the way up into the Canadian wilderness to find the little house her artist father once used as a studio, she's just looking to spend some time alone - and away from an affair with a professor that has taken a nasty turn.
The last thing she expects is to find someone already occupying the house. Jay, a young musician struggling to find his muse, is more connected to Mimi than she first realizes. And so is the shy young man who watches them in secret from the river.
As Mimi and Jay divide up the house, the idyllic setting in the countryside is disrupted by a series of intrusions that become more and more destructive and apparently hostile. Why would anyone want to disturb them? How can they be stopped? And just how many secrets lie hidden in that long-abandoned house?
THE UNINVITED is a tense mystery broken by occasional bits of peace and beauty. The three narrators become more and more sympathetic as the reader gets to know them, and all of the supporting characters are well-developed and full of personality as well. Some of the best scenes are when Mimi, Jay, and Jay's girlfriend, Iris, are just hanging out, getting to know one another. But the gripping, suspenseful scenes are equally well done.
Wynne-Jones does a masterful job of letting certain moments stand as they are, without pushing them into melodrama, like the subtly creepy chapter end when Mimi discovers someone's filmed her on her own camera. Readers will enjoy fitting the pieces together as they learn about each of the characters, but the most important questions will keep them eagerly turning pages right until the end. They may find it a little confusing that Jay's narrative is nearly completely dropped part of the way through the book, and the brief sections in italics don't seem to completely integrate into the story, but those are minor quibbles.
Highly recommended to all fans of mystery and suspense.
When New Yorker Mimi drives all the way up into the Canadian wilderness to find the little house her artist father once used as a studio, she's just looking to spend some time alone - and away from an affair with a professor that has taken a nasty turn.
The last thing she expects is to find someone already occupying the house. Jay, a young musician struggling to find his muse, is more connected to Mimi than she first realizes. And so is the shy young man who watches them in secret from the river.
As Mimi and Jay divide up the house, the idyllic setting in the countryside is disrupted by a series of intrusions that become more and more destructive and apparently hostile. Why would anyone want to disturb them? How can they be stopped? And just how many secrets lie hidden in that long-abandoned house?
THE UNINVITED is a tense mystery broken by occasional bits of peace and beauty. The three narrators become more and more sympathetic as the reader gets to know them, and all of the supporting characters are well-developed and full of personality as well. Some of the best scenes are when Mimi, Jay, and Jay's girlfriend, Iris, are just hanging out, getting to know one another. But the gripping, suspenseful scenes are equally well done.
Wynne-Jones does a masterful job of letting certain moments stand as they are, without pushing them into melodrama, like the subtly creepy chapter end when Mimi discovers someone's filmed her on her own camera. Readers will enjoy fitting the pieces together as they learn about each of the characters, but the most important questions will keep them eagerly turning pages right until the end. They may find it a little confusing that Jay's narrative is nearly completely dropped part of the way through the book, and the brief sections in italics don't seem to completely integrate into the story, but those are minor quibbles.
Highly recommended to all fans of mystery and suspense.
October 6, 2015
I had the longest review I have ever written typed up for this book, and my browser unexpectedly closed. WOE. I may type it all up again one day if I can find the motivation, but here is a Sparks Notes version:
The stupid plot.
THE ENDING. It isn't even worth the effort to create a spoiler tag and discuss it. It just sucks.
Dialogue tags. Apparently the only one Wynne-Jones knows is "said." He said, she said, said Mimi, Jay said as he walk off, etc. There would be entire conversations going on FOREVER that had "said" as the only dialogue tag.
Product placement. Nobody gives a crap that Mimi's laptop was a Mac PowerBook G4 or that her video camera was a cherry red JVC Everio GZ-E10 Full HD Camcorder (okay, I can't remember if that is actually what it was. I am just Googling at this point to avoid having to refer back to the book). All of these various electronic devices and products will likely be obsolete in the future, and should any poor future soul pick this book up (and I feel sorry for anyone who does), all of the specs won't mean a damn thing. Just say she had an effing laptop and camcorder. We get it. If the author had spent half as much time working on a decent plot as he does literarily (Google tells me it's an adverb for literary and an actual word, so there!) masturbating over all of these stupid electronic devices, then maybe the book would earn a 2 star rating instead of "this is a piece of shit that I am giving 1 star because I can't specifically rate 0 or negative stars."
The stupid plot.
THE ENDING. It isn't even worth the effort to create a spoiler tag and discuss it. It just sucks.
Dialogue tags. Apparently the only one Wynne-Jones knows is "said." He said, she said, said Mimi, Jay said as he walk off, etc. There would be entire conversations going on FOREVER that had "said" as the only dialogue tag.
Product placement. Nobody gives a crap that Mimi's laptop was a Mac PowerBook G4 or that her video camera was a cherry red JVC Everio GZ-E10 Full HD Camcorder (okay, I can't remember if that is actually what it was. I am just Googling at this point to avoid having to refer back to the book). All of these various electronic devices and products will likely be obsolete in the future, and should any poor future soul pick this book up (and I feel sorry for anyone who does), all of the specs won't mean a damn thing. Just say she had an effing laptop and camcorder. We get it. If the author had spent half as much time working on a decent plot as he does literarily (Google tells me it's an adverb for literary and an actual word, so there!) masturbating over all of these stupid electronic devices, then maybe the book would earn a 2 star rating instead of "this is a piece of shit that I am giving 1 star because I can't specifically rate 0 or negative stars."
July 22, 2009
A little bit spooky, a little bit eerie, a whole lot of family problems. The three young ones, Mimi, Jay, and another guy Cramer, act as the main characters. The viewpoint switches from each of those characters often.
The story is just so compelling. It’s very hard to put down, especially towards to the end. Actually no. At the end, it is impossible to put down. I just had to speed through it to figure out what’s happening.
