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The Devil in the Corner
A gorgeously gothic historical tale from the author of THE PIMPERNELLES
Penniless, and escaping the horrors of life as a governess to brutal households, Maud seeks refuge with the cousin-by-marriage she never knew. But Juliana quashes Maud's emerging friendships with the staff and locals - especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom in the local church. John, however, is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her.
Maud, isolated and thwarted at every turn, continues to take the laudanum which was her only solace in London. Soon she becomes dependent on the drug - so is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone - or something - plotting her demise?
Is the devil in the corner of the Doom a reality, or a figment of her imagination?
Penniless, and escaping the horrors of life as a governess to brutal households, Maud seeks refuge with the cousin-by-marriage she never knew. But Juliana quashes Maud's emerging friendships with the staff and locals - especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom in the local church. John, however, is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her.
Maud, isolated and thwarted at every turn, continues to take the laudanum which was her only solace in London. Soon she becomes dependent on the drug - so is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone - or something - plotting her demise?
Is the devil in the corner of the Doom a reality, or a figment of her imagination?
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2014
4 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Elliott
18 books76 followersPatricia Elliott was born in London and grew up in Europe and the Far East. She has worked in publishing in London and in a children's bookshop in New York. She now teaches a course in children's literature at an adult education college. She lives in London with her husband, two sons, and a yellow labrodor named Finagal.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 65 reviews
January 1, 2015
4.5
I got this as an ARC from Netgalley and this my honest review of it.
At the beginning of this book Miss Maud Greenwood is orphaned and forced to go into service as a governess because her father failed to make arrangements for her wellbeing in case of his demise. At this point her mother has already passed on as well so she is all alone in the world
We skip ahead to two years later and find that her experiences as a governess seems to have been far from pleasant and because she left each of her three previous employers under less than ideal circumstances she has no references and no one wants to hire her.
Things are truly looking bleak.
So she is amazed and relieved when a letter arrives from her estranged uncles stepdaughter Juliana Greenwood with an invitation to come and stay with her at Windward House,a cousin who is a complete stranger but where else can she go under her circumstances?
She leaves for Windward House.
And then we meet the other maincharacter. He is John Shawcross a penniless but talented artist.He is the sole supporter of his mother and has been hired restore a medieval painting called "The Doom" for Juliana Green
The Doom is a depiction of The Judgment Day and it was revealed by chance after being hidden and while many say its a miracle they are also repelled by it.
The Doom is very extraordinary –’ she gives a tiny shudder – ‘I find it almost frightening.’
The Doom wich inspired the book http://www.wenhaston.net/doom/
John first encounters Maud on the train and is immediateley intrigued with her haunted air and sad eyes and fashions himself more than a bit
in love with her. They part ways at the station but he hopes he will see her again.
Well at Windward house her cousin Juliana turns out not to be an old decreipt woman but beautiful and domineering who is firmly convinced she is dying. Maud is to be her nurse and companion and she is to tend her during the night if she so wishes.
Juliana is by turns affectionate and concerned about her welfare and at other times eager to hurt Maud with her cruel comments only to pretend to be suprised by that she should have minded having the truth spoken to her. Maud starts to resent her deeply.
Disappointed in what she thought would be her haven, Maud begins to use more and more of the laudanum as its help her sleep easily at night not tormented by nightmares of the memories of horrors of the places and families she worked for as a governess.
But she always needs more.
‘If a person suffers dreadful dreams of their past, bad enough to make them terrified to lay their head on the pillow, bad enough to drive them mad, what does Mr Quilter prescribe?’
‘Why, laudanum. He sells a lot of it in the shop. It cures all manner of ailments, including sleeplessness.’
‘But if that person has no money at all and is in desperate need?’ I fixed my eyes on her face. ‘Truly desperate need,Edie?’
Even in the half-light of the shop I could see she had gone a little pink. ‘Is that person you, Miss Maud?’
She has to do some things she despises herself for to get hold of more laudanum and believes herself damned,a wicked one.
But there is one bright light in her existence the budding relationship with John Shawcross who she has met again. But will even this last as circumstances are conspiring against them and when all starts to spiral to its conclusion who will stand by Maud?
I will have to say I felt consumed by it when I was reading this book. What was really going on?
The author has done her research well wich makes the events of this book even more chilling is the fact that these things could and probably did happen in the Victorian era. It was only towards the end I started putting the clues together. And even then I was not completely sure I had it right.
And then we have our heroine...
Several times in this book was not sure I liked Maud,especially when her actions were described by John and I felt she was unreasonable and diffciult. But once i got back into her chapters and minset i started to feel sympathy for her again and rooted for her to find happiness and peace of mind.
I couldnt help but be reminded of Jane Eyre when it came to Maud.
You will find yourself asking throughout the book- is Maud just a poor innocent girl or a disturbed young woman. Or maybe she is both. You are kept guessing until the end.
And then there is John.I quite liked John he was nice but not flawless,nor was he this tortured artists soul who went around brooding all the time.
"John Shawcross could not be making much money from his painting, for I noticed his coat was patched. He was some years older than me, with a pleasant, honest face you could not dislike and a smile I found engaging despite my mistrust of men."
Some might think the romance between Maud and John comes too quickly but I dont think this first instance of their relationship was really love..more like infatuation. Until they are torn apart not only by other people but their own actions wich leads to them having to evaluate their true feelings about each other.
It was just something they had to go through and it made me believe in their relationship even more.
The historical setting is captured well with only some minor lapses when it comes to people adressing each other informally and giving someone else permission to use their first name but its only a minor grievance when the rest of it is very good in creating the atmosphere.
The characters feels like they live in the victorian era and are not merely modern people dressed up in period costume. I think it takes place sometime in the 1860s judging by the fact that John believes in Darwins theories,and mention of John wanting to paint Maud in the pre-raphaelite style.
Thinking of Mauds laudanum addcition I couldnt help but wonder if the author was in a way inspired by Elizabeth Siddal(the muse and lover of paintr Gabriel Dante Rosetti) when she wrote this book.
She was painted by several other pre-raphaelite painters and like Maud had artistic abilities.
She also famously overdosed on laudanum.
But this is just a speculation of mine.
I thought I knew I was in for...a historicalYA with a heroine who has been through some bad things and finds herself in a gothic house,there would also be a romance and some obstacle to overcome. The power of the true love would prevail and everyone would live happily ever after
This was before I knew all I know about "Devil in the corner"
This book sets you up and makes you think you know what is going to happen but then it rips away the carpet underneath your feet and makes you feel completely dense for falling for it.
If I have to complain about something its the beginning when the heroine finds out her father has left her without any Money and a teacher at the Girls schools she is attending tells her she will help her get a governess position
Then in the next paragraph its several years later. I would have wished there had been a break between these..or even better if this "prologue" had been deleted completely since it came off akwardly.
I feel this is a worthy sucessor of some the gothics old but the author manages to create something new and exciting from it.
I know its popular to have "x meets y" as a sales pitch and I usually find this corny but if I have to make a comparision this one was like "Alias Grace" meets "Turn of the Screw"
and found myself several times thinking that this book wouldnt look out of place in the adult section.
If you love books with a gothic theme and characters who are psychologically complex-then this is your book.
I for one wont forget it easily.
‘Where is God?’ people asked the vicar. ‘Why doesn’t He stop the devil’s work?’
But how can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you? There is no room for God then.
I got this as an ARC from Netgalley and this my honest review of it.
At the beginning of this book Miss Maud Greenwood is orphaned and forced to go into service as a governess because her father failed to make arrangements for her wellbeing in case of his demise. At this point her mother has already passed on as well so she is all alone in the world
We skip ahead to two years later and find that her experiences as a governess seems to have been far from pleasant and because she left each of her three previous employers under less than ideal circumstances she has no references and no one wants to hire her.
Things are truly looking bleak.
So she is amazed and relieved when a letter arrives from her estranged uncles stepdaughter Juliana Greenwood with an invitation to come and stay with her at Windward House,a cousin who is a complete stranger but where else can she go under her circumstances?
She leaves for Windward House.
And then we meet the other maincharacter. He is John Shawcross a penniless but talented artist.He is the sole supporter of his mother and has been hired restore a medieval painting called "The Doom" for Juliana Green
The Doom is a depiction of The Judgment Day and it was revealed by chance after being hidden and while many say its a miracle they are also repelled by it.
The Doom is very extraordinary –’ she gives a tiny shudder – ‘I find it almost frightening.’
The Doom wich inspired the book http://www.wenhaston.net/doom/
John first encounters Maud on the train and is immediateley intrigued with her haunted air and sad eyes and fashions himself more than a bit
in love with her. They part ways at the station but he hopes he will see her again.
Well at Windward house her cousin Juliana turns out not to be an old decreipt woman but beautiful and domineering who is firmly convinced she is dying. Maud is to be her nurse and companion and she is to tend her during the night if she so wishes.
Juliana is by turns affectionate and concerned about her welfare and at other times eager to hurt Maud with her cruel comments only to pretend to be suprised by that she should have minded having the truth spoken to her. Maud starts to resent her deeply.
Disappointed in what she thought would be her haven, Maud begins to use more and more of the laudanum as its help her sleep easily at night not tormented by nightmares of the memories of horrors of the places and families she worked for as a governess.
But she always needs more.
‘If a person suffers dreadful dreams of their past, bad enough to make them terrified to lay their head on the pillow, bad enough to drive them mad, what does Mr Quilter prescribe?’
‘Why, laudanum. He sells a lot of it in the shop. It cures all manner of ailments, including sleeplessness.’
‘But if that person has no money at all and is in desperate need?’ I fixed my eyes on her face. ‘Truly desperate need,Edie?’
Even in the half-light of the shop I could see she had gone a little pink. ‘Is that person you, Miss Maud?’
She has to do some things she despises herself for to get hold of more laudanum and believes herself damned,a wicked one.
But there is one bright light in her existence the budding relationship with John Shawcross who she has met again. But will even this last as circumstances are conspiring against them and when all starts to spiral to its conclusion who will stand by Maud?
I will have to say I felt consumed by it when I was reading this book. What was really going on?
The author has done her research well wich makes the events of this book even more chilling is the fact that these things could and probably did happen in the Victorian era. It was only towards the end I started putting the clues together. And even then I was not completely sure I had it right.
And then we have our heroine...
Several times in this book was not sure I liked Maud,especially when her actions were described by John and I felt she was unreasonable and diffciult. But once i got back into her chapters and minset i started to feel sympathy for her again and rooted for her to find happiness and peace of mind.
I couldnt help but be reminded of Jane Eyre when it came to Maud.
You will find yourself asking throughout the book- is Maud just a poor innocent girl or a disturbed young woman. Or maybe she is both. You are kept guessing until the end.
And then there is John.I quite liked John he was nice but not flawless,nor was he this tortured artists soul who went around brooding all the time.
"John Shawcross could not be making much money from his painting, for I noticed his coat was patched. He was some years older than me, with a pleasant, honest face you could not dislike and a smile I found engaging despite my mistrust of men."
Some might think the romance between Maud and John comes too quickly but I dont think this first instance of their relationship was really love..more like infatuation. Until they are torn apart not only by other people but their own actions wich leads to them having to evaluate their true feelings about each other.
It was just something they had to go through and it made me believe in their relationship even more.
The historical setting is captured well with only some minor lapses when it comes to people adressing each other informally and giving someone else permission to use their first name but its only a minor grievance when the rest of it is very good in creating the atmosphere.
The characters feels like they live in the victorian era and are not merely modern people dressed up in period costume. I think it takes place sometime in the 1860s judging by the fact that John believes in Darwins theories,and mention of John wanting to paint Maud in the pre-raphaelite style.
Thinking of Mauds laudanum addcition I couldnt help but wonder if the author was in a way inspired by Elizabeth Siddal(the muse and lover of paintr Gabriel Dante Rosetti) when she wrote this book.
She was painted by several other pre-raphaelite painters and like Maud had artistic abilities.
She also famously overdosed on laudanum.
But this is just a speculation of mine.
I thought I knew I was in for...a historicalYA with a heroine who has been through some bad things and finds herself in a gothic house,there would also be a romance and some obstacle to overcome. The power of the true love would prevail and everyone would live happily ever after
This was before I knew all I know about "Devil in the corner"
This book sets you up and makes you think you know what is going to happen but then it rips away the carpet underneath your feet and makes you feel completely dense for falling for it.
If I have to complain about something its the beginning when the heroine finds out her father has left her without any Money and a teacher at the Girls schools she is attending tells her she will help her get a governess position
Then in the next paragraph its several years later. I would have wished there had been a break between these..or even better if this "prologue" had been deleted completely since it came off akwardly.
I feel this is a worthy sucessor of some the gothics old but the author manages to create something new and exciting from it.
I know its popular to have "x meets y" as a sales pitch and I usually find this corny but if I have to make a comparision this one was like "Alias Grace" meets "Turn of the Screw"
and found myself several times thinking that this book wouldnt look out of place in the adult section.
If you love books with a gothic theme and characters who are psychologically complex-then this is your book.
I for one wont forget it easily.
‘Where is God?’ people asked the vicar. ‘Why doesn’t He stop the devil’s work?’
But how can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you? There is no room for God then.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2014
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Devil in the Corner was ridiculously slow. It felt more like 800 pages than 400.
I was bored by 15%, and the boredom got worse as the story progressed.
At the start, Maud was an okay character, but she quickly started to annoy me.
The other characters weren't much better.
The ending was quite good, but i was more glad that the book was finishing, than i was that it got better!
Overall, very slow, with annoying, and forgettable characters.
Devil in the Corner was ridiculously slow. It felt more like 800 pages than 400.
I was bored by 15%, and the boredom got worse as the story progressed.
At the start, Maud was an okay character, but she quickly started to annoy me.
The other characters weren't much better.
The ending was quite good, but i was more glad that the book was finishing, than i was that it got better!
Overall, very slow, with annoying, and forgettable characters.