Basically, there are two mysteries. One is introduced in the synopsis, being Jay is getting these creepy presents. It escalates to thievery and so Jay, Mimi, and also Cramer on his own, are trying to figure out just who is taking all the stuff. I guess it’s not really a considered a mystery, but the second to me is: each of the main characters know a little bit, but not everything of the story. There’s all these different relations between Jay, Mimi, and Cramer, and none of them know all of them to what extent. It’s a bit confusing what I’m saying, but I don’t want to spoil anything…
I thought some of the phrasing was a little funny. The story takes place by a snye (look it up on Google- lots of pictures to place the setting and atmosphere) in Ontario so I guess it makes sense. These are not city folk, and so a lot of them have odd phrasing and speak differently than usual.
A thing I really liked about this book, being Canadian, is that it takes place in Canada, specifically in Ontario close to Ottawa. There were many Canadian references like the University of British Colombia (where my parents went), all the big cities close by, like Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, etc. As much as I love American books too, Canadian books hold a special place in my heart. Okay, yes, I will go barf at my corniness now.
It’s honestly just this really intense read that’s completely gripping. The setting is amazing and richly detailed. The characters are interesting, all with their separate histories, pasts, and problems, but they all seem to converge on this same path. The ending is a complete shocker. You may think you know the culprit, but no, no, you don’t. Figuring out the mystery is just what keeps you going until the very end.
The story is just so compelling. It’s very hard to put down, especially towards to the end. Actually no. At the end, it is impossible to put down. I just had to speed through it to figure out what’s happening.
Basically, there are two mysteries. One is introduced in the synopsis, being Jay is getting these creepy presents. It escalates to thievery and so Jay, Mimi, and also Cramer on his own, are trying to figure out just who is taking all the stuff. I guess it’s not really a considered a mystery, but the second to me is: each of the main characters know a little bit, but not everything of the story. There’s all these different relations between Jay, Mimi, and Cramer, and none of them know all of them to what extent. It’s a bit confusing what I’m saying, but I don’t want to spoil anything…
I thought some of the phrasing was a little funny. The story takes place by a snye (look it up on Google- lots of pictures to place the setting and atmosphere) in Ontario so I guess it makes sense. These are not city folk, and so a lot of them have odd phrasing and speak differently than usual.
A thing I really liked about this book, being Canadian, is that it takes place in Canada, specifically in Ontario close to Ottawa. There were many Canadian references like the University of British Colombia (where my parents went), all the big cities close by, like Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, etc. As much as I love American books too, Canadian books hold a special place in my heart. Okay, yes, I will go barf at my corniness now.
It’s honestly just this really intense read that’s completely gripping. The setting is amazing and richly detailed. The characters are interesting, all with their separate histories, pasts, and problems, but they all seem to converge on this same path. The ending is a complete shocker. You may think you know the culprit, but no, no, you don’t. Figuring out the mystery is just what keeps you going until the very end.
January 13, 2009
Wow, this is a page turner! Three characters are drawn to a small, solitary house on a snye (read it to find out) for their own reasons. Of the three, two are completely unaware of the third except as a threat, an invisible menace.
But is the third the enemy? Or is the third the final key in discovering who each one really is?
I couldn't put this book down. And the setting itself, the house, the watery domain upon which it sits, becomes a character itself, pushing and pulling the three main characters together and apart.
What a read!
But is the third the enemy? Or is the third the final key in discovering who each one really is?
I couldn't put this book down. And the setting itself, the house, the watery domain upon which it sits, becomes a character itself, pushing and pulling the three main characters together and apart.
What a read!
April 10, 2017
This was eerie at times, but overall I didn't think it was quite as thrilling or scary as I had hoped.
It wasn't exactly predictable, but the twists didn't shock me either, and although I did follow the general plot of the story and enjoyed specific scenes, there were other scenes that seemed unnecessary or simply confusing.
It wasn't exactly predictable, but the twists didn't shock me either, and although I did follow the general plot of the story and enjoyed specific scenes, there were other scenes that seemed unnecessary or simply confusing.
February 26, 2021
Any book with incest is a no go in my eyes. And although nothing actually stemmed from it, the amount of lusting over siblings and half siblings made this an uncomfortable read. Also, the characters have a tendency to speak to themselves in a soliloquy sort of way which only exists in theatre and ‘the office’. Having said this, I enjoyed some of the plot twists and It was an easy read.
September 7, 2022
Couldn't put it down!
August 5, 2017
I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WOULD NEVER END.
I'm not a quitter. I've never not finished a book. So I finished this one. But I'm pretty sure it took 84 years.
The pacing was slow. So slow. Not "building the intensity" slow but ACTUALLY PAINFULLY SLOW. I don't care if the main characters went out for margaritas. I don't care if Mimi changed her clothes for the sixth time. I don't care if Cramer skulked mysteriously for the millionth time in a row. Nothing was happening.
Mimi was literally the most insufferable heroine. She's forcibly quirky, to the point that you feel like there's a neon sign flashing in front of your eyes saying PLEASE SEE WHAT A MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL I AM. I literally felt the strain of reading any parts from Mimi's point of view, as if someone was stretching out a long string of silly putty. And right from the beginning she's an unrealistic character, because what girl goes on an all day road trip wearing just a sports bra (imagine the seams of your car upholstery digging into your bare skin for hours on end) and then, upon arrival, changes pants outside in the yard. (I also didn't need the elaborate description of Mimi's butt and thong either.) Overall, Mimi was shoved down my throat so much that when I was supposed to care about her and her plight, I didn't care. (And it didn't matter, because her plight was solved with a phone call.)
Jay was a useless character and Iris even more so. I honestly can't give any information about Jay other than "plays guitar." He was completely forgettable. His big dramatic reveal is dropped with little fanfare in like the second chapter, and not only does it not add anything interesting to the character, it cheapens the later reveal for a later character. Iris was marginally interesting to read about, but did absolutely nothing to further the plot. Just another detour in a long, painfully rambling narrative.
Cramer was the worst. He's supposed to be mysterious and ambiguous and tortured, but I just wanted to throttle him out of annoyance. His character veered far too far into "nice guy" territory. I half expected a description of him wearing a fedora and posting online about how he's such a nice guy and girls don't understand him. He proved to be a weak antagonist/antihero and I hated him so much.
The rest of the cast and the plot are rounded out with forgettable, unlikable caricatures. Cramer's mother is a plotline that I've seen a million times before and this didn't offer anything new or exciting. Stooley Peters was supposed to be a red herring, but you can see right through him. I still don't know who on earth Waylin is or why he matters- Cramer talks about it as if it's super obvious who he is and what his relationship to the other characters is, but it's never explained. And Mimi's parents are literally the worst. Jay's parents are a lot more interesting, but are relegated to one scene and a couple of half hearted mentions.
In short, this book nearly killed me. I read quickly, I read voraciously, and this book literally exhausted me to the point that I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks because I was so bored that I couldn't keep going. I finished it, because I'm stubborn, but seriously, I would never touch it again.
I'm not a quitter. I've never not finished a book. So I finished this one. But I'm pretty sure it took 84 years.
The pacing was slow. So slow. Not "building the intensity" slow but ACTUALLY PAINFULLY SLOW. I don't care if the main characters went out for margaritas. I don't care if Mimi changed her clothes for the sixth time. I don't care if Cramer skulked mysteriously for the millionth time in a row. Nothing was happening.
Mimi was literally the most insufferable heroine. She's forcibly quirky, to the point that you feel like there's a neon sign flashing in front of your eyes saying PLEASE SEE WHAT A MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL I AM. I literally felt the strain of reading any parts from Mimi's point of view, as if someone was stretching out a long string of silly putty. And right from the beginning she's an unrealistic character, because what girl goes on an all day road trip wearing just a sports bra (imagine the seams of your car upholstery digging into your bare skin for hours on end) and then, upon arrival, changes pants outside in the yard. (I also didn't need the elaborate description of Mimi's butt and thong either.) Overall, Mimi was shoved down my throat so much that when I was supposed to care about her and her plight, I didn't care. (And it didn't matter, because her plight was solved with a phone call.)
Jay was a useless character and Iris even more so. I honestly can't give any information about Jay other than "plays guitar." He was completely forgettable. His big dramatic reveal is dropped with little fanfare in like the second chapter, and not only does it not add anything interesting to the character, it cheapens the later reveal for a later character. Iris was marginally interesting to read about, but did absolutely nothing to further the plot. Just another detour in a long, painfully rambling narrative.
Cramer was the worst. He's supposed to be mysterious and ambiguous and tortured, but I just wanted to throttle him out of annoyance. His character veered far too far into "nice guy" territory. I half expected a description of him wearing a fedora and posting online about how he's such a nice guy and girls don't understand him. He proved to be a weak antagonist/antihero and I hated him so much.
The rest of the cast and the plot are rounded out with forgettable, unlikable caricatures. Cramer's mother is a plotline that I've seen a million times before and this didn't offer anything new or exciting. Stooley Peters was supposed to be a red herring, but you can see right through him. I still don't know who on earth Waylin is or why he matters- Cramer talks about it as if it's super obvious who he is and what his relationship to the other characters is, but it's never explained. And Mimi's parents are literally the worst. Jay's parents are a lot more interesting, but are relegated to one scene and a couple of half hearted mentions.
In short, this book nearly killed me. I read quickly, I read voraciously, and this book literally exhausted me to the point that I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks because I was so bored that I couldn't keep going. I finished it, because I'm stubborn, but seriously, I would never touch it again.
December 24, 2019
The only reason I gave it two stars is because the author is really good at describing scenery: I felt like I really was at the house on the snye. If it didn't have the vivid descriptions of the town of Ladybank, I would've given it one star. I can't believe this was nominated for a White Pine and was a finalist for the Governor General's award. (It also got an award from Chapters Indigo, but I always take those awards with a grain of salt.)
There were so many problems with this book.
1. As others have said, it wouldn't make much sense for Mimi to cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge and drive several hours to Ottawa. And wouldn't it be late in the evening by the time she got to the house, which isn't in Ottawa but in a town just outside it?
2. Mimi's parents are clearly affluent enough to buy her a MacBook, a fancy camcorder, and a Mini Cooper. Surely she could've just flown to Ottawa instead of driving. And I don't buy that she wouldn't have money - her mother (a partner in a law firm, for crying out loud!) would've given her money.
3. I found two grammatical errors a few pages apart from each other. Also, the roof went from being mossy in the beginning of the book to being a tin roof near the end. I'm no scientist, but I'm fairly sure moss doesn't grow on a tin roof. For these reasons (and another that I'll list further down), it felt like a rough first draft, not a final draft from an author who has written over twenty other books.
4. Wynne-Jones appears to be one of those Canadian authors who writes like an American, because he kept spelling "colour" with no "u". Disappointing.
5. Ever heard of Chekov's Gun? (Here's a summary of it on Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov...) The author decided to break that rule of thumb - I'll hide it, even though it's not a huge spoiler.
6. Similar to the can of mace, I thought that Waylin Pitney - who was literally introduced in "act one" - would have more of a role in the story.
7. I felt it was unnecessary to put so much focus on how Mimi liked the feel of a summer's breeze on her butt-cheeks. It just felt gross, like it was written to get teenage boys interested in the story.
8. The cover makes it look creepier than it actually is. (Again, saying what others have said, but it needs pointing out.) I was expecting something like an episode of the British noir series Luther, and instead I got Midsomer Murders.
There were so many problems with this book.