March 19, 2016
*** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ***
L'eroina di questo Romanzo, Maud, all'inizio sembra di presa di peso da un libro della Austen, o essere la sorellina minore di Jane Eire: una povera orfana defraudata della sua eredità alla quale viene concesso un tetto da colei che ha beneficiato di ciò che avrebbe dovuto essere suo, e solo perché ha bisogno di una infermiera che le sia legata dal bisogno e quindi disposta a sopportare i suoi capricci di bambina troppo cresciuta. Un po' stucchevole, se non che rapidamente le cose cambiano: innanzi tutto la nostra giovanissima e candida eroina ha una forte dipendenza da laudano (oppio) e questo provoca in lei un certo qual sdoppiamento della personalità e una tendenza alle visioni; poi il pessimo carattere della sua cugina/padrone ha provocato un groviglio di odi tra il personale di casa e e la gente del paese tale da far presentire una catastrofe; e infine c'è lui, John, bello e puro come solo un eroe pronto a fare strage di cuori di ingenue fanciulle. Ovviamente ci scapperanno un po' di morti e un finale movimentato con sorpresa. E il lieto fine? Chissà.
Classificato come libro per ragazzi è invece un bel romanzo anche per le loro madri, purché siano sufficientemente romantiche e disposte a lasciarsi portare altrove.
La scrittura è semplice senza essere banale, davvero molto piacevole.
The heroine of this novel, Maud, in the beginning seems taken from an Austen's novel, or to be the younger sister of Jane Eire: a poor orphan cheated out of his inheritance to which it is granted a roof by the one who has benefited of what should have been hers, and only because this person needs a nurse that is linked by need and therefore disposed to endure the whims of a not growen up little girl. A bit ' sickly, except that quickly things change: firstly, our young and candide heroine has a strong addiction to laudanum (opium ) and this causes her a certain split personality and a tendency to visions, then the bad character of her cousin/boss has resulted in a tangle of hatreds between the staff of her home and the people of the country as to foresee a catastroph, and finally he's there, John , beautiful and pure as only a hero ready to wreak havoc with the hearts of innocent girls can be. Obviously we will have a bit ' deads and a lively final with a surprise. And the happy ending? Who knows.
Classified as a children's book, instead is a good novel for their mothers, provided they are sufficiently romantic and willing to let theirself be carried elsewhere.
The writing is simple without being trivial, really very nice .
L'eroina di questo Romanzo, Maud, all'inizio sembra di presa di peso da un libro della Austen, o essere la sorellina minore di Jane Eire: una povera orfana defraudata della sua eredità alla quale viene concesso un tetto da colei che ha beneficiato di ciò che avrebbe dovuto essere suo, e solo perché ha bisogno di una infermiera che le sia legata dal bisogno e quindi disposta a sopportare i suoi capricci di bambina troppo cresciuta. Un po' stucchevole, se non che rapidamente le cose cambiano: innanzi tutto la nostra giovanissima e candida eroina ha una forte dipendenza da laudano (oppio) e questo provoca in lei un certo qual sdoppiamento della personalità e una tendenza alle visioni; poi il pessimo carattere della sua cugina/padrone ha provocato un groviglio di odi tra il personale di casa e e la gente del paese tale da far presentire una catastrofe; e infine c'è lui, John, bello e puro come solo un eroe pronto a fare strage di cuori di ingenue fanciulle. Ovviamente ci scapperanno un po' di morti e un finale movimentato con sorpresa. E il lieto fine? Chissà.
Classificato come libro per ragazzi è invece un bel romanzo anche per le loro madri, purché siano sufficientemente romantiche e disposte a lasciarsi portare altrove.
La scrittura è semplice senza essere banale, davvero molto piacevole.
The heroine of this novel, Maud, in the beginning seems taken from an Austen's novel, or to be the younger sister of Jane Eire: a poor orphan cheated out of his inheritance to which it is granted a roof by the one who has benefited of what should have been hers, and only because this person needs a nurse that is linked by need and therefore disposed to endure the whims of a not growen up little girl. A bit ' sickly, except that quickly things change: firstly, our young and candide heroine has a strong addiction to laudanum (opium ) and this causes her a certain split personality and a tendency to visions, then the bad character of her cousin/boss has resulted in a tangle of hatreds between the staff of her home and the people of the country as to foresee a catastroph, and finally he's there, John , beautiful and pure as only a hero ready to wreak havoc with the hearts of innocent girls can be. Obviously we will have a bit ' deads and a lively final with a surprise. And the happy ending? Who knows.
Classified as a children's book, instead is a good novel for their mothers, provided they are sufficiently romantic and willing to let theirself be carried elsewhere.
The writing is simple without being trivial, really very nice .
February 25, 2014
I absolutely loved Devil in the Corner; it's not often that I finish a 400-page book in a day. With mystery, romance, murder, laudanum, orphans, unknown relatives, arsenic, penniless artists, unrequited love, and the fear of destitution, Devil in the Corner is one modern day gothic novel that will not disappoint. The pace of the novel is similar to the classics, which may be too slow for people with a taste for modern literature. I found it to be original and that it did not mimic the classics too heavily or refer to them as a way to keep the story interesting. I assume that Devil in the Corner is meant for a young adult audience, due to the fact it is published by Hodder Children's Books. Even though this novel is geared towards youth groups it doesn't lack, Devil in the Corner can be enjoyed by young adults and adults. Maude is orphaned at a young age, forcing her to quit school and find a way to support herself; Maud is forced to take positions as a governess. Luckily a cousin, Juliana, locates Maud and invites her to live with her. Juliana keeps Maud in locked away, forbidding her from having suitors constantly threatening to turn Maud out, leaving her to certain destitution. Conflicts arise, distrust, madness, rebellion, and jealousy lead to the perfect environment for murder and betrayal. Please check out Devil in the Corner, especially if you enjoy classic gothic novels.
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March 20, 2014
The Devil In The Corner, written in the Victorian gothic style, is a tale of madness, mystery, and machinations.
Maud, an ex-governess with a sad past and a laudanum addiction, comes to live at Windward House with a heretofore unknown relation. This relation, her estranged uncle’s stepdaughter, Juliana, is chronically unwell with a mysterious illness. Juliana wishes for Maud to be akin to a companion and nursemaid to help ease her suffering, holding the promise of her will over Maud’s head to keep her under her thumb and dancing to her tune as well as isolated from forming bonds with other people. Maud finds relief from her cousins stifling restrictions and the unsettling dread she feels at Windward House in a budding, forbidden relationship with John, an artist brought in from London to restore a painting found in the church. But Maud isn’t the only one with eyes for John; Edie, the young daughter of Juliana’s cook, is determined to come between the two.
With each part of this three part tale, circumstances become more and more unbearable for Maud. Walls are thrown up between her and what she wants, causing Maud’s addiction to her beloved laudanum drops to grow, all the while Juliana get sicker and more insufferable and Edie’s manipulations of the situation take a dark turn – until finally, fatally, events comes to a tragic head.
The tagline to this story is: How can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you? I think this is a fair indicator of the motivations seen throughout this book – Juliana, Edie, and even Maud from time to time, all seem to have a little bit of the devil inside them. But then again, don’t we all sometimes when it comes to getting what we want?
Elliot does a superb job of writing characters that live on a razor edge between sympathetic and unlikable. On the one hand, their motivations are plain to see and empathize with (the want of love, money, companionship, security), but the way they go about securing these things are selfish and self-serving.
The book is told through the first person narratives of Maud and John. Maud is an unreliable narrator, exhibiting signs of paranoia and disassociation early on that only get worse as the book progresses. John stands in complete opposition to Maud, and indeed most of the other characters, as he is self-sacrificing and completely oblivious to the motivations of others, only seeing the good in people – a characteristic which in the end leads to much heartache all around.
It’s a slow burn of a book; I didn’t really get into it until Part 3. I kept putting it down (I seem to be short of patience as of late), but I also kept picking it back up – and I’m glad I did because this book finishes strong in those last chapters.
All in all, I would recommend this book to lovers of gothic, historical books and/or books with a Victorian setting. As a lover of all those things, I ended up very much enjoying The Devil In The Corner.
*I received an ARC of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
Maud, an ex-governess with a sad past and a laudanum addiction, comes to live at Windward House with a heretofore unknown relation. This relation, her estranged uncle’s stepdaughter, Juliana, is chronically unwell with a mysterious illness. Juliana wishes for Maud to be akin to a companion and nursemaid to help ease her suffering, holding the promise of her will over Maud’s head to keep her under her thumb and dancing to her tune as well as isolated from forming bonds with other people. Maud finds relief from her cousins stifling restrictions and the unsettling dread she feels at Windward House in a budding, forbidden relationship with John, an artist brought in from London to restore a painting found in the church. But Maud isn’t the only one with eyes for John; Edie, the young daughter of Juliana’s cook, is determined to come between the two.
With each part of this three part tale, circumstances become more and more unbearable for Maud. Walls are thrown up between her and what she wants, causing Maud’s addiction to her beloved laudanum drops to grow, all the while Juliana get sicker and more insufferable and Edie’s manipulations of the situation take a dark turn – until finally, fatally, events comes to a tragic head.
The tagline to this story is: How can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you? I think this is a fair indicator of the motivations seen throughout this book – Juliana, Edie, and even Maud from time to time, all seem to have a little bit of the devil inside them. But then again, don’t we all sometimes when it comes to getting what we want?
Elliot does a superb job of writing characters that live on a razor edge between sympathetic and unlikable. On the one hand, their motivations are plain to see and empathize with (the want of love, money, companionship, security), but the way they go about securing these things are selfish and self-serving.
The book is told through the first person narratives of Maud and John. Maud is an unreliable narrator, exhibiting signs of paranoia and disassociation early on that only get worse as the book progresses. John stands in complete opposition to Maud, and indeed most of the other characters, as he is self-sacrificing and completely oblivious to the motivations of others, only seeing the good in people – a characteristic which in the end leads to much heartache all around.
It’s a slow burn of a book; I didn’t really get into it until Part 3. I kept putting it down (I seem to be short of patience as of late), but I also kept picking it back up – and I’m glad I did because this book finishes strong in those last chapters.
All in all, I would recommend this book to lovers of gothic, historical books and/or books with a Victorian setting. As a lover of all those things, I ended up very much enjoying The Devil In The Corner.
*I received an ARC of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
March 8, 2014
Book Review originally posted here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Devil in the Corner has one major flaw: it’s painstakingly slow. I liked the story, plot and characters for the most part, but the narrative dragged on without end, like a nagging old lady who want stop talking.
Maud has been orphaned after her father’s death. She works as a governess, but has been sent from one household to the other, always followed by some sort of bad luck, or tormented by the ill will of her masters. When her niece, Juliana, sends her a letter and invites her over to her home in the counry, a sprawling mansion in a small town far away from Maud’s home, she takes the chance.
But when she arrives at Juliana’s house, she discovers her cousin is ill. How ill she is, and how much of it is faked or due to troubles in her mind, no one seems to know. Juliana relies on Maud as some sort of personal nurse, waking her up in the middle of the night to assist her or go to her aid. On the train to her new home, she meets John, an artist commissioned to restore the sinister portrait in the local church, called “Doom”.
The longer Maud spends at her new home, the more she feels unease. Someone is hiding a secret, and someone is out to hurt her. She goes back to depending heavily on laudanum, the only drug capable of making her rest a night. But as her fears grow worse, she wonders if what she’s seeing is induced by the laudanum, or if it may be the truth.
The story isn’t all that different from the gothic novels I’ve read so far. In fact, it’s strikingly similar. Now, all gothic novels seem to have common elements: the large, gorgeous and ancient mansion riddled with secrets, the recluse woman lying ill, or pretending to be ill. The struggling artist who falls for the damsell in distress. But whereas most gothic novels manage to add an original spin to the story, Devil in the Corner fails to do so.
The story is too familiar, the characters completely forgottable. Maud is boring and dull, and seems to have no real personality. John – what do we really know about him except he likes to paint, and gets obsessed with Maud? The secrets aren’t all that spectacular, the mystery is easy to solve, and there’s barely any suspense.
A mediocre read. If you absolutely love gothic novels, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t give this one a shot, but don’t expect too much from it.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Devil in the Corner has one major flaw: it’s painstakingly slow. I liked the story, plot and characters for the most part, but the narrative dragged on without end, like a nagging old lady who want stop talking.
Maud has been orphaned after her father’s death. She works as a governess, but has been sent from one household to the other, always followed by some sort of bad luck, or tormented by the ill will of her masters. When her niece, Juliana, sends her a letter and invites her over to her home in the counry, a sprawling mansion in a small town far away from Maud’s home, she takes the chance.
But when she arrives at Juliana’s house, she discovers her cousin is ill. How ill she is, and how much of it is faked or due to troubles in her mind, no one seems to know. Juliana relies on Maud as some sort of personal nurse, waking her up in the middle of the night to assist her or go to her aid. On the train to her new home, she meets John, an artist commissioned to restore the sinister portrait in the local church, called “Doom”.
The longer Maud spends at her new home, the more she feels unease. Someone is hiding a secret, and someone is out to hurt her. She goes back to depending heavily on laudanum, the only drug capable of making her rest a night. But as her fears grow worse, she wonders if what she’s seeing is induced by the laudanum, or if it may be the truth.
The story isn’t all that different from the gothic novels I’ve read so far. In fact, it’s strikingly similar. Now, all gothic novels seem to have common elements: the large, gorgeous and ancient mansion riddled with secrets, the recluse woman lying ill, or pretending to be ill. The struggling artist who falls for the damsell in distress. But whereas most gothic novels manage to add an original spin to the story, Devil in the Corner fails to do so.
The story is too familiar, the characters completely forgottable. Maud is boring and dull, and seems to have no real personality. John – what do we really know about him except he likes to paint, and gets obsessed with Maud? The secrets aren’t all that spectacular, the mystery is easy to solve, and there’s barely any suspense.
A mediocre read. If you absolutely love gothic novels, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t give this one a shot, but don’t expect too much from it.
March 27, 2014
I received this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.....
Intriguing gothic classic mysterious setting....
I didn't go into this book expecting anything really I hadn't heard anything about this one. I thought the cover was interesting and the blurb sounded really original. I did enjoy this one i actually read this one pretty fast and it's a bit out my comfort zone.
I found that this book felt like an old gothic book, it had that mysterious dark feel to it throughout.
Throughout reading I felt on edge something wasn't right but what I didn't know it had an unsettling feel like a lot of gothic classics.
Which was a pleasant surprise as this is classed as YA it felt like it had an older tone. It was a very dark book in places a strange one. It had many things going on all at once. There's mystery, intrigue, romance, scary unsettling atmosphere.
It had a very original plot and the way this was wrote was very creepy and weird but in a good way.
Where this did fall short was that this felt very slow at times. I never knew what the main plot line was there was so many little story lines.
I found the characters' to be quite unlikable too not one character did I really like. Maybe it was meant to be like that to make the whole atmosphere creepy but I would have liked one character to be relatable.