1. As others have said, it wouldn't make much sense for Mimi to cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge and drive several hours to Ottawa. And wouldn't it be late in the evening by the time she got to the house, which isn't in Ottawa but in a town just outside it?
2. Mimi's parents are clearly affluent enough to buy her a MacBook, a fancy camcorder, and a Mini Cooper. Surely she could've just flown to Ottawa instead of driving. And I don't buy that she wouldn't have money - her mother (a partner in a law firm, for crying out loud!) would've given her money.
3. I found two grammatical errors a few pages apart from each other. Also, the roof went from being mossy in the beginning of the book to being a tin roof near the end. I'm no scientist, but I'm fairly sure moss doesn't grow on a tin roof. For these reasons (and another that I'll list further down), it felt like a rough first draft, not a final draft from an author who has written over twenty other books.
4. Wynne-Jones appears to be one of those Canadian authors who writes like an American, because he kept spelling "colour" with no "u". Disappointing.
5. Ever heard of Chekov's Gun? (Here's a summary of it on Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov...) The author decided to break that rule of thumb - I'll hide it, even though it's not a huge spoiler.
6. Similar to the can of mace, I thought that Waylin Pitney - who was literally introduced in "act one" - would have more of a role in the story.
7. I felt it was unnecessary to put so much focus on how Mimi liked the feel of a summer's breeze on her butt-cheeks. It just felt gross, like it was written to get teenage boys interested in the story.
8. The cover makes it look creepier than it actually is. (Again, saying what others have said, but it needs pointing out.) I was expecting something like an episode of the British noir series Luther, and instead I got Midsomer Murders.
November 29, 2009
Despite the title and eerie cover art, this is not a ghost story, nor is it much of a thriller, but actually a twisted drama. First we meet Cramer, a young man trying desperately to keep his mentally disturbed mother from falling to pieces. We sense that his mother’s emotional abuse and crazy demands to support her attempts at art has warped his life. Next we meet our main character, Mimi, whose first year at NYU turned disastrous when the married professor she hooked up with became possessive and stalker-like. Seeking to get away, she takes up her artist father’s offer to stay alone at a remote cottage in Canada. Upon arrival, she finds Jay, a young musician working to find his muse in the solitary location which is not too far from his regular home. Initially highly attracted to each other, the two quickly figure out that they are half siblings via their famous father, unaware of each other until that moment. Although some strange desire remains between them, Mimi and Jay began to build a tentative brother and sister bond as they share the cottage and fend off some unknown intruder who leaves threatening messages. Could the intruder be Cramer, whose first glimpse of Mimi drives him to obsess over her or the lecherous old neighbor anxious to get friendly with Mimi? Add in the additional threat of a woman scorned by the viral artist father plus the amorous professor and you’ve got a muddled story that needs serious editing help. The language, age of the characters, and weird family dynamics, not to mention the constant lust experienced by all males within a certain radius, make this book best for late high school or early college readers. Not a priority purchase, but an addition to consider for libraries with high demand for thrillers, particularly Flowers in the Attic style.
January 20, 2023
Maybe not as gripping as my other 3 star books, also not so much a mystery as I was hoping for. This is more a mystery to the main character that the reader already knows and predictable often times. Still it was a good read, really painted out clear images. The ending was good and fast, went from creepy everyone’s related and doesn’t know each other hope they don’t hook up to a wholesome story!
May 19, 2021
The female protagonist was evidently written by a man -- the language used to describe her appearance and the unoriginality of her personality were quite telling. This made the book an uncomfortable read.
July 4, 2022
This is not my typical genre but I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel! Mysterious happenings at a secluded house in the woods? Dangerous exes? Unknown stalkers? Check, check, and check.
One man ties our plot lines together into one messy bow. 4/5 stars. :)
One man ties our plot lines together into one messy bow. 4/5 stars. :)
November 3, 2025
I see this has some negative reviews, but I really liked it! Plot was interesting; characters likeable, and it was decently suspenseful. All in all, a win!
November 2, 2012
In a perfect little town, where everyone is kind and friendly, there is a person who doesn't really draw attention to themselves. They’re the kind of person someone would meet, but later on wouldn't really remember because they didn't leave a big impression on them. This person may seem nice, but people don’t know about all the bad things they have done.
In the book The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones, that person in the little town is Cramer Lee. In this realistic fiction the first wrong thing of the many things he did was steal a necklace. “You tell me if it isn't the same color as my eyes. Like it was made for me. You hear me?. . . I should have that necklace, honey. You get it for me okay?” Mavis Lee, Cramer’s mother, had said this to Cramer when she saw the necklace around her doctor’s neck. Mavis knows that Cramer would do anything for her, so she knows how to manipulate him into getting her not necessarily what she needs, but what she wants.
Mimi Shapiro is a happy and carefree person. She drove up to that little town in Canada to get away from things that were stressing her. When she goes to the house her dad told her she would find in Canada, she meets a musician named Jay who is already living in the house. Jay is a worrier. He stresses out about a lot of things, and when something doesn't seem right, you can always count on him to be the one to take control of the situation. Even though Jay and Mimi are almost complete opposites, they decided that they would just share the house and live together.
When Mimi’s belongings start to go missing, she doesn't really think any drastic precautions should be taken. Jay, on the other hand, said that they should have talked to the police. Mimi convinces Jay not to tell the police, until later on more things are stolen from the house. Mimi and Jay had come home to find the door to their house slightly ajar. This quote is from when Officer Roach wrote down that someone had taken Mimi’s red camcorder and two of Jay’s guitars. “So that’s a wine-red thirty-gigabyte JVC HDD?. . . And two guitars plus cases? A Gibson ES-175 with a sunburst finish and a powder-blue Fender Stratocaster?”