The writing was very enjoyable and wrote in a way that was easy reading. Before I knew it I had read half the book in a day.
Overall I did enjoy this book just wish the pacing was better with some likeable character's.
If you like old gothic classics you will most likely enjoy this as it has that old gothic feel to it.
Intriguing gothic classic mysterious setting....
I didn't go into this book expecting anything really I hadn't heard anything about this one. I thought the cover was interesting and the blurb sounded really original. I did enjoy this one i actually read this one pretty fast and it's a bit out my comfort zone.
I found that this book felt like an old gothic book, it had that mysterious dark feel to it throughout.
Throughout reading I felt on edge something wasn't right but what I didn't know it had an unsettling feel like a lot of gothic classics.
Which was a pleasant surprise as this is classed as YA it felt like it had an older tone. It was a very dark book in places a strange one. It had many things going on all at once. There's mystery, intrigue, romance, scary unsettling atmosphere.
It had a very original plot and the way this was wrote was very creepy and weird but in a good way.
Where this did fall short was that this felt very slow at times. I never knew what the main plot line was there was so many little story lines.
I found the characters' to be quite unlikable too not one character did I really like. Maybe it was meant to be like that to make the whole atmosphere creepy but I would have liked one character to be relatable.
The writing was very enjoyable and wrote in a way that was easy reading. Before I knew it I had read half the book in a day.
Overall I did enjoy this book just wish the pacing was better with some likeable character's.
If you like old gothic classics you will most likely enjoy this as it has that old gothic feel to it.
February 20, 2014
Just when governess Maud has run out of luck, she receives a letter from her uncle’s elderly step- daughter, Juliana. She wants Maud to come live at her estate in the town of Rending. Maud goes eagerly, hoping to escape the nightmares of her life as a governess. Once there, she encounters John, an artist Juliana has hired to restore a Judgment Day mural in the local church, and they soon fall in love. But life with Juliana quickly turns into a new nightmare, and Maud turns to the drug laudanum for escape.
Devil in the Corner is told in a dual first person voice, with alternating sections of the book told from Maud and John’s perspectives. Maud tells her part of the story in the past tense, while John usually uses the present tense. It worked very well; chapter headings indicated who was telling what part so I was never confused.
There were parts of this book that harkened back to classic 19th century reads. Juliana was reminiscent of Miss Havisham from Dicken’s Great Expectations. They were both irritable, elderly women that no one liked, and nearly everyone was waiting for to die in order get an inheritance. Both women also manipulate people in her own best interests. Maud originally thinks that she’s gaining a family member, but what actually ends up happening is that Juliana is gaining an unpaid nurse. Maud is being ordered about from morning until night, and sometimes Juliana bangs on the ceiling with her cane to bring Maud running. I found Juliana’s need for constant attention believable, as well as her efforts to sabotage any meaningful relationship that Maud develops in order to keep her there. As mean as Juliana was, I enjoyed her character.
At first I didn’t like Maud very much. I understood that her positions as a governess had been bad, but she seemed very whiny.
This struck me as very selfish, but her feelings become more understandable as the book progresses. Maud’s previous jobs have been so terrible that she has to take the sleeping drug, laudanum in order to cope. When she doesn’t take enough, Maud has flashbacks to her awful employers. She’s been abused and harassed by some of the older children in some households, and she was molested in another. This also makes Maud’s dependence on laudanum believable. At one point in the book, she is willing to steal the drug from the back of an apothecary in order to escape the horrors of her memories. Maud’s life isn’t much better with Juliana, but she has the comfort that she has a roof over her head, and that someday the estate will pass to her.
One interesting thing about Devil in the Corner was that the romance element was told almost entirely from John’s perspective. The only drawback is that it still felt like insta-love. John is in love with Maud almost as soon as he meets her on the train. Maud doesn’t even recognize him the next time she sees him. At first, she distrusts him because of how other men have treated her, but then quickly falls in love with him. John is in Rending to restore the Judgment Day painting—affectionately known as Doom—discovered in the back of the church, but he spends much of his time with Maud. There was one part of the book where Juliana goes to spend a few weeks with her friend Adeline, but it felt almost if the author had just done that in order to get more free time for John and Maud to spend with each other.
I admit the romance really slowed down the book for me. It was written well, and I definitely understood the attraction Maud and John felt for each other, but it felt like the book lost its focus. Suddenly everything becomes about their relationship, and both of them assume that Juliana will never find out about it (even though the entire town knows about their ‘secret’ meetings).
Trouble starts brewing when Maud discovers that the Apothecary’s assistant, Edie, is also in love with John. However, Maud never communicates this to John so he has no idea why Maud gets angry when he does a portrait of Edie without telling her. And I think that was the major flaw of the book, the utter lack of communication between John and Maud. John is pretty much says what he feels, but Maud never reveals what she is thinking. Communicating could have saved them all of their problems. John leaves the town after an embarrassing incident, thinking that Maud doesn’t love him, and Maud feels like John has abandoned her. Though, I did appreciate that she doesn’t spend the rest of the book whining about him. No, she is too busy taking care of her needy, selfish cousin.
The best part of the book is Maud’s gradual descent into near insanity. Her problems keep piling up when John leaves and Juliana becomes more demanding, the laudanum becomes more precious to Maud than ever. At first she thinks she sees glimpses of Sly, a deformed servant with a ghastly appearance, passing by her window at night, but then she thinks she’s being chased by him, and that he’s trying to break into her room. This in turn causes her to take larger doses of the drug to block her fears. Maud’s mental state is further revealed when she starts seeing apparitions of Sly after he has died.
The book becomes infinitely more interesting when people begin dying in Rending and Maud is convinced that there is arsenic in the local apothecary’s cure-all drug. However, when the ever jealous Edie finds out that Maud stole laudanum, she is certain that it might be Maud behind it all. The latter half of the book is where it really picks up the pace. I was never sure if Maud was innocent or if she really was behind the deaths in Rending. The romance is also more subtle at the end which made the plot move faster.
This book delivers exactly what it promises. I enjoyed the second half a great deal more than the first because of the mystery. I began to question if Maud was really what she made herself out to be or if Edie was right. I would say that it was worth the read.
Devil in the Corner is told in a dual first person voice, with alternating sections of the book told from Maud and John’s perspectives. Maud tells her part of the story in the past tense, while John usually uses the present tense. It worked very well; chapter headings indicated who was telling what part so I was never confused.
There were parts of this book that harkened back to classic 19th century reads. Juliana was reminiscent of Miss Havisham from Dicken’s Great Expectations. They were both irritable, elderly women that no one liked, and nearly everyone was waiting for to die in order get an inheritance. Both women also manipulate people in her own best interests. Maud originally thinks that she’s gaining a family member, but what actually ends up happening is that Juliana is gaining an unpaid nurse. Maud is being ordered about from morning until night, and sometimes Juliana bangs on the ceiling with her cane to bring Maud running. I found Juliana’s need for constant attention believable, as well as her efforts to sabotage any meaningful relationship that Maud develops in order to keep her there. As mean as Juliana was, I enjoyed her character.
At first I didn’t like Maud very much. I understood that her positions as a governess had been bad, but she seemed very whiny.
“Why had all this gone to my uncle’s stepdaughter, Juliana, when it should have been shared with Papa? And after my father’s death that share should have come to me.
I did not understand.
I only knew that if I had inherited my rightful share, I need never have suffered as a governess.”
This struck me as very selfish, but her feelings become more understandable as the book progresses. Maud’s previous jobs have been so terrible that she has to take the sleeping drug, laudanum in order to cope. When she doesn’t take enough, Maud has flashbacks to her awful employers. She’s been abused and harassed by some of the older children in some households, and she was molested in another. This also makes Maud’s dependence on laudanum believable. At one point in the book, she is willing to steal the drug from the back of an apothecary in order to escape the horrors of her memories. Maud’s life isn’t much better with Juliana, but she has the comfort that she has a roof over her head, and that someday the estate will pass to her.
One interesting thing about Devil in the Corner was that the romance element was told almost entirely from John’s perspective. The only drawback is that it still felt like insta-love. John is in love with Maud almost as soon as he meets her on the train. Maud doesn’t even recognize him the next time she sees him. At first, she distrusts him because of how other men have treated her, but then quickly falls in love with him. John is in Rending to restore the Judgment Day painting—affectionately known as Doom—discovered in the back of the church, but he spends much of his time with Maud. There was one part of the book where Juliana goes to spend a few weeks with her friend Adeline, but it felt almost if the author had just done that in order to get more free time for John and Maud to spend with each other.
I admit the romance really slowed down the book for me. It was written well, and I definitely understood the attraction Maud and John felt for each other, but it felt like the book lost its focus. Suddenly everything becomes about their relationship, and both of them assume that Juliana will never find out about it (even though the entire town knows about their ‘secret’ meetings).
Trouble starts brewing when Maud discovers that the Apothecary’s assistant, Edie, is also in love with John. However, Maud never communicates this to John so he has no idea why Maud gets angry when he does a portrait of Edie without telling her. And I think that was the major flaw of the book, the utter lack of communication between John and Maud. John is pretty much says what he feels, but Maud never reveals what she is thinking. Communicating could have saved them all of their problems. John leaves the town after an embarrassing incident, thinking that Maud doesn’t love him, and Maud feels like John has abandoned her. Though, I did appreciate that she doesn’t spend the rest of the book whining about him. No, she is too busy taking care of her needy, selfish cousin.
The best part of the book is Maud’s gradual descent into near insanity. Her problems keep piling up when John leaves and Juliana becomes more demanding, the laudanum becomes more precious to Maud than ever. At first she thinks she sees glimpses of Sly, a deformed servant with a ghastly appearance, passing by her window at night, but then she thinks she’s being chased by him, and that he’s trying to break into her room. This in turn causes her to take larger doses of the drug to block her fears. Maud’s mental state is further revealed when she starts seeing apparitions of Sly after he has died.
The book becomes infinitely more interesting when people begin dying in Rending and Maud is convinced that there is arsenic in the local apothecary’s cure-all drug. However, when the ever jealous Edie finds out that Maud stole laudanum, she is certain that it might be Maud behind it all. The latter half of the book is where it really picks up the pace. I was never sure if Maud was innocent or if she really was behind the deaths in Rending. The romance is also more subtle at the end which made the plot move faster.
This book delivers exactly what it promises. I enjoyed the second half a great deal more than the first because of the mystery. I began to question if Maud was really what she made herself out to be or if Edie was right. I would say that it was worth the read.
May 21, 2014
Read more: http://www.sarcasmandlemons.com/2014/...
A chilling gothic mystery steeped in romance, murder, and laudanum. A must for fans of Victorian sensibility and crime.
the basics
I can see readers being quite divided on this one. It's a languid, Victorian tale with an ornate style and a main character ambivalently teeterig between wicked and good. Maud is not always the easiest to root for and I can see readers disliking her. However, I loved her wickedness as much as her goodness. She's clearly broken and driven by addiction as much as compassion. It's actually as unflinching a look at addiction as some of the contemporary work. It's also a look, like Witch Finder, at the dark side of womanhood in the Victorian era. I enjoy the Victorian style and didn't mind the slow buildup at all, though I can imagine others might find it boring. However, even for me, the book really came into its own in the second half, when the mystery became more important, tensions between the characters stretched to snapping, and the quasi-supernatural elements ramped up. While I thought Elliott could have made the "devil" motif more salient, particularly early on, I appreciated her clever weaving of the religious and addiction imagery. Her work shows a mastery of language and a comfort with Victorian idioms and customs that grants her work authenticity. I read this book nearly fully over two nights--once it caught me, I couldn't go free without reaching the end.
plot . 4/5
My main contention with the plot is a disjointed feeling between the first and second half. Part of it was, I think, the strange use of Maud's past. We get a clear sense that her three positions as governess ended badly in traumatic ways, but this mystery seems to fade for a while, and then is brought back so briefly that I felt cheated. There's also the fact that John's perspective is absent for the first several chapters. I hadn't been expecting the change, and felt jarred at the sudden new voice. John's perspective in the end also takes us out of Maud's head at a very crucial time for her character development. However, in general, the split perspective and the pacing worked. Elliott's a master of tension and dramatic irony. She uses the split perspective to create Shakespearian situations of missed chances and cringingly unfortunate deceptions, to the point where I wanted to scream at the characters, "No, no, you don't know all the facts!" She also throws in drama just when the plot needs a twist. I would have preferred a bit more firsthand looks at John and Maud's relationships, since much of their summer together is told after-the-fact, but I also bought their affection completely. And besides the weird perspective change at the end, the end itself was rapid, exciting, and infuriating in the best way. Like I said--I couldn't put it down.
concept . 4/5
The only conceptual piece I thought was less well-developed involved the Doom and devil. For a major part of the blurb, the Doom painting seems less menacingly present in the text than it should be. Given Maud's terrible premonitions and visions of devilish creatures, I would have liked more connection to the work, which is appropriately all about sin and judgment. It seemed like a missed opportunity. With the Victorian mystery, however, Elliott succeeds. She captures a quietly supernatural country-house mystery ala The Turn of the Screw (only interesting) like she grew up in the age, with interweaving threads of social intrigue, woman's rights, drugs, and God. Her portrayal of Maud as an addict is raw and spot-on. You can feel Maud's desperation and struggle in some of her most deplorable actions, in her horrific sights. And there's always the discomfiting uncertainty whispered in every page--are the devils real, or are they human? It'd make a great Awakening-style thriller.
characters . 5/5
I think the characters were the novel's strongest attraction. Maud is instantly pitiable and also occasionally infuriating. She's poor, abandoned, clearly the victim of something traumatic; broken, desperate to be loved, kind. She's also manipulative, cunning, selfish, judgmental. I hated her most when she hated Sly for his deformity and never repented of her prejudice. I loved her most when she broke herself down for her horrid cousin out of pity and a desperate longing for affection. She's a perfect example of an imperfect hero. John actually felt less clear to me. Next to Maud, he's blander and I liked his chapters less. However, for his purpose, the downtrodden poor artist and love interest, I found him suitable. He was just sweet and naive enough, if not a little lukewarm. Then there are the key antagonists, beginning with the hateful irritating-as-hell cousin Juliana. I pitied her, of course, but I also wanted to punch her in the face. She's coldly manipulative, histrionic, and clearly borderline. Contrast that with Edie, the young maid who is manipulated by Maud and manipulates Maud in turn. These are deeply human devils and easy to invest yourself in.
style . 5/5
I'm a sucker for the Victorian style of writing. You'd probably enjoy this book if you like Austen, but it's definitely a different feel. Just as pretty and precise but much more layered in doom and darkness. This was a book of many highlights and quotes, picture-perfect phrases and snappy dialogue. It also utilized Victorian phrasing without becoming dense or difficult. I would have loved it just for the writing.
mechanics . 5/5
Like I said, the pacing is slow. It's not something I minded, but I know that others will find it difficult to stick with--but do! Once you find yourself immersed, you'll appreciate the tense build-up. The POV switching mostly worked in Elliott's favor, except for the pieces mentioned above. It's also beautifully polished. This is tight writing, with no room for danglers and pointless paragraphs.