The event of objects going missing keeps happening, and Mimi and Jay are soon led to believe that Cramer Lee has been taking their stuff the whole time. Cramer had been so busy with taking their stuff, that he sort of stopped paying attention to his mom. Mavis would tell Cramer she knew what he was up to, because she could smell perfume on Cramer when he came home some days. “I know about her, Cramer! You think I don’t know nothing, but you’re wrong.” Mavis was mad at Cramer, until she found out who the girl Cramer had been seeing was. It was Mimi, and when Mavis found that out, she made a plan of revenge to get back at Mimi for taking Cramer’s attention.
In the end, Cramer gave back the things he stole and confessed to taking them. Mimi and Jay forgave him because he did the right thing. This book is like the book Because of Winn-Dixie because in that book, one of the lessons is that you should try and do the right thing, but if you do, do something wrong, you should apologize and make it up. I gave The Uninvited 4 stars because not only did the book teach important lessons, but it also had very interesting twists throughout the whole story.
In the book The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones, that person in the little town is Cramer Lee. In this realistic fiction the first wrong thing of the many things he did was steal a necklace. “You tell me if it isn't the same color as my eyes. Like it was made for me. You hear me?. . . I should have that necklace, honey. You get it for me okay?” Mavis Lee, Cramer’s mother, had said this to Cramer when she saw the necklace around her doctor’s neck. Mavis knows that Cramer would do anything for her, so she knows how to manipulate him into getting her not necessarily what she needs, but what she wants.
Mimi Shapiro is a happy and carefree person. She drove up to that little town in Canada to get away from things that were stressing her. When she goes to the house her dad told her she would find in Canada, she meets a musician named Jay who is already living in the house. Jay is a worrier. He stresses out about a lot of things, and when something doesn't seem right, you can always count on him to be the one to take control of the situation. Even though Jay and Mimi are almost complete opposites, they decided that they would just share the house and live together.
When Mimi’s belongings start to go missing, she doesn't really think any drastic precautions should be taken. Jay, on the other hand, said that they should have talked to the police. Mimi convinces Jay not to tell the police, until later on more things are stolen from the house. Mimi and Jay had come home to find the door to their house slightly ajar. This quote is from when Officer Roach wrote down that someone had taken Mimi’s red camcorder and two of Jay’s guitars. “So that’s a wine-red thirty-gigabyte JVC HDD?. . . And two guitars plus cases? A Gibson ES-175 with a sunburst finish and a powder-blue Fender Stratocaster?”
The event of objects going missing keeps happening, and Mimi and Jay are soon led to believe that Cramer Lee has been taking their stuff the whole time. Cramer had been so busy with taking their stuff, that he sort of stopped paying attention to his mom. Mavis would tell Cramer she knew what he was up to, because she could smell perfume on Cramer when he came home some days. “I know about her, Cramer! You think I don’t know nothing, but you’re wrong.” Mavis was mad at Cramer, until she found out who the girl Cramer had been seeing was. It was Mimi, and when Mavis found that out, she made a plan of revenge to get back at Mimi for taking Cramer’s attention.
In the end, Cramer gave back the things he stole and confessed to taking them. Mimi and Jay forgave him because he did the right thing. This book is like the book Because of Winn-Dixie because in that book, one of the lessons is that you should try and do the right thing, but if you do, do something wrong, you should apologize and make it up. I gave The Uninvited 4 stars because not only did the book teach important lessons, but it also had very interesting twists throughout the whole story.
December 3, 2021
So the thing about this book is, I read it as a youth when it first came out. I finished it, had nothing negative to say about it, and I never thought about it again. Flash back to a couple of months ago, I saw it sitting on my bookshelf and had no memory of this book, not the plot...nothing. I decided to read it with my SO
Let me tell you, the absolute frustration this book fills me with is indescribable.
One of our main protagonists in this book is Mimi and she's adorable. Our first glimpse of her she is driving down the highway out of NYC heading for the Canadian wilderness in just her bra. I can't tell you how many times in my young adult life I have thrown on a bra, hopped in my car and drove cross country into the wilds of Canada. Totes relatable.
The cover of this book will lead you to believe that it is some type of horror or thriller novel, when in reality it is barely a mystery. I say barely because all of the mystery is thrown out the window as soon as each protagonist is introduced.
For some terrible reason the only dialogue tag that the author uses throughout the book is said. You wouldn't think that this would be as noticeable as it is, but it isn't like he just used it a lot, nay nay. This is the only dialogue tag that is used. Asking a question? He said. Exclaiming something shocking? Said Mimi excitedly. It is distracting.
The experience my partner and I had reading this book was like trudging through molasses. There are some funny quips, some tragic backstories, but alas it was not enough to make this book engaging. More often than not we just found it upsetting.
Let me tell you, the absolute frustration this book fills me with is indescribable.
One of our main protagonists in this book is Mimi and she's adorable. Our first glimpse of her she is driving down the highway out of NYC heading for the Canadian wilderness in just her bra. I can't tell you how many times in my young adult life I have thrown on a bra, hopped in my car and drove cross country into the wilds of Canada. Totes relatable.
The cover of this book will lead you to believe that it is some type of horror or thriller novel, when in reality it is barely a mystery. I say barely because all of the mystery is thrown out the window as soon as each protagonist is introduced.
For some terrible reason the only dialogue tag that the author uses throughout the book is said. You wouldn't think that this would be as noticeable as it is, but it isn't like he just used it a lot, nay nay. This is the only dialogue tag that is used. Asking a question? He said. Exclaiming something shocking? Said Mimi excitedly. It is distracting.
The experience my partner and I had reading this book was like trudging through molasses. There are some funny quips, some tragic backstories, but alas it was not enough to make this book engaging. More often than not we just found it upsetting.
December 2, 2015
*SPOILERS*
1. I picked up this book expecting to read a suspenseful thriller novel. I found this basically only within the first chapter or two. The change in perspective throughout the book ruined the suspense entirely. Including Cramer's perspective made it so there was no mystery as to who the stalker was or what their intentions were- this was supposed to be the only point of suspense for the entire story.
2. You can't make me hate a character and then try to make me love them. Throughout the beginning of the book, Cramer has lustful fantasies and does things (like stealing photos, inhaling perfume) that make him seem very much like a creep. However, after tricking Mimi into meeting him at the computer repair shop, Cramer seems to change suddenly- he regrets what he has done and swears to protect Mimi from then on. This seems like an attempt by the author to make Cramer seem like a "good guy" by thw end of the book. Layer on, Cramer finally realizes Mimi is his half-sister, and says that "everything [has] changed, but at the same time nothing [has] changed at all." Looking back at the earlier chapters, this is not an acceptable apology/response.
*I'm getting tired. Excuse me if my writing is bad*
3. Much of the plot seems entirely useless to the progression of the story. Mimi's affair with her professor seems most like a lame attempt by the author to add drama to the story, or perhaps simply to come up with a reason for Mimi's being in Canada in the first place. The way the issue is resolved, as well (over the phone; guaranteed no more problems), seems unrealistic and simple, as if the author couldn't think of any other ways to get rid of the professor. Mimi/Jay's perverted neighbor, as well, seemed like an unnecessary detail added purely for drama. He had little to do with the actual story and minimal influence on the characters.
4. The ending of the story was poorly executed. Pages and pages describing Cramer's stalking/creepy activities led up to the main threat being a different person altogether.
Overall, would not recommend this book as a thriller. Possibly as a drama, but the story is definitely flawed.
1. I picked up this book expecting to read a suspenseful thriller novel. I found this basically only within the first chapter or two. The change in perspective throughout the book ruined the suspense entirely. Including Cramer's perspective made it so there was no mystery as to who the stalker was or what their intentions were- this was supposed to be the only point of suspense for the entire story.
2. You can't make me hate a character and then try to make me love them. Throughout the beginning of the book, Cramer has lustful fantasies and does things (like stealing photos, inhaling perfume) that make him seem very much like a creep. However, after tricking Mimi into meeting him at the computer repair shop, Cramer seems to change suddenly- he regrets what he has done and swears to protect Mimi from then on. This seems like an attempt by the author to make Cramer seem like a "good guy" by thw end of the book. Layer on, Cramer finally realizes Mimi is his half-sister, and says that "everything [has] changed, but at the same time nothing [has] changed at all." Looking back at the earlier chapters, this is not an acceptable apology/response.
*I'm getting tired. Excuse me if my writing is bad*
3. Much of the plot seems entirely useless to the progression of the story. Mimi's affair with her professor seems most like a lame attempt by the author to add drama to the story, or perhaps simply to come up with a reason for Mimi's being in Canada in the first place. The way the issue is resolved, as well (over the phone; guaranteed no more problems), seems unrealistic and simple, as if the author couldn't think of any other ways to get rid of the professor. Mimi/Jay's perverted neighbor, as well, seemed like an unnecessary detail added purely for drama. He had little to do with the actual story and minimal influence on the characters.
4. The ending of the story was poorly executed. Pages and pages describing Cramer's stalking/creepy activities led up to the main threat being a different person altogether.
Overall, would not recommend this book as a thriller. Possibly as a drama, but the story is definitely flawed.
August 17, 2009
I knew I had to read this book (not entirely in a good way) when I read a review that opened with "College freshman Mimi Shapiro plans a solitary vacation at her family's cottage in a remote part of Canada after she has an ill-fated affair with an NYU professor."
So that is in fact the opening, Mimi arrives at the cottage and discovers all sorts of mysterious things, such as the fact that someone else, a handsome music student on his way to graduate school, is already living there. The cottage, by the way, is located on a snye, a new vocabulary word for me. It's a Canadian word for a little branch of a river that eventually rejoins the main river, creating an island.
As much as Mimi instantly loves the little house on the snye, it's also desolate and sinister and a locus for weird happenings. The whole story has a very Lois Duncan/Richard Peck vibe to me ... it's a mystery, and suspenseful (genuinely a page-turner), but in order for the story to work, you need to believe that every single human being in the nation of Canada is completely capable of being a menacing stalker with a secret past. You can't help but start wondering what are the odds of so many creepy people all converging the same time.
And while it doesn't impact the story, I was very surprised to see that the author, a resident of Ontario, apparently doesn't know where the Peace Bridge is.
Grade: It's around a B for general suspense, but down to a C if you take more than a moment to start thinking about how the plot works.
Recommended: It's pulpy, almost entirely plot driven, and has that feeling of everything happening on the surface. Young teens who like suspense stories will probably tear right through this with gusto; adults might be a little skeeved out by the disturbing circumstances the characters are thrust into.
So that is in fact the opening, Mimi arrives at the cottage and discovers all sorts of mysterious things, such as the fact that someone else, a handsome music student on his way to graduate school, is already living there. The cottage, by the way, is located on a snye, a new vocabulary word for me. It's a Canadian word for a little branch of a river that eventually rejoins the main river, creating an island.
As much as Mimi instantly loves the little house on the snye, it's also desolate and sinister and a locus for weird happenings. The whole story has a very Lois Duncan/Richard Peck vibe to me ... it's a mystery, and suspenseful (genuinely a page-turner), but in order for the story to work, you need to believe that every single human being in the nation of Canada is completely capable of being a menacing stalker with a secret past. You can't help but start wondering what are the odds of so many creepy people all converging the same time.
And while it doesn't impact the story, I was very surprised to see that the author, a resident of Ontario, apparently doesn't know where the Peace Bridge is.
Grade: It's around a B for general suspense, but down to a C if you take more than a moment to start thinking about how the plot works.