Note: I received this copy in exchange for a review. The price of the book and its origin in no way affected my stated opinions.
A chilling gothic mystery steeped in romance, murder, and laudanum. A must for fans of Victorian sensibility and crime.
the basics
I can see readers being quite divided on this one. It's a languid, Victorian tale with an ornate style and a main character ambivalently teeterig between wicked and good. Maud is not always the easiest to root for and I can see readers disliking her. However, I loved her wickedness as much as her goodness. She's clearly broken and driven by addiction as much as compassion. It's actually as unflinching a look at addiction as some of the contemporary work. It's also a look, like Witch Finder, at the dark side of womanhood in the Victorian era. I enjoy the Victorian style and didn't mind the slow buildup at all, though I can imagine others might find it boring. However, even for me, the book really came into its own in the second half, when the mystery became more important, tensions between the characters stretched to snapping, and the quasi-supernatural elements ramped up. While I thought Elliott could have made the "devil" motif more salient, particularly early on, I appreciated her clever weaving of the religious and addiction imagery. Her work shows a mastery of language and a comfort with Victorian idioms and customs that grants her work authenticity. I read this book nearly fully over two nights--once it caught me, I couldn't go free without reaching the end.
plot . 4/5
My main contention with the plot is a disjointed feeling between the first and second half. Part of it was, I think, the strange use of Maud's past. We get a clear sense that her three positions as governess ended badly in traumatic ways, but this mystery seems to fade for a while, and then is brought back so briefly that I felt cheated. There's also the fact that John's perspective is absent for the first several chapters. I hadn't been expecting the change, and felt jarred at the sudden new voice. John's perspective in the end also takes us out of Maud's head at a very crucial time for her character development. However, in general, the split perspective and the pacing worked. Elliott's a master of tension and dramatic irony. She uses the split perspective to create Shakespearian situations of missed chances and cringingly unfortunate deceptions, to the point where I wanted to scream at the characters, "No, no, you don't know all the facts!" She also throws in drama just when the plot needs a twist. I would have preferred a bit more firsthand looks at John and Maud's relationships, since much of their summer together is told after-the-fact, but I also bought their affection completely. And besides the weird perspective change at the end, the end itself was rapid, exciting, and infuriating in the best way. Like I said--I couldn't put it down.
concept . 4/5
The only conceptual piece I thought was less well-developed involved the Doom and devil. For a major part of the blurb, the Doom painting seems less menacingly present in the text than it should be. Given Maud's terrible premonitions and visions of devilish creatures, I would have liked more connection to the work, which is appropriately all about sin and judgment. It seemed like a missed opportunity. With the Victorian mystery, however, Elliott succeeds. She captures a quietly supernatural country-house mystery ala The Turn of the Screw (only interesting) like she grew up in the age, with interweaving threads of social intrigue, woman's rights, drugs, and God. Her portrayal of Maud as an addict is raw and spot-on. You can feel Maud's desperation and struggle in some of her most deplorable actions, in her horrific sights. And there's always the discomfiting uncertainty whispered in every page--are the devils real, or are they human? It'd make a great Awakening-style thriller.
characters . 5/5
I think the characters were the novel's strongest attraction. Maud is instantly pitiable and also occasionally infuriating. She's poor, abandoned, clearly the victim of something traumatic; broken, desperate to be loved, kind. She's also manipulative, cunning, selfish, judgmental. I hated her most when she hated Sly for his deformity and never repented of her prejudice. I loved her most when she broke herself down for her horrid cousin out of pity and a desperate longing for affection. She's a perfect example of an imperfect hero. John actually felt less clear to me. Next to Maud, he's blander and I liked his chapters less. However, for his purpose, the downtrodden poor artist and love interest, I found him suitable. He was just sweet and naive enough, if not a little lukewarm. Then there are the key antagonists, beginning with the hateful irritating-as-hell cousin Juliana. I pitied her, of course, but I also wanted to punch her in the face. She's coldly manipulative, histrionic, and clearly borderline. Contrast that with Edie, the young maid who is manipulated by Maud and manipulates Maud in turn. These are deeply human devils and easy to invest yourself in.
style . 5/5
I'm a sucker for the Victorian style of writing. You'd probably enjoy this book if you like Austen, but it's definitely a different feel. Just as pretty and precise but much more layered in doom and darkness. This was a book of many highlights and quotes, picture-perfect phrases and snappy dialogue. It also utilized Victorian phrasing without becoming dense or difficult. I would have loved it just for the writing.
mechanics . 5/5
Like I said, the pacing is slow. It's not something I minded, but I know that others will find it difficult to stick with--but do! Once you find yourself immersed, you'll appreciate the tense build-up. The POV switching mostly worked in Elliott's favor, except for the pieces mentioned above. It's also beautifully polished. This is tight writing, with no room for danglers and pointless paragraphs.
Note: I received this copy in exchange for a review. The price of the book and its origin in no way affected my stated opinions.
March 17, 2017
At fifteen years old, Maud Greenwood is orphaned as her father has died. Her mother has already died so she is truly alone. Sadly, her father didn't provide for his daughter in case he died. Maud is forced to leave school and find work as a governess. As a governess, she has have to quit her position. She has no references and must find a way to live. A cousin she doesn't know invites her to live with her and be her nurse. Her cousin is nice and then mean making Maud insecure in her present position. She meets John, a hired artist to restore a painting called appropriately "Doom." Maude and John are attracted to each other. What will Maud do?
I enjoyed this gothic novel.. I can see the characters alive in the Victorian era. There are twists and turns in the story that I did not expect. In this novel, there is romance, mystery and murder. There is also the fear of living in poverty. At times, I was reminded of the writing being done like the classics. I think that some will think the book moves a little slowly, but I didn't. Though this book is for young adults, I think adults would enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I enjoyed this gothic novel.. I can see the characters alive in the Victorian era. There are twists and turns in the story that I did not expect. In this novel, there is romance, mystery and murder. There is also the fear of living in poverty. At times, I was reminded of the writing being done like the classics. I think that some will think the book moves a little slowly, but I didn't. Though this book is for young adults, I think adults would enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
May 4, 2014
Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...
Nasceu em Londres mas cresceu entre a Europa e o Extremo Oriente, em países como Singapura e Malásia. Começou a escrever aos seis e o seu primeiro livro (de cinco orgulhosas páginas) foi como treinar o seu novo cão. Mais tarde, trabalhou no ramo editorial londrino e numa livraria para crianças em Nova Iorque e hoje, para além de escritora, dá Literatura Infantil num curso de educação. Regressou a Londres.
Patricia Elliott publicou o seu primeiro livro em 2002 mas já tinha ingressado na escrita em dois projectos anteriores. Tem oito livros publicados, sendo o mais recente, The Devil in the Corner, publicado este ano.
Uma mansão sombria, uma jovem assombrada pelo passado e um quadro secular são os ingredientes para esta trama que pretendia envolver-nos em mistério e espelhos. Com uma escrita intrigante e envolvente, Patricia Elliott poderia ter tornado The Devil in the Corner numa novela gótica que se destacasse e, até meio da narrativa, quase que o conseguiu. O que começa como um intricado puzzle de segredos obscuros, obsessões e vingança, arrepiante e sedutor, termina morno e sem graça, muito por culpa da extensão da narrativa e da incapacidade da autora de usar as peças que tinha de uma forma inteligente.
Inicialmente, este livro prendia-nos pelas pistas assustadoras que deixava no ar, pelo medo e tensão que marcavam a narrativa, pelo horror que se sentia nas entrelinhas. Imaginava-se uma história onde não havia santos nem heróis mas apenas vilões, loucos e insanos, marcados pelo passado, cheios de cicatrizes provocadas pelas perdas e dores, corroídos de inveja e sedentos de vingança, dominados por algo que existe apenas dentro deles próprios. Num ambiente obscuro e demente, adivinhava-se uma história de arrepiar que começou a tomar forma, pacientemente, sedutoramente, até que se esfumou sem razão.
A meio da narrativa, a autora perdeu o rumo da história e a partir daí o leitor é deixado à deriva num enredo estagnado e mal construído. As várias pistas deixadas nas entrelinhas nunca são explicadas, sem razão aparente, e somos deixados com uma série de acontecimentos sem motivo que levam a um final desmotivante e sem graça. Faltou organização, mas, mais do que isso, faltou saber usar as peças que tão brilhantemente no início, a autora havia disposto. O romance insonso domina a narrativa, quando poderia até nem ter existido, os crimes são inexplicáveis e as personagens sofrem mudanças tão bruscas que se tornam outras completamente diferentes.
Do conjunto de personagens sem graça, destacava-se a protagonista, Maud, que no início nos cativava pelo seu ar de menina assombrada e levemente alucinada que, lentamente, deveria ter-se tornado uma personagem psicótica e brilhante mas que acabou por ser completamente estragada pela autora que conseguiu mudá-la de tal maneira que de repente a Maud já não era a Maud. Edie poderia tê-la substituído se, mais uma vez, a autora soubesse como a levar do ponto A ao ponto B mas isso nunca aconteceu.
Uma história desperdiçada, The Devil in the Corner é um fantasma cinzento e translúcido do que poderia ter sido um monstro de loucura e beleza. Infelizmente não o é e a sensação de tristeza e aborrecimento que nos invade quando o terminámos.
**I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Nasceu em Londres mas cresceu entre a Europa e o Extremo Oriente, em países como Singapura e Malásia. Começou a escrever aos seis e o seu primeiro livro (de cinco orgulhosas páginas) foi como treinar o seu novo cão. Mais tarde, trabalhou no ramo editorial londrino e numa livraria para crianças em Nova Iorque e hoje, para além de escritora, dá Literatura Infantil num curso de educação. Regressou a Londres.
Patricia Elliott publicou o seu primeiro livro em 2002 mas já tinha ingressado na escrita em dois projectos anteriores. Tem oito livros publicados, sendo o mais recente, The Devil in the Corner, publicado este ano.
Uma mansão sombria, uma jovem assombrada pelo passado e um quadro secular são os ingredientes para esta trama que pretendia envolver-nos em mistério e espelhos. Com uma escrita intrigante e envolvente, Patricia Elliott poderia ter tornado The Devil in the Corner numa novela gótica que se destacasse e, até meio da narrativa, quase que o conseguiu. O que começa como um intricado puzzle de segredos obscuros, obsessões e vingança, arrepiante e sedutor, termina morno e sem graça, muito por culpa da extensão da narrativa e da incapacidade da autora de usar as peças que tinha de uma forma inteligente.
Inicialmente, este livro prendia-nos pelas pistas assustadoras que deixava no ar, pelo medo e tensão que marcavam a narrativa, pelo horror que se sentia nas entrelinhas. Imaginava-se uma história onde não havia santos nem heróis mas apenas vilões, loucos e insanos, marcados pelo passado, cheios de cicatrizes provocadas pelas perdas e dores, corroídos de inveja e sedentos de vingança, dominados por algo que existe apenas dentro deles próprios. Num ambiente obscuro e demente, adivinhava-se uma história de arrepiar que começou a tomar forma, pacientemente, sedutoramente, até que se esfumou sem razão.
A meio da narrativa, a autora perdeu o rumo da história e a partir daí o leitor é deixado à deriva num enredo estagnado e mal construído. As várias pistas deixadas nas entrelinhas nunca são explicadas, sem razão aparente, e somos deixados com uma série de acontecimentos sem motivo que levam a um final desmotivante e sem graça. Faltou organização, mas, mais do que isso, faltou saber usar as peças que tão brilhantemente no início, a autora havia disposto. O romance insonso domina a narrativa, quando poderia até nem ter existido, os crimes são inexplicáveis e as personagens sofrem mudanças tão bruscas que se tornam outras completamente diferentes.
Do conjunto de personagens sem graça, destacava-se a protagonista, Maud, que no início nos cativava pelo seu ar de menina assombrada e levemente alucinada que, lentamente, deveria ter-se tornado uma personagem psicótica e brilhante mas que acabou por ser completamente estragada pela autora que conseguiu mudá-la de tal maneira que de repente a Maud já não era a Maud. Edie poderia tê-la substituído se, mais uma vez, a autora soubesse como a levar do ponto A ao ponto B mas isso nunca aconteceu.
Uma história desperdiçada, The Devil in the Corner é um fantasma cinzento e translúcido do que poderia ter sido um monstro de loucura e beleza. Infelizmente não o é e a sensação de tristeza e aborrecimento que nos invade quando o terminámos.
**I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
March 26, 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Gothic Mystery
Summary: Penniless and the death of her parents burdening her from day to day, Maud Greenwood is desperate to have a stable roof over her head and food that will keep her alive to grieve her loss and repent for her sins. Having been taken in into numerous households as a governess, Maud suffers from multiple types of assault and brutal treatment from her employers. But on a fateful day, her cousin- by marriage-- her last living relative, Juliana Greenwood, decides to take her in, Maud could not believe how her fortune has turned for the better.
At Windward House, Juliana was tolerable, but Maud cannot deny that Juliana was doing everything she can to keep Maud on her leash. One foot out of the line and Maud will surely be cut off from her Will. But despite Juliana's warning, Maud catches the eye of John Shawcross, the artist from London who lives through the commission he gets from Juliana in restoring the painting of the Doom at their local church.
Haunted by her past and the eyes of the devil from the Doom, Maud becomes dependent on laudanum to help her sleep. But when the town is filled with deaths, everyone now turns on anyone who acted suspiciously out of character, and it seems everyone's eyes are trained on Maud Greenwood.
Review:
Devil in the Corner was splendidly written, and the words just emitted this Gothic-aura that makes the story ever so compelling and thought provoking. The world was built around the Doom and the villager's faith, and Patricia Elliot captured the essence of that world so well, that the story tended to drag and proceed slowly. The romantic part of the story, I perceived as forced, as if it was jammed right smack into the middle of the story just to make the book longer. I do love that there was so much detail put into the story, but sometimes it looked a bit forced and out of place.
The characters were tolerable. I was okay with Maud's character at first, but then she got pretty annoying throughout the story. She's a strong lady with an iron will, but she does not really seem like it. I loved Juliana's character, she was the most believable of all of them, what with her story of craving to be loved and never be left alone by her loved ones. John was this sickening lad smitten with Maud, and for a guy his age, he's pretty dense. As I said, tolerable. The side characters were a relief, for they were a fun way for the reader to investigate for their own and have theories as to who might be responsible for everything.
With the characters bugging me and the slow pacing, I would have given this book two and a half stars. But because when I got 300 pages in, the story finally progresses and it immediately got me hooked. The ending was a nice way to conclude the story, but I do feel that something is missing from Maud's back story. Her past haunts her and because she was so convinced that something was going to get her, it was a little hard to believe that Maud will have a pretty much happy ending with her story.
I gave this book three to three and a half stars. 
-- N
September 4, 2014
You can read more of my reviews at wwww.bookishlife.com
First of all, I received this book for free from publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This is the story of Maud. She is a young lady that has suffered difficult circumstances. As some bad experiences working as a governess, she receives a letter from her deceased uncle’s stepdaughter. The letter from her cousin (by marriage) invites Maud to come live with her in the family’s large home in a small town.
Maud graciously accepts the invitation, but soon learns that these circumstances may not be the dream come true expected. Her cousin is ill and unpleasant and expects Maud to care for her as a nursemaid would. There are strange and unpleasant people in village and on staff in her new home. She also learns of an old painting called “The Doom” that has been found in the church and is being restored by a charming painter names John.
Throughout the course of the novel, Maud experiences several unpleasant events and encounters and, as a result, find herself becoming more and more dependent on her stash of laudanum to sleep at night and eventually needs it just to make it through the day. During this time, some strange and unpleasant things are happening in the village as well and many of the villagers are convinced that The Devil is in their town.
Pros: There were a few things I liked about this book. One, I really liked the Gothic feeling and tone that came with reading this book. There are definite moments in this novel that closely resemble the Gothic elements in Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Frankenstein. There are several dark moments that take place in dark corners of a dark home. The feelings of isolation that Maud experiences walking in the weather and the fog continue to contribute to the Gothic feeling in this book. As I was reading, there were several times that I caught myself thinking, “Gosh, that is very Jane Eyre – ish.” Personally, I enjoy reading Gothic classics, so this was a pleasant experience for me.
I also enjoyed the fact that I didn’t figure out exactly how everything was going to play out until the end. I kind of had some ideas and thoughts about different details throughout the story, but I wasn’t able to put it all together, and for me, that’s a good thing. I want a book that is not predictable and easily figured out way before the end.
Cons: There were also a few things about this book that I didn’t really like or that I found troublesome. I found that the first half of the book moved very slowly. I wasn’t really into it at all until about the 50% mark. But, once Maud looked at The Doom and was convinced that the devil in the corner of the painting winked at her, I was hooked. Prior to that point of the book though, the story seemed very drawn out and nothing much really seemed to be happening.
Quotable:
“But how can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you?”
By the time I finished this book, I decided that I did like it and I did enjoy reading it. It’s not my favorite book, but it was a pleasant enough read.
I would recommend this to other readers, particularly those that enjoy class, Gothic, Victoria novels. If you enjoyed reading Jane Eyre, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.
Have you read The Devil in the Corner? Do you enjoy Gothic novels? Be sure to tell me all about your favorites!
First of all, I received this book for free from publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This is the story of Maud. She is a young lady that has suffered difficult circumstances. As some bad experiences working as a governess, she receives a letter from her deceased uncle’s stepdaughter. The letter from her cousin (by marriage) invites Maud to come live with her in the family’s large home in a small town.
Maud graciously accepts the invitation, but soon learns that these circumstances may not be the dream come true expected. Her cousin is ill and unpleasant and expects Maud to care for her as a nursemaid would. There are strange and unpleasant people in village and on staff in her new home. She also learns of an old painting called “The Doom” that has been found in the church and is being restored by a charming painter names John.
Throughout the course of the novel, Maud experiences several unpleasant events and encounters and, as a result, find herself becoming more and more dependent on her stash of laudanum to sleep at night and eventually needs it just to make it through the day. During this time, some strange and unpleasant things are happening in the village as well and many of the villagers are convinced that The Devil is in their town.
Pros: There were a few things I liked about this book. One, I really liked the Gothic feeling and tone that came with reading this book. There are definite moments in this novel that closely resemble the Gothic elements in Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Frankenstein. There are several dark moments that take place in dark corners of a dark home. The feelings of isolation that Maud experiences walking in the weather and the fog continue to contribute to the Gothic feeling in this book. As I was reading, there were several times that I caught myself thinking, “Gosh, that is very Jane Eyre – ish.” Personally, I enjoy reading Gothic classics, so this was a pleasant experience for me.
I also enjoyed the fact that I didn’t figure out exactly how everything was going to play out until the end. I kind of had some ideas and thoughts about different details throughout the story, but I wasn’t able to put it all together, and for me, that’s a good thing. I want a book that is not predictable and easily figured out way before the end.
Cons: There were also a few things about this book that I didn’t really like or that I found troublesome. I found that the first half of the book moved very slowly. I wasn’t really into it at all until about the 50% mark. But, once Maud looked at The Doom and was convinced that the devil in the corner of the painting winked at her, I was hooked. Prior to that point of the book though, the story seemed very drawn out and nothing much really seemed to be happening.
Quotable:
“But how can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you?”
By the time I finished this book, I decided that I did like it and I did enjoy reading it. It’s not my favorite book, but it was a pleasant enough read.
I would recommend this to other readers, particularly those that enjoy class, Gothic, Victoria novels. If you enjoyed reading Jane Eyre, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.
Have you read The Devil in the Corner? Do you enjoy Gothic novels? Be sure to tell me all about your favorites!
March 12, 2014
3.5 Stars
At fifteen, Miss Maud Greenwood, was forced to become a governess. Her mother and father are both dead and she has no choice but to leave her school behind and enter into a life of service. Unfortunately, life in service is horrifying for Maud and she ends up taking laudanum in order to keep the nightmares at bay. Maud’s circumstances finally seem to be changing for the better when she hears from her distant cousin, Juliana, who wishes Maud to come and live with her. Maud hopes that she’ll finally find someone who will care for her and be able to move past her experiences as a governess; however, Juliana proves to be an unpleasant mistress and keeps Maud from making relationships with the locals. Maud’s only outlet is John, the artist who has been commissioned to restore a painting, the Doom, in the local church. When John is forced to leave and Juliana takes to her sickbed, Maud is left unprotected in a village that begins to aim their suspicions at Maud.
Devil in the Corner is most definitely a gothic tale. There’s a mystery, a creepy painting, and an isolated house. But what struck me the most about Devil in the Corner was the writing style; it was so reminiscent of the classic gothic tales I have read. At the time I was reading Devil in the Corner, I was also reading Daphne Du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn , another gothic romance. While the plot lines are not alike, the writing style is very similar, and I found the writing in Elliot’s novel to be the strongest part of the reading experience. She does the gothic well. It was mysterious and readers are continually left wondering what has happened and what will happen to Maud.
What appealed to me less in Devil in the Corner was the characterizations. There was something simplistic about Maud and John, and while I think this fits my comparison to the classics, I would have preferred a little more meat to the characters. Readers continued to get hints about what happened to Maud as a governess, and while these hints were disturbing, I felt that it took too long to learn more about this. I also feel exploring this past would have went a long way in explaining why Maud was the way she was. I also think a further acknowledgement of this past would have strengthened the romance between Maud and John. What has happened to Maud has affected her interactions with John and it will impact any future relationship between the two and I would have liked to see this play out. The fact that John has no idea what has happened to Maud left me feeling that the novel was unfinished with respect to their relationship.
Ultimately, I did enjoy reading Devil in the Corner. The writing was good, and if you’ve enjoyed other gothic novels like Jamaica Inn or Northanger Abbey I think you’ll like this one as well.
For similar reads, see The Book Adventures.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
At fifteen, Miss Maud Greenwood, was forced to become a governess. Her mother and father are both dead and she has no choice but to leave her school behind and enter into a life of service. Unfortunately, life in service is horrifying for Maud and she ends up taking laudanum in order to keep the nightmares at bay. Maud’s circumstances finally seem to be changing for the better when she hears from her distant cousin, Juliana, who wishes Maud to come and live with her. Maud hopes that she’ll finally find someone who will care for her and be able to move past her experiences as a governess; however, Juliana proves to be an unpleasant mistress and keeps Maud from making relationships with the locals. Maud’s only outlet is John, the artist who has been commissioned to restore a painting, the Doom, in the local church. When John is forced to leave and Juliana takes to her sickbed, Maud is left unprotected in a village that begins to aim their suspicions at Maud.
Devil in the Corner is most definitely a gothic tale. There’s a mystery, a creepy painting, and an isolated house. But what struck me the most about Devil in the Corner was the writing style; it was so reminiscent of the classic gothic tales I have read. At the time I was reading Devil in the Corner, I was also reading Daphne Du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn , another gothic romance. While the plot lines are not alike, the writing style is very similar, and I found the writing in Elliot’s novel to be the strongest part of the reading experience. She does the gothic well. It was mysterious and readers are continually left wondering what has happened and what will happen to Maud.
What appealed to me less in Devil in the Corner was the characterizations. There was something simplistic about Maud and John, and while I think this fits my comparison to the classics, I would have preferred a little more meat to the characters. Readers continued to get hints about what happened to Maud as a governess, and while these hints were disturbing, I felt that it took too long to learn more about this. I also feel exploring this past would have went a long way in explaining why Maud was the way she was. I also think a further acknowledgement of this past would have strengthened the romance between Maud and John. What has happened to Maud has affected her interactions with John and it will impact any future relationship between the two and I would have liked to see this play out. The fact that John has no idea what has happened to Maud left me feeling that the novel was unfinished with respect to their relationship.
Ultimately, I did enjoy reading Devil in the Corner. The writing was good, and if you’ve enjoyed other gothic novels like Jamaica Inn or Northanger Abbey I think you’ll like this one as well.
For similar reads, see The Book Adventures.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
March 25, 2014
Actual Rating: 2.5/5
This review can also be found at The Twins Read.
Maud's life takes a turn for the better when a letter from an estranged relative appears out of the blue to offer her a warm bed at Windward House. Unsurprisingly, Maud finds herself as an companion to Juliana Greenwood, her sometimes overly dramatic, sometimes compassionate relative, who is only a bit more manipulative than Maud at times. Maud can't help that she sees and/or feels that there is something out there that's bent on getting her: the laudanum helps her sleep, helps her cope with her nightmares. But as the devil slowly makes its presence known as it terrorizes Grenville, has she unleashed her nightmare out into reality?
I actually don't like being omniscient when it comes to Maud's thoughts. Instead of being grateful for being offered a place to stay without wandering, entitled grown men passing by for a grope, she also cultivates a dislike for Juliana for inheriting Windward House. It's not Juliana's fault that Maud's father was rather loose with money - which Maud herself constantly turned a blind eye to. And to cap it off, she had laudanum dependency problems, so she was always paranoid and accusing people of the strangest things (like following her, because Maud is pretty self-obsessed) so no matter how John Shawcross described the loveliness of Maud, she was probably the ugliest protagonist - inside and out - I have ever come across. Some trials in life have made people stronger, and maybe a bit bitter; Maud 's tribulations in life only makes her resentful and calculating. I wanted John Shawcross to find himself a lovely girl who was not Maud, or that equally dreadful girl from the pharmacy, because even if he first fell in love with the hauntingly empty beauty of Maud, he did love her wholly, and I didn't think that Maud deserved that.
The thriller was exciting at first, but in the end, it fell flat. I myself couldn't settle for the paltry convenience of what actually happened, but maybe I'm a bit biased because I really didn't like Maud. While Juliana wasn't the easiest patient nor the kindest relative, I hardly think that it was enough justification for Maud to think of the inheritance she would undoubtedly come into even before Juliana has passed. Juliana may be selfish and manipulative, but then she is also unloved. And while this may not be enough to justify her actions, I just wished that Maud would have been more understanding to that. (Which I now realize, is hard because Maud is self-obsessed, so thinking of anyone besides herself would be challenging.)
While the writing of Devil in the Corner is solid, easy to read, and that it may suck you in, I just came away hollow from the whole book. There was no love lost, nor love found, but neither would I say that this is a book that I'd remember or forget.
Devil in the Corner may appeal to fans of Gothic work, if they aren't put off by the heroine's hideousness as a being, and often lack for human empathy.
This review can also be found at The Twins Read.
Maud's life takes a turn for the better when a letter from an estranged relative appears out of the blue to offer her a warm bed at Windward House. Unsurprisingly, Maud finds herself as an companion to Juliana Greenwood, her sometimes overly dramatic, sometimes compassionate relative, who is only a bit more manipulative than Maud at times. Maud can't help that she sees and/or feels that there is something out there that's bent on getting her: the laudanum helps her sleep, helps her cope with her nightmares. But as the devil slowly makes its presence known as it terrorizes Grenville, has she unleashed her nightmare out into reality?
I actually don't like being omniscient when it comes to Maud's thoughts. Instead of being grateful for being offered a place to stay without wandering, entitled grown men passing by for a grope, she also cultivates a dislike for Juliana for inheriting Windward House. It's not Juliana's fault that Maud's father was rather loose with money - which Maud herself constantly turned a blind eye to. And to cap it off, she had laudanum dependency problems, so she was always paranoid and accusing people of the strangest things (like following her, because Maud is pretty self-obsessed) so no matter how John Shawcross described the loveliness of Maud, she was probably the ugliest protagonist - inside and out - I have ever come across. Some trials in life have made people stronger, and maybe a bit bitter; Maud 's tribulations in life only makes her resentful and calculating. I wanted John Shawcross to find himself a lovely girl who was not Maud, or that equally dreadful girl from the pharmacy, because even if he first fell in love with the hauntingly empty beauty of Maud, he did love her wholly, and I didn't think that Maud deserved that.