Recommended: It's pulpy, almost entirely plot driven, and has that feeling of everything happening on the surface. Young teens who like suspense stories will probably tear right through this with gusto; adults might be a little skeeved out by the disturbing circumstances the characters are thrust into.
August 25, 2011
Story Description:
Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father, Marc, offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she’s glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she’s shocked to find someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket sound track embedded in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want? Part gripping thriller, part family drama, this fast-paced novel plays out in alternating viewpoints, in a pastoral setting that is evocative and eerie — a mysterious character in its own right.
My Review:
I was disappointed in this novel perhaps my expectations were too high. It was a very bland, slow moving read for a supposedly decent suspense novel.
Mimi, the main protagonist drives to Canada from the United States to stay in a small house her father used to use as his artist studio. Mimi wants to spend some time alone after breaking off an affair with her university professor. But when she arrives at the house, there is already someone else staying there and the house was supposed to be empty.
Mimi discovers the man staying in the house is a young musician named Jay, who is struggling to find his muse. However, Jay appears to be much more connected to Mimi than she realizes and there is a man who watches them both from the nearby river.
I found that Wynne-Jones was able to create a few suspenseful moments here and there throughout the book, but wasn’t able to hit the mark for a true suspense in my opinion.
Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father, Marc, offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she’s glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she’s shocked to find someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket sound track embedded in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want? Part gripping thriller, part family drama, this fast-paced novel plays out in alternating viewpoints, in a pastoral setting that is evocative and eerie — a mysterious character in its own right.
My Review:
I was disappointed in this novel perhaps my expectations were too high. It was a very bland, slow moving read for a supposedly decent suspense novel.
Mimi, the main protagonist drives to Canada from the United States to stay in a small house her father used to use as his artist studio. Mimi wants to spend some time alone after breaking off an affair with her university professor. But when she arrives at the house, there is already someone else staying there and the house was supposed to be empty.
Mimi discovers the man staying in the house is a young musician named Jay, who is struggling to find his muse. However, Jay appears to be much more connected to Mimi than she realizes and there is a man who watches them both from the nearby river.
I found that Wynne-Jones was able to create a few suspenseful moments here and there throughout the book, but wasn’t able to hit the mark for a true suspense in my opinion.
November 28, 2010
The cover of this book looks like its going to be a scary spooky story....but it's not.
The dialogue between characters is mostly contrived and unbelievable. The female main character (Mimi) is annoying and depressing (kinda like Bella in "Twilight"). The whole thing read like a bad movie/screenplay.
The following review by P. Donovan “English Teacher” (Mississauga,Ont) expresses my sentiments exactly!!....
This novel is anything but fresh and unique. In fact, it is little more than contrived and formulaic. Tim Wynne-Jones has obviously spent a lot of time creating a protagonist whom he feels can appeal to girls everywhere. Unfortunately, he has created an annoying, self-righteous, ultra-suave, irritatingly "cool" Mimi Shapiro, with a vocabulary and presence that is twenty years beyond her scope. For someone who has recently run away from her university professor-lover, she is much htoo self-assured and secure in her superior aloofness to be be a nineteen year-old. The other characters fare little better. The adults are mere caricatures; the villains are comic-book derivatives, and the plot is riddled with holes large enough to ventilate the entire Ottawa Valley in which it is supposedly situated. Readers in need of a decent YA suspense novel would be much better served to pick up Gail Giles' Shattering Glass, John Green's Looking for Alaska or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.
Due to the fact that, surprisingly, The Uninvited has been nominated for this year's White Pine YA Fiction Award, our high school Book Club discussed the novel's merits this past week. Just let's say, the other nominees need not be too concerned about competition from this selection. This is mediocrity at its most banal!!
The dialogue between characters is mostly contrived and unbelievable. The female main character (Mimi) is annoying and depressing (kinda like Bella in "Twilight"). The whole thing read like a bad movie/screenplay.
The following review by P. Donovan “English Teacher” (Mississauga,Ont) expresses my sentiments exactly!!....
This novel is anything but fresh and unique. In fact, it is little more than contrived and formulaic. Tim Wynne-Jones has obviously spent a lot of time creating a protagonist whom he feels can appeal to girls everywhere. Unfortunately, he has created an annoying, self-righteous, ultra-suave, irritatingly "cool" Mimi Shapiro, with a vocabulary and presence that is twenty years beyond her scope. For someone who has recently run away from her university professor-lover, she is much htoo self-assured and secure in her superior aloofness to be be a nineteen year-old. The other characters fare little better. The adults are mere caricatures; the villains are comic-book derivatives, and the plot is riddled with holes large enough to ventilate the entire Ottawa Valley in which it is supposedly situated. Readers in need of a decent YA suspense novel would be much better served to pick up Gail Giles' Shattering Glass, John Green's Looking for Alaska or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.
Due to the fact that, surprisingly, The Uninvited has been nominated for this year's White Pine YA Fiction Award, our high school Book Club discussed the novel's merits this past week. Just let's say, the other nominees need not be too concerned about competition from this selection. This is mediocrity at its most banal!!
July 31, 2009
Mimi Shapiro is running. Running away from a disturbing first year at NYU to a small and creepy town in Nowhere, Canada. She hopes that while there for the summer, she can get her first screen play written, while coming to turns with what happened to her in the previous year.
Though nothing can stay perfect for long. When arriving at her father’s deserted old summer house she finds that someone else is living there too. Her long lost half brother, a half brother that has been having his own problems, as of lately. Problems that involve a mysterious stalker who has been leaving him “presents” of dead birds and snake skin.
Can the two of them make it through the summer? Will they get to know each other the way only siblings can? Will they catch the stalker before their lives come to a crashing halt? Well, I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself, in The Uninvited by Tim Wayne- Jones.