The thriller was exciting at first, but in the end, it fell flat. I myself couldn't settle for the paltry convenience of what actually happened, but maybe I'm a bit biased because I really didn't like Maud. While Juliana wasn't the easiest patient nor the kindest relative, I hardly think that it was enough justification for Maud to think of the inheritance she would undoubtedly come into even before Juliana has passed. Juliana may be selfish and manipulative, but then she is also unloved. And while this may not be enough to justify her actions, I just wished that Maud would have been more understanding to that. (Which I now realize, is hard because Maud is self-obsessed, so thinking of anyone besides herself would be challenging.)
While the writing of Devil in the Corner is solid, easy to read, and that it may suck you in, I just came away hollow from the whole book. There was no love lost, nor love found, but neither would I say that this is a book that I'd remember or forget.
Devil in the Corner may appeal to fans of Gothic work, if they aren't put off by the heroine's hideousness as a being, and often lack for human empathy.
May 20, 2014
After a terrible run as a governess, poor, orphaned Maud Greenwood can’t keep the nightmares away without some Laudanum at night. When she moves in with her cousin by marriage, Miss Juliana Greenwood, her need begins to take over. Then, there is issues with her cousin; all is not what it seems. She is needy, persistent, and sees her as an unpaid nurse rather than family and a companion. Suddenly, as an event shakes the town, the “Devil” begins to take over. Part love story, part Victorian Gothic story, The Devil in the Corner is engaging and enthralling. Has the Devil really come?
The Devil in the Corner is a compelling story told by two narrators, Maud, and John Shawcross, her love interest who is a local artist set to restore the Doom painting in the local Church. Their love story often gets in the way of what really is happening; the relationship between Maud and Juliana, Maud’s Laudanum addiction, the visions she sees and imagines, the rumors and accusations brought forth against her. Although John offered a different perspective, full of love and want for Maud, his story was one that could be expendable in this 400 page novel. It was what happened to Maud that was the most interesting.
In this novel, there is an underlining theme of good and bad; with the “Devil” appearing later on. The painting John has to restore is of the Judgment which later becomes one of the central themes in the novel. In the begin, Maud keeps thinking she sees shadows and that someone is following her, thus assigning this to the Devil. She also believes she has heavily sinned, as she tries to tell John who does not believe in any religion. He believes in Darwinism. Which also becomes a conversation piece, however brief.Then an event happens that shakes the town and its beliefs. I won’t say what happens because, spoilers, but it’s big.
I liked how Elliott approached the idea of divinity and good and evil. The symbolism was strong. The way she used the Devil throughout her novel was really good. She didn’t throw it in the reader’s face. She approached it slowly, then sped things up at a nice, progressive pace. The plot twist was great. I enjoyed it immensely. It was unexpected, new, and kept me engaged. The chapters were often short, and left me wanting more. I rather breezed through this relatively long book that did not feel like 400 pages long. I really lost myself in the characters and plot. Juliana was the right amount of bad and needy. Maud was the right amount of scarred.
I would definitely recommend this book. It was an enjoyable read that I didn’t put down often. The Gothic aspect was very well written. The only issue I had was the love story which can be easily bypassed. It’s not that it’s cheesy, it’s just that it should take third chair to all the action that Maud sees. I hope you give this book a look over. Don’t be thrown by the pages, it’s shorter than it seems.
The Devil in the Corner is a compelling story told by two narrators, Maud, and John Shawcross, her love interest who is a local artist set to restore the Doom painting in the local Church. Their love story often gets in the way of what really is happening; the relationship between Maud and Juliana, Maud’s Laudanum addiction, the visions she sees and imagines, the rumors and accusations brought forth against her. Although John offered a different perspective, full of love and want for Maud, his story was one that could be expendable in this 400 page novel. It was what happened to Maud that was the most interesting.
In this novel, there is an underlining theme of good and bad; with the “Devil” appearing later on. The painting John has to restore is of the Judgment which later becomes one of the central themes in the novel. In the begin, Maud keeps thinking she sees shadows and that someone is following her, thus assigning this to the Devil. She also believes she has heavily sinned, as she tries to tell John who does not believe in any religion. He believes in Darwinism. Which also becomes a conversation piece, however brief.Then an event happens that shakes the town and its beliefs. I won’t say what happens because, spoilers, but it’s big.
I liked how Elliott approached the idea of divinity and good and evil. The symbolism was strong. The way she used the Devil throughout her novel was really good. She didn’t throw it in the reader’s face. She approached it slowly, then sped things up at a nice, progressive pace. The plot twist was great. I enjoyed it immensely. It was unexpected, new, and kept me engaged. The chapters were often short, and left me wanting more. I rather breezed through this relatively long book that did not feel like 400 pages long. I really lost myself in the characters and plot. Juliana was the right amount of bad and needy. Maud was the right amount of scarred.
I would definitely recommend this book. It was an enjoyable read that I didn’t put down often. The Gothic aspect was very well written. The only issue I had was the love story which can be easily bypassed. It’s not that it’s cheesy, it’s just that it should take third chair to all the action that Maud sees. I hope you give this book a look over. Don’t be thrown by the pages, it’s shorter than it seems.
June 20, 2014
There has always been a certain gloominess attached to the Victorian era in England. I think it’s probably because of all of those black and white illustrations in the works of Doyle and Dickens more than anything. As an era it was no less colorful than any other, but with all of the fog from the Thames and the gaslight lamps I can see how a certain air of darkness has become a permanent part of our imaginations of that time and place.
If it is anything The Devil in the Corner is definitely a gloomy Victorian book. So much so that it at times it threatened to bring even me, a huge fan of the era, to a dead stop. The book is about one Maud Greenwood, a fifteen-year old governess, whom like so many women of the time, has a bit of an opium addiction, and a ton of other problems as well, like a checkered past, through no fault of her own, an uncertain present and an even worse-looking future. Fortunately she seems like she has been saved by that wonderful deus ex machina of the times, a rich relative. That her salvation turns into the biggest threat that Maud has yet to face is a wonderful touch, and at times I get the feeling that the author Patricia Elliot seems to enjoy subverting the clichés as much as she enjoys employing them. There are plenty of both to go around, as well, from the overly romantic Artist John, who becomes Maud's love interest and potential savior, to a huge manor house in the desolate countryside, and many more that I can begin to list.
For all of that the biggest problem I had was also one of the books strengths; its realism. Maud is pretty much powerless against the combined forces of class and money, and as much as I felt for her, and recognized the truth of her circumstances I wished that she would have shown a bit more fight, and drive. As it is for most of the book she is a character just waiting for the axe to fall. Heaven knows that a great portion of the women of the era felt particularly powerless, but Maud's story is so stooped in gloom that at times I felt like grabbing the bottle of laudanum and indulging in a few drops to ease the pain.
There is a fair amount of plot in the book, including the usual machinations over property and in heritance, a sinister servant, and a painting that seems to everyone the willies, but the crux of the plot consists of the burgeoning but forbidden romance between Maud and John, and what fate her patron, Julia Greenwood, has in store for Maud. Near the end of the book there are some sudden twists and turns as the police and poisonings suddenly rear their melodramatic heads. At the last moment, when things look their absolute worst the whole thing takes a sudden turn towards a happy ending, but it was bit too late for me. I just couldn't quite shake the blues. Maybe it was all that laudanum.
If it is anything The Devil in the Corner is definitely a gloomy Victorian book. So much so that it at times it threatened to bring even me, a huge fan of the era, to a dead stop. The book is about one Maud Greenwood, a fifteen-year old governess, whom like so many women of the time, has a bit of an opium addiction, and a ton of other problems as well, like a checkered past, through no fault of her own, an uncertain present and an even worse-looking future. Fortunately she seems like she has been saved by that wonderful deus ex machina of the times, a rich relative. That her salvation turns into the biggest threat that Maud has yet to face is a wonderful touch, and at times I get the feeling that the author Patricia Elliot seems to enjoy subverting the clichés as much as she enjoys employing them. There are plenty of both to go around, as well, from the overly romantic Artist John, who becomes Maud's love interest and potential savior, to a huge manor house in the desolate countryside, and many more that I can begin to list.
For all of that the biggest problem I had was also one of the books strengths; its realism. Maud is pretty much powerless against the combined forces of class and money, and as much as I felt for her, and recognized the truth of her circumstances I wished that she would have shown a bit more fight, and drive. As it is for most of the book she is a character just waiting for the axe to fall. Heaven knows that a great portion of the women of the era felt particularly powerless, but Maud's story is so stooped in gloom that at times I felt like grabbing the bottle of laudanum and indulging in a few drops to ease the pain.
There is a fair amount of plot in the book, including the usual machinations over property and in heritance, a sinister servant, and a painting that seems to everyone the willies, but the crux of the plot consists of the burgeoning but forbidden romance between Maud and John, and what fate her patron, Julia Greenwood, has in store for Maud. Near the end of the book there are some sudden twists and turns as the police and poisonings suddenly rear their melodramatic heads. At the last moment, when things look their absolute worst the whole thing takes a sudden turn towards a happy ending, but it was bit too late for me. I just couldn't quite shake the blues. Maybe it was all that laudanum.
July 31, 2017
Received from NetGalley for review.
3.5 stars
The Devil in the Corner is a wonderfully creepy Gothic tale that chronicles eighteen-year-old Maud’s descent into darkness due to the trials she has faced in life and the laudanum she takes to cope with them. We meet Maud when she goes to live with her cousin, Juliana – a demanding and sickly woman who tries to control Maud – and slowly find out about the life she has led and the cruelties she has experienced. It soon becomes apparent that there are things in Maud’s past that she cannot escape, and it soon becomes hard for her to distinguish dreams from reality.
The book is set in Victorian England and I felt that the atmosphere was the most impressive part of it – I was transported back in time and loved how the story slowly become darker and more oppressive in its tone. It read like a much older novel, one that could have easily been written during the Victorian era, or shortly thereafter; this did mean that the plot could be a little slow and overly flowery at times, but it generally worked well because of the time and nature of the story. I also loved the focus on Victorian values: worship, fear of the devil, purity, and the darker side that may not have always been documented but was definitely there: abuse of all kinds, drug dependence, limitations placed on women.
Maud was a really interesting character for me – she is young and strange, keeping her past hidden and people at a distance, yet desperately longing to be loved. She arrives to care for Juliana, after suffering from the age of fifteen as a governess (your blood will boil over the things she endured and the people who didn’t believe her), but soon discovers that her cousin will not provide the safe haven she was hoping for. We witness her descent into madness throughout the novel, and can’t help but wonder if it’s the laudanum she takes to sleep, her past, or something more sinister causing her paranoia and delusions, especially with the oppressive presence of the Doom painting being restored in the church. The other characters were interesting enough – Juliana is manipulative and controlling, but John (an artist restoring the Doom) is a fairly bland love interest, and the various servants and villagers mostly fade into the background – but I found that my main focus was always Maud and her madness.
If you enjoy Victorian-era novels of madness I would definitely recommend this; despite its 400 pages length it’s quite a quick read and an interesting way to pass a few hours in a haze of mystery, madness, and murder.
3.5 stars
The Devil in the Corner is a wonderfully creepy Gothic tale that chronicles eighteen-year-old Maud’s descent into darkness due to the trials she has faced in life and the laudanum she takes to cope with them. We meet Maud when she goes to live with her cousin, Juliana – a demanding and sickly woman who tries to control Maud – and slowly find out about the life she has led and the cruelties she has experienced. It soon becomes apparent that there are things in Maud’s past that she cannot escape, and it soon becomes hard for her to distinguish dreams from reality.
The book is set in Victorian England and I felt that the atmosphere was the most impressive part of it – I was transported back in time and loved how the story slowly become darker and more oppressive in its tone. It read like a much older novel, one that could have easily been written during the Victorian era, or shortly thereafter; this did mean that the plot could be a little slow and overly flowery at times, but it generally worked well because of the time and nature of the story. I also loved the focus on Victorian values: worship, fear of the devil, purity, and the darker side that may not have always been documented but was definitely there: abuse of all kinds, drug dependence, limitations placed on women.
Maud was a really interesting character for me – she is young and strange, keeping her past hidden and people at a distance, yet desperately longing to be loved. She arrives to care for Juliana, after suffering from the age of fifteen as a governess (your blood will boil over the things she endured and the people who didn’t believe her), but soon discovers that her cousin will not provide the safe haven she was hoping for. We witness her descent into madness throughout the novel, and can’t help but wonder if it’s the laudanum she takes to sleep, her past, or something more sinister causing her paranoia and delusions, especially with the oppressive presence of the Doom painting being restored in the church. The other characters were interesting enough – Juliana is manipulative and controlling, but John (an artist restoring the Doom) is a fairly bland love interest, and the various servants and villagers mostly fade into the background – but I found that my main focus was always Maud and her madness.
If you enjoy Victorian-era novels of madness I would definitely recommend this; despite its 400 pages length it’s quite a quick read and an interesting way to pass a few hours in a haze of mystery, madness, and murder.
August 16, 2014
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't sure what to make of this book to begin with. Maud is an orphan who has fallen on hard times since her father died. At the tender age of 15, she has had to leave her school and take up a post as a governess. She has had two posts which she was forced to leave and although you get a little snippet of the why, you don't get the full story which I would have liked.
When Maud goes to the local agency that helps young women find posts as governess's, she is given a letter that will change her life. Her uncle's step-daughter, Juliana, who she has never met or heard of, has reached out to her and asked her to come and live with her.
Hoping that life will now be better, she soon realises that Juliana just wanted a nurse and companion. She has driven off countless other nurses and no-one in the village will take the position. Juliana is very controlling and demanding. She makes it difficult for Maud to make friends, she insists that Maud has nothing to do with the artist who is restoring a painting in the local church at Juliana's expense but when Juliana decides to go to visit a friend at the seaside, Maud and John become close.
When people start to die, due to a sickness that is sweeping through the village, the painting is vandalised and Juliana becomes more controlling. She chases off a suitor who is very interested in Maud and Maud soon discovers just how much Juliana has lied to her. She claimed to have not known about Maud but when Maud finds the letter that had been sent on her behalf, she must tread carefully as Juliana keeps saying she will change her will and not leave Maud a penny.
When Juliana dies in what appear to be suspicious circumstances, Maud becomes the main suspect. All the time that she has been living with her cousin, she has been taking laudanum to help her sleep. She has been suffering horrendous nightmares caused by her times as a governess and the laudanum has caused her to sleep-walk and lose time.
With the help of a friend, John sets about proving Maud's innocence. Even though they haven't spoken to each other in months, he is still in love with her and Maud has no clue as she hasn't been receiving his letters.
With a fair bit of suspense and some romance, this is an intriguing read. I would very much like to read more by this author.
I wasn't sure what to make of this book to begin with. Maud is an orphan who has fallen on hard times since her father died. At the tender age of 15, she has had to leave her school and take up a post as a governess. She has had two posts which she was forced to leave and although you get a little snippet of the why, you don't get the full story which I would have liked.
When Maud goes to the local agency that helps young women find posts as governess's, she is given a letter that will change her life. Her uncle's step-daughter, Juliana, who she has never met or heard of, has reached out to her and asked her to come and live with her.
Hoping that life will now be better, she soon realises that Juliana just wanted a nurse and companion. She has driven off countless other nurses and no-one in the village will take the position. Juliana is very controlling and demanding. She makes it difficult for Maud to make friends, she insists that Maud has nothing to do with the artist who is restoring a painting in the local church at Juliana's expense but when Juliana decides to go to visit a friend at the seaside, Maud and John become close.
When people start to die, due to a sickness that is sweeping through the village, the painting is vandalised and Juliana becomes more controlling. She chases off a suitor who is very interested in Maud and Maud soon discovers just how much Juliana has lied to her. She claimed to have not known about Maud but when Maud finds the letter that had been sent on her behalf, she must tread carefully as Juliana keeps saying she will change her will and not leave Maud a penny.
When Juliana dies in what appear to be suspicious circumstances, Maud becomes the main suspect. All the time that she has been living with her cousin, she has been taking laudanum to help her sleep. She has been suffering horrendous nightmares caused by her times as a governess and the laudanum has caused her to sleep-walk and lose time.
With the help of a friend, John sets about proving Maud's innocence. Even though they haven't spoken to each other in months, he is still in love with her and Maud has no clue as she hasn't been receiving his letters.
With a fair bit of suspense and some romance, this is an intriguing read. I would very much like to read more by this author.
August 3, 2016
The Devil in the Corner takes on a number of classic gothic tropes and bundles them together in a nod towards well known tales such as Flowers In The Attic and The Turn Of The Screw. The familiarity of the themes; the governess, the ailing relative, the house too big for it's lonely inhabitants, all conjure an expectation of what this story is to be. In large part, it is a spooky story of loss and loneliness, in which characters are tormented by their past deeds in such a way as to manifest in ill-feeling towards each other.
In small part, the book departs entirely from this to follow a piece by piece account of courtship between Maud and a local painter, followed by the same between Maud and an older, richer suitor.
This smaller part of the book felt like a huge departure from the main story of tension and mystery, and felt very distracting from the issues I, as a reader, was keen to get back to - was Maud hallucinating the shadowy figures that haunt her due to laudanum? Was her "cousin" really ill? Was her cook's daughter, Edie, really as manipulative as she appeared? Fans of gothic thrillers may feel a little frustrated at being suddenly presented with such a lean towards romance for a sustained period of reading. I was, however, happy to find the story soon found its dark and looming atmosphere again and got us straight back to the mystery.
The story itself is not very groundbreaking - as mentioned before it is a nod towards tales that have come before it - but the journey through the pages was fun and intriguing, if not surprising. I found a lot of the clues alluding the ending's revelations were heavily signalled to the reader, perhaps for a younger audience, and this felt a bit at odds with the relationship detailing that was more mature in subject.
Overall
The Devil in the Corner had all the ingredients for a good gothic thriller but fell a little flat midway through. Clues were laid heavily throughout the plot, perhaps to help a younger reader, but I felt the relationship content and insinuations of adultery were perhaps aimed at a higher age bracket than the leading clues suggested. A fun read, but not a stand-out book in gothic YA fiction.
In small part, the book departs entirely from this to follow a piece by piece account of courtship between Maud and a local painter, followed by the same between Maud and an older, richer suitor.
This smaller part of the book felt like a huge departure from the main story of tension and mystery, and felt very distracting from the issues I, as a reader, was keen to get back to - was Maud hallucinating the shadowy figures that haunt her due to laudanum? Was her "cousin" really ill? Was her cook's daughter, Edie, really as manipulative as she appeared? Fans of gothic thrillers may feel a little frustrated at being suddenly presented with such a lean towards romance for a sustained period of reading. I was, however, happy to find the story soon found its dark and looming atmosphere again and got us straight back to the mystery.
The story itself is not very groundbreaking - as mentioned before it is a nod towards tales that have come before it - but the journey through the pages was fun and intriguing, if not surprising. I found a lot of the clues alluding the ending's revelations were heavily signalled to the reader, perhaps for a younger audience, and this felt a bit at odds with the relationship detailing that was more mature in subject.
Overall
The Devil in the Corner had all the ingredients for a good gothic thriller but fell a little flat midway through. Clues were laid heavily throughout the plot, perhaps to help a younger reader, but I felt the relationship content and insinuations of adultery were perhaps aimed at a higher age bracket than the leading clues suggested. A fun read, but not a stand-out book in gothic YA fiction.
March 8, 2014
Penniless, and an orphan, Maud has been taking jobs as a governess. But soon she has to escape the horrors of the brutal households she finds herself in. She seeks refuge with her cousin-by-marriage, that she never knew, but who inherited her Uncle's money instead of her father. But Juliana is controlling, and squashes any of her friendships with the staff and the locals. Especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom painting in the Church. John however is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her.
However, Maud has nightmares due to her time in previous households, and has to take laudanum to sleep. When her supply runs out, she blackmails Edie, the daughter of one of the staff and the young girl in love with John who's jealous of Maud and will do anything to break them apart. Maud is thwarted at every turn, and continues to take her only solace, the laudanum. Is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone or something plotting her demise? Is the Devil in the corner of the Doom a reality or a figment of her imagination?
Don't get me wrong, Devil in the Corner was intriguing, even though I thought that Edie was to blame. I got frustrated with the book because Maud wasn't a likeable character to me, I didn't connect with her, and she wasn't trustworthy, I had no confidence in her. And then we have the character of Edie, who wasn't a character you love to hate, she was spiteful and irritated me no end.
Devil in the Corner was incredibly slow. Slow to start, and the pace never picked up. I was bored reading, and never not bored to be honest. There where these intriguing little glimpses of Maud's past as a governess at other households that did slightly spice up the book, but those where few and far between.
It picked up towards the end, it was more interesting and the intrigue reached a crescendo, the ending wasn't good at all. Things weren't cleared up and put to you in a clear cut way, there was still a lot of mystery surrounding what happened, and not knowing has left me irritated with the book.
The romance to me, seemed to spring out of nowhere and was very random.
The pace ruined the book before it even began and the ending is sure to irritate more people than just me.
However, Maud has nightmares due to her time in previous households, and has to take laudanum to sleep. When her supply runs out, she blackmails Edie, the daughter of one of the staff and the young girl in love with John who's jealous of Maud and will do anything to break them apart. Maud is thwarted at every turn, and continues to take her only solace, the laudanum. Is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone or something plotting her demise? Is the Devil in the corner of the Doom a reality or a figment of her imagination?
Don't get me wrong, Devil in the Corner was intriguing, even though I thought that Edie was to blame. I got frustrated with the book because Maud wasn't a likeable character to me, I didn't connect with her, and she wasn't trustworthy, I had no confidence in her. And then we have the character of Edie, who wasn't a character you love to hate, she was spiteful and irritated me no end.
Devil in the Corner was incredibly slow. Slow to start, and the pace never picked up. I was bored reading, and never not bored to be honest. There where these intriguing little glimpses of Maud's past as a governess at other households that did slightly spice up the book, but those where few and far between.
It picked up towards the end, it was more interesting and the intrigue reached a crescendo, the ending wasn't good at all. Things weren't cleared up and put to you in a clear cut way, there was still a lot of mystery surrounding what happened, and not knowing has left me irritated with the book.
The romance to me, seemed to spring out of nowhere and was very random.
The pace ruined the book before it even began and the ending is sure to irritate more people than just me.
August 6, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hachette Children's Books and Netgalley.)
17-year-old Maud is all alone in the world after her father’s death when she was fifteen. After three failed jobs as a governess, Maud is pleased to receive a letter from a cousin by marriage – Julianna, who offers to take her in in return for some company.
Julianna’s health is failing, and Maud finds that she is little more than an unpaid nursemaid, running around after Julianna, and unable to spend time with suitors because Julianna forbids it.
Will Maud ever be happy until Julianna is dead? And if Julianna dies, will she have anything left anyway?
This was an okay story, but the pace was painfully slow.
Maud was an okay character, although I’m still not 100% sure if she was sane or not. To start with she seemed fairly normal, but as the book went on I really did begin to doubt her. Was she hallucinating? Was she really meddling with people’s medicines? Was she really stealing? I’m not sure, but I know I wouldn’t have trusted her with arsenic.
The storyline was okay, and it reminded me a little of Jane Eyre. Unfortunately this wasn’t as good as Jane Eyre though, and the pace was painfully slow. While I wanted to know what happened next, the pace just ruined this book for me, and I became desperate for the story to get a move on!
I did like the mystery over what was happening, and I also liked the brief bit of romance we got. There were a couple of sneaky things going on that were interesting, but again, the pace ruined this book. The interesting things that happened were so few and far between that the story dragged. This was the sort of book where you keep glancing at the page numbers, thinking ‘I must have read at least 50 pages!’ to find you have actually read 2.
The ending to this was a little obtuse. I have my theories as to what happened, but things weren’t exactly spelled out for the reader, leaving a bit of mystery remaining, which is a bit irritating.
Overall; an okay, but slow YA historical mystery story,
6.5 out of 10.
17-year-old Maud is all alone in the world after her father’s death when she was fifteen. After three failed jobs as a governess, Maud is pleased to receive a letter from a cousin by marriage – Julianna, who offers to take her in in return for some company.
Julianna’s health is failing, and Maud finds that she is little more than an unpaid nursemaid, running around after Julianna, and unable to spend time with suitors because Julianna forbids it.
Will Maud ever be happy until Julianna is dead? And if Julianna dies, will she have anything left anyway?
This was an okay story, but the pace was painfully slow.
Maud was an okay character, although I’m still not 100% sure if she was sane or not. To start with she seemed fairly normal, but as the book went on I really did begin to doubt her. Was she hallucinating? Was she really meddling with people’s medicines? Was she really stealing? I’m not sure, but I know I wouldn’t have trusted her with arsenic.
The storyline was okay, and it reminded me a little of Jane Eyre. Unfortunately this wasn’t as good as Jane Eyre though, and the pace was painfully slow. While I wanted to know what happened next, the pace just ruined this book for me, and I became desperate for the story to get a move on!
I did like the mystery over what was happening, and I also liked the brief bit of romance we got. There were a couple of sneaky things going on that were interesting, but again, the pace ruined this book. The interesting things that happened were so few and far between that the story dragged. This was the sort of book where you keep glancing at the page numbers, thinking ‘I must have read at least 50 pages!’ to find you have actually read 2.
The ending to this was a little obtuse. I have my theories as to what happened, but things weren’t exactly spelled out for the reader, leaving a bit of mystery remaining, which is a bit irritating.
Overall; an okay, but slow YA historical mystery story,
6.5 out of 10.
March 5, 2014
(Although I received this book for review my review is still 100% honest.)
This book drove me crazy, in a good way. It is set in Victorian times and is a romance, mystery. It is dark and suspenseful. At first you don't really know anything about the main character's past.This was a great way to keep you turning those pages. The plot thickens in this book so much that I really didn't want it to end.
The main character is Maud Greenwood, I would say she is rather normal for her circumstances within this book. She lost both of her parents and is slowly running out of money. She has to take up jobs as a governess which during those times wasn't the best job for a lady. Soon enough she gets a letter from her cousin asking her to live with her in her mansion. I thought that Maud was reasonable with a lot of her feelings though out this book. She wasn't a drama queen or over reacted. But I can understand some of the out bursts she had within the book. I really liked reading from her perspective.
The next character to be introduced shortly after Maud is John Shawcross. John is a penniless painter working for Maud's cousin. He works in the tiny town at which Maud will soon call home. As soon as John sees Maud he can easily say he has really deep feelings for her. She is a mystery to him and that makes him want to get to know her more. His character was a good way to see Maud in a different light. I really enjoyed reading from his perspective because of all the sweet things he though of Maud.
So Maud and John's romance through out this book only helps push the book forward. They have to keep there love for each other hidden because he is poor and she will one day be rich. Their love story is really a sad one because it almost seems like they are not meant to be together. This made me cry a lot because I just wanted them to be together for once and not have to hide it.
This book was hard for me to put down because of the suspense within the book. I was not expecting how much of mystery this book would be. It had very dark parts that could even be lead to murder. This book was really great and it should be read if you think that this book is for you.
This book drove me crazy, in a good way. It is set in Victorian times and is a romance, mystery. It is dark and suspenseful. At first you don't really know anything about the main character's past.This was a great way to keep you turning those pages. The plot thickens in this book so much that I really didn't want it to end.
The main character is Maud Greenwood, I would say she is rather normal for her circumstances within this book. She lost both of her parents and is slowly running out of money. She has to take up jobs as a governess which during those times wasn't the best job for a lady. Soon enough she gets a letter from her cousin asking her to live with her in her mansion. I thought that Maud was reasonable with a lot of her feelings though out this book. She wasn't a drama queen or over reacted. But I can understand some of the out bursts she had within the book. I really liked reading from her perspective.
The next character to be introduced shortly after Maud is John Shawcross. John is a penniless painter working for Maud's cousin. He works in the tiny town at which Maud will soon call home. As soon as John sees Maud he can easily say he has really deep feelings for her. She is a mystery to him and that makes him want to get to know her more. His character was a good way to see Maud in a different light. I really enjoyed reading from his perspective because of all the sweet things he though of Maud.
So Maud and John's romance through out this book only helps push the book forward. They have to keep there love for each other hidden because he is poor and she will one day be rich. Their love story is really a sad one because it almost seems like they are not meant to be together. This made me cry a lot because I just wanted them to be together for once and not have to hide it.
This book was hard for me to put down because of the suspense within the book. I was not expecting how much of mystery this book would be. It had very dark parts that could even be lead to murder. This book was really great and it should be read if you think that this book is for you.