Only one adjective comes to mind after reading this page turning thriller: Wow! The Uninvited is a book that mixes mystery and getting to know long lost siblings in a fresh and fantastic new way. I was constantly trying to figure out how everything tied together. The characters were my favorite part of this story. They were well developed, likable, and funny. Plus, Tim Wayne-Jones’ writing was pretty darn good. I loved how he slowly told the past of the characters and the stalker by reveling their secrets one at a time. Overall, The Uninvited is a definite must read for all teens and adults.
Grade: A+
Though nothing can stay perfect for long. When arriving at her father’s deserted old summer house she finds that someone else is living there too. Her long lost half brother, a half brother that has been having his own problems, as of lately. Problems that involve a mysterious stalker who has been leaving him “presents” of dead birds and snake skin.
Can the two of them make it through the summer? Will they get to know each other the way only siblings can? Will they catch the stalker before their lives come to a crashing halt? Well, I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself, in The Uninvited by Tim Wayne- Jones.
Only one adjective comes to mind after reading this page turning thriller: Wow! The Uninvited is a book that mixes mystery and getting to know long lost siblings in a fresh and fantastic new way. I was constantly trying to figure out how everything tied together. The characters were my favorite part of this story. They were well developed, likable, and funny. Plus, Tim Wayne-Jones’ writing was pretty darn good. I loved how he slowly told the past of the characters and the stalker by reveling their secrets one at a time. Overall, The Uninvited is a definite must read for all teens and adults.
Grade: A+
September 18, 2009
The Uninvited is a book about a girl named Mimi who goes away to live in house called the Snye that her father owns out in Canada. Mimi goes to Canada to get away from the affair shes been having with her former Professer, Lazer. Once she gets there she finds a guy living in her fathers house and finds out that he is actually her half brother, Jay, and that they have the same dad. there has been really wierd stuff happening there lately. A stranger named Cramer has inside the house for a while now, not living there but spying on Jay because Jay is actually his half brother. Cramer knows but Jay doesnt.
Text to World. This kind of reminded me of these girls they found out they were actually sisters. They have been seperated from their parents, one going with their father and one going with their mother. Its like that, Mimi, Jay and Cramer are related but they didnt actually know it.
I give this book 5 stars because it was very entertaining, i couldnt stop reading. At times it would just be a little boring but then something interesting would happen out of no where and just draggs you back in the book. If you liked this book you should read another book called Uninvited by Amanda Maroon.
Text to World. This kind of reminded me of these girls they found out they were actually sisters. They have been seperated from their parents, one going with their father and one going with their mother. Its like that, Mimi, Jay and Cramer are related but they didnt actually know it.
I give this book 5 stars because it was very entertaining, i couldnt stop reading. At times it would just be a little boring but then something interesting would happen out of no where and just draggs you back in the book. If you liked this book you should read another book called Uninvited by Amanda Maroon.
July 2, 2011
Wow! This was another "I-am-so-glad-I-read-it-books." An awesome mystery unfolds and then another and another... Just when you think you are going to solve the mystery, another change takes place. I wasn’t sure why this was in the YA books because of the two main characters ages- one is in college and the other graduated college. It does have swearing in it, but no intimate situations. You finish a troubling year in college after having had an affair with your professor and breaking it off only to discover that he isn't wanting to release you. So you head out to your estranged father's Canadian cabin up north for some time alone to think and regroup without being bothered. He says the key is under the mat, but when you arrive, someone is already living in the house. Someone who has been having some problems with dead birds being left on the doorstep. And really, it wasn't you. Then he says that his father owns the place and the story explodes from there. I read this staying up all night until it was finished. A great book to read this summer! Take it with you when you go on vacation! You will not be disappointed.
December 9, 2015
REQUIRED AUTHOR, AUDIOBOOK
In this novel Wynne-Jones tells the story of three seemingly unrelated characters that meet in Canada when Mimi, one of the three characters, journeys there to find some reprieve in her father's old abandoned house. There she meets Jay Page and later Cramer Lee, both boys who have lived in this part of Canada for years. Through a series of events Mimi discovers that Jay is her half brother through her father and, later, that Cramer is also her half brother through her father.
This novel is listed as a book for grade 9 readers and up, but I would say that perhaps an even older audience might be more appropriate. All of the characters are in their early 20s and there are some pretty touchy topics (student-teacher affair, madness, suicide, and a touch of near-incest relations).
In this novel Wynne-Jones tells the story of three seemingly unrelated characters that meet in Canada when Mimi, one of the three characters, journeys there to find some reprieve in her father's old abandoned house. There she meets Jay Page and later Cramer Lee, both boys who have lived in this part of Canada for years. Through a series of events Mimi discovers that Jay is her half brother through her father and, later, that Cramer is also her half brother through her father.
This novel is listed as a book for grade 9 readers and up, but I would say that perhaps an even older audience might be more appropriate. All of the characters are in their early 20s and there are some pretty touchy topics (student-teacher affair, madness, suicide, and a touch of near-incest relations).
July 28, 2009
This was a creepy, intense book. Set in an idyllic Canadian setting, family secrets and hints of incestuous thoughts build steady tension in The Uninvited. Throughout the book, we are unsure about who the real threat is. Once I began reading, I had to continue in order to find out what happens next. This is definitely a book to check out!
November 1, 2009
This book wasn't quite as scary as I hoped it would be. I did like the suspense--even though it didn't have me on the edge of my seat, it did keep me engaged enough that I didn't want to put it down. I think I would have liked a bigger twist at the end. I also think it has an awesomely creepy cover.
June 15, 2018
I thought it was going to be paranormal by the cover and title so I picked it up for lit circles, and WOW was I disappointed. Part of our project is creating a media product with a twist on the novel. So what did I do? Made a self-help genre. "How To Meet Your New Half-siblings: The Dos and Don'ts". Quite proud of my creation fueled by the disappointment I had in the book and characters.
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