December 10, 2015
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
Seventeen year old Maud is all alone in the world after the death of her father, leaving her an orphan. After three failed jobs as a governess, Maud is taken in by her cousin Julianna. Pleased to be accepted somewhere, Maud is looking forward to her new life with Julianna. However, Maud finds that she is nothing more than an unpaid nursemaid due to Julianna’s frail health. At seventeen years of age, Maud should be spending time with suitors, but Julianna forbids it. It appears as if Maud will not have a chance of happiness until the death of Julianna.
Overall, Maud was a mediocre character. At the beginning, she appeared perfectly normal, but as the story went on, I began to doubt her sanity. It was difficult to determine whether or not she was hallucinating, whether or not she was interfering with other people’s medicine and whether or not she was stealing. I am not 100% sure that Maud did any of those things that she was accused of, but I can tell you that I would not trust her personally.
The storyline was fine, and I’ve heard that it reminds people of Jane Eyre – though not nearly as good as the aforementioned novel. Whilst reading this book, I was interested enough to want to know what was going to happen next, and I liked the mystery elements throughout it. The brief romance was enjoyable to read and there were several interesting occurrences littered throughout the entirety of the book. However, they were so few and far that it made it seem as if the novel was going on forever! Overall, the pace is what ruined this book – it was painfully slow.
The ending was obtuse. Things were not spelled out for the reader, hence leaving a bit of mystery surrounding what actually happened. I have theories as to what did happen, but not actually knowing leaves me irritated.
Overall, this was an okay read. A slow, YA historical mystery.
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
Seventeen year old Maud is all alone in the world after the death of her father, leaving her an orphan. After three failed jobs as a governess, Maud is taken in by her cousin Julianna. Pleased to be accepted somewhere, Maud is looking forward to her new life with Julianna. However, Maud finds that she is nothing more than an unpaid nursemaid due to Julianna’s frail health. At seventeen years of age, Maud should be spending time with suitors, but Julianna forbids it. It appears as if Maud will not have a chance of happiness until the death of Julianna.
Overall, Maud was a mediocre character. At the beginning, she appeared perfectly normal, but as the story went on, I began to doubt her sanity. It was difficult to determine whether or not she was hallucinating, whether or not she was interfering with other people’s medicine and whether or not she was stealing. I am not 100% sure that Maud did any of those things that she was accused of, but I can tell you that I would not trust her personally.
The storyline was fine, and I’ve heard that it reminds people of Jane Eyre – though not nearly as good as the aforementioned novel. Whilst reading this book, I was interested enough to want to know what was going to happen next, and I liked the mystery elements throughout it. The brief romance was enjoyable to read and there were several interesting occurrences littered throughout the entirety of the book. However, they were so few and far that it made it seem as if the novel was going on forever! Overall, the pace is what ruined this book – it was painfully slow.
The ending was obtuse. Things were not spelled out for the reader, hence leaving a bit of mystery surrounding what actually happened. I have theories as to what did happen, but not actually knowing leaves me irritated.
Overall, this was an okay read. A slow, YA historical mystery.
March 31, 2014
Devil in the Corner by Patricia Elliot
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Hachette Children's (March 6, 2014)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
Language: English
ASIN: B00J3C50GK
My Review~
I received this book in exchange for a honest unbiased review.
First off, I would like to say how intriguing the cover is. It has a creepy interesting factor that entices the reader to pick up the book which I love. With that being said, I was a little disappointed with this book. The flow and pace of the story is slow, although the storyline is very good. I think the pace of the story killed my rating. I was dragging myself to finish it. Maud is the main character of this read and although we get a whole book worth of information. I still feel like I don't know the character and couldn't connect with her. You will get glimpses of her assorted past but you never truly find out what happened with her at the different places as a governess. I can't say how much the story line is good just the pace is just wrong for it. Good read just slow thus my rating is a 3 star.
Amazon Book Description~
Penniless, and escaping the horrors of life as a governess to brutal households, Maud seeks refuge with the cousin-by-marriage she never knew. But her efforts to please Juliana are met with increasing levels of contempt as it becomes apparent that Juliana is jealous of Maud's youth and beauty. Further, Juliana quashes Maud's emerging friendships with the staff and locals - especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom in the local church. John, however, is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her. Maud, isolated and thwarted at every turn, continues to take the laudanum which was her only solace in London (and which was commonplace in Victorian London). Soon she becomes dependent on the drug - so is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone - or something - plotting her demise? Is the devil in the corner of the Doom a reality, or a figment of her imagination? And what is its power? Will Maud ever learn the truth of her inheritance and be free? Will she lose John for ever?
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Hachette Children's (March 6, 2014)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
Language: English
ASIN: B00J3C50GK
My Review~
I received this book in exchange for a honest unbiased review.
First off, I would like to say how intriguing the cover is. It has a creepy interesting factor that entices the reader to pick up the book which I love. With that being said, I was a little disappointed with this book. The flow and pace of the story is slow, although the storyline is very good. I think the pace of the story killed my rating. I was dragging myself to finish it. Maud is the main character of this read and although we get a whole book worth of information. I still feel like I don't know the character and couldn't connect with her. You will get glimpses of her assorted past but you never truly find out what happened with her at the different places as a governess. I can't say how much the story line is good just the pace is just wrong for it. Good read just slow thus my rating is a 3 star.
Amazon Book Description~
Penniless, and escaping the horrors of life as a governess to brutal households, Maud seeks refuge with the cousin-by-marriage she never knew. But her efforts to please Juliana are met with increasing levels of contempt as it becomes apparent that Juliana is jealous of Maud's youth and beauty. Further, Juliana quashes Maud's emerging friendships with the staff and locals - especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom in the local church. John, however, is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her. Maud, isolated and thwarted at every turn, continues to take the laudanum which was her only solace in London (and which was commonplace in Victorian London). Soon she becomes dependent on the drug - so is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone - or something - plotting her demise? Is the devil in the corner of the Doom a reality, or a figment of her imagination? And what is its power? Will Maud ever learn the truth of her inheritance and be free? Will she lose John for ever?
September 19, 2014
Having had to turn to governess jobs after the death of her father, step-cousin Juliana's letter finds her just at the right time as she has become unemployable after being sacked from two of the jobs and leaving the third. She has just enough left for the train journey to Rending from London and unknown to her, John the artist is also on that train returning to the village after spending time in London with his ill mother.
Narrated by both Maud and John, the story takes us through a growing surreal time that is dark and tense.
There were lots of things I liked about this YA story.
The settings were great for the paranoia and fear both in the house that step-cousin Juliana owns, the village in Rending and the coast. The isolation and loneliness lends itself to imaginings and suspicions.
The characters gave the story the gloom needed for the dark undertones of addiction and fear. Juliana is very demanding and lets lose information that colours Maud's memories of her father. She is always undermining Maud, making her unsure. Servant Edie hates both Juliana and Maud and her actions cause conflict on several levels. Jonas who works at the butchers made my skin crawl! I had a lot of compassion for Sly and thought Maud did him an injustice in her reactions.
John brings light into the story but there's also the secrecy around their relationship and his disappearance.
I felt Maud's paranoia and became just as confused as she was. Even though there were times when she rebelled and I thought she would leave, everything returned to 'normal' too quickly afterwards. I wanted her to have more self-respect. I don't think she grew enough through the story and was quite disappointed in her character.
The story does move really slowly. The pace does contribute to the otherworldly feel to the plot but I did find myself bored at times and wanting to move the story along.
I'm not sure The Devil in the Corner would keep the attention of a YA reader but I have enjoyed reading it in the lead up to Samhain/Halloween.
I would like to thank the publishers for auto-approval on Netgalley.
Narrated by both Maud and John, the story takes us through a growing surreal time that is dark and tense.
There were lots of things I liked about this YA story.
The settings were great for the paranoia and fear both in the house that step-cousin Juliana owns, the village in Rending and the coast. The isolation and loneliness lends itself to imaginings and suspicions.
The characters gave the story the gloom needed for the dark undertones of addiction and fear. Juliana is very demanding and lets lose information that colours Maud's memories of her father. She is always undermining Maud, making her unsure. Servant Edie hates both Juliana and Maud and her actions cause conflict on several levels. Jonas who works at the butchers made my skin crawl! I had a lot of compassion for Sly and thought Maud did him an injustice in her reactions.
John brings light into the story but there's also the secrecy around their relationship and his disappearance.
I felt Maud's paranoia and became just as confused as she was. Even though there were times when she rebelled and I thought she would leave, everything returned to 'normal' too quickly afterwards. I wanted her to have more self-respect. I don't think she grew enough through the story and was quite disappointed in her character.
The story does move really slowly. The pace does contribute to the otherworldly feel to the plot but I did find myself bored at times and wanting to move the story along.
I'm not sure The Devil in the Corner would keep the attention of a YA reader but I have enjoyed reading it in the lead up to Samhain/Halloween.
I would like to thank the publishers for auto-approval on Netgalley.
March 9, 2014
After two years and three houses of being a failed governess, Maud is feeling hopeless. Orphaned, with no family or support, she is on the verge of giving up when she hears from her uncle's step-daughter, Juliana Greenwood, offering her a home. Her only family left, Maud goes, hoping to find love as well as a stable home. But of course, this is a typical Victorian Gothic, which I love, so nothing is as it seems and none of it goes right.
I felt so sorry for Maud but was never really sure if I could trust her. She had some serious issues; I strongly believe she sleepwalked, which was not helping the superstitious rumours, as well as being addicted to laudanum and having a horrible time at her previous houses, I'm not all that surprised that she was a bit weird. As for her cousin, oh did Juliana annoyed me. She was spoiled, petty, immature considering she was middle-aged and ill, not to mention careful with her praise, even when Maud truly deserves it. Although it was obvious that Maud really wanted to love her and for Juliana to reciprocate, I think even Maud had her limits and if not for her Victorian ideals, would have acted out.
Now for the love interest. Written with alternate perspectives, we got inside John's head and saw Maud through his eyes, completely smitten with her as he was, even as she confused him. Tasked with repairing the church's painting, John was not the typical brooding artist; he was considerate and sweet, pretty clueless with women but a good guy.
The story itself was not as fast-paced or scary as I thought it would be. Not that I'm complaining; in the end, I really liked the pacing and the storyline, just different to what I expected. As Maud tries to understand what is happening in her new small town, starting with vicious rumours and ending with various deaths, she succumbs to the superstitious towns people and the will of Juliana. Elliott wrote a very good portrayal of Victorian mannerisms and traditions, all the little details adding up to one incredibly gripping story.
I felt so sorry for Maud but was never really sure if I could trust her. She had some serious issues; I strongly believe she sleepwalked, which was not helping the superstitious rumours, as well as being addicted to laudanum and having a horrible time at her previous houses, I'm not all that surprised that she was a bit weird. As for her cousin, oh did Juliana annoyed me. She was spoiled, petty, immature considering she was middle-aged and ill, not to mention careful with her praise, even when Maud truly deserves it. Although it was obvious that Maud really wanted to love her and for Juliana to reciprocate, I think even Maud had her limits and if not for her Victorian ideals, would have acted out.
Now for the love interest. Written with alternate perspectives, we got inside John's head and saw Maud through his eyes, completely smitten with her as he was, even as she confused him. Tasked with repairing the church's painting, John was not the typical brooding artist; he was considerate and sweet, pretty clueless with women but a good guy.
The story itself was not as fast-paced or scary as I thought it would be. Not that I'm complaining; in the end, I really liked the pacing and the storyline, just different to what I expected. As Maud tries to understand what is happening in her new small town, starting with vicious rumours and ending with various deaths, she succumbs to the superstitious towns people and the will of Juliana. Elliott wrote a very good portrayal of Victorian mannerisms and traditions, all the little details adding up to one incredibly gripping story.
May 8, 2014
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book centers around a young woman named Maud, recently orphaned by the death of her father she has had to take up work as a governess but has never been able to hold any of the jobs for long. Then one day she is invited to stay with a cousin she didn't know she had but when she arrives she finds that living with her cousin, Juliana, isn't as idealistic as she had pictured. Juliana continuously thwarts Mauds attempts at friendship with the staff and townspeople, isolated her more than ever. Her only solace is in a young painter from London come to restore the ancient Doom in the local chapel. But when tragedy strikes she finds herself friendless and alone in facing murder charges.
This was probably more a 3.5 for me than a straight up 3 stars and it definitely wasn't a book that made you think about things critically it was a fun and thrilling read that I couldn't put down at the time (I managed to read it in one sitting) and can still remember clearly enough to write this review two months later. I did find some of the parts predictable but the romance was quite cute and not as insta-lovey as I expected. One thing I didn't understand right away was Maud's laudanum addiction, at first I didn't see how it fit into the story but by the end of the book I found myself going 'ooohhh' and it all fit together. I did wish, however, that we got more of John's POV after he leaves for London once more. It just seemed odd that we were getting dual POV throughout the whole first half and then after he leaves it's like he falls off the face of the earth, up until her finds out about the goings on in the village and heads back. I also felt that the ending was kind of rushed but I was glad about Maud's outcome. So, overall, it was good and definitely had that Gothic feel to it at times and I'd recommend it to fans of historical fiction or the Bronte sisters. Also, I'd probably purchase it but I would probably buy it in ebook form or in paperback, I just wasn't blown away enough to get it in hardback.
This book centers around a young woman named Maud, recently orphaned by the death of her father she has had to take up work as a governess but has never been able to hold any of the jobs for long. Then one day she is invited to stay with a cousin she didn't know she had but when she arrives she finds that living with her cousin, Juliana, isn't as idealistic as she had pictured. Juliana continuously thwarts Mauds attempts at friendship with the staff and townspeople, isolated her more than ever. Her only solace is in a young painter from London come to restore the ancient Doom in the local chapel. But when tragedy strikes she finds herself friendless and alone in facing murder charges.
This was probably more a 3.5 for me than a straight up 3 stars and it definitely wasn't a book that made you think about things critically it was a fun and thrilling read that I couldn't put down at the time (I managed to read it in one sitting) and can still remember clearly enough to write this review two months later. I did find some of the parts predictable but the romance was quite cute and not as insta-lovey as I expected. One thing I didn't understand right away was Maud's laudanum addiction, at first I didn't see how it fit into the story but by the end of the book I found myself going 'ooohhh' and it all fit together. I did wish, however, that we got more of John's POV after he leaves for London once more. It just seemed odd that we were getting dual POV throughout the whole first half and then after he leaves it's like he falls off the face of the earth, up until her finds out about the goings on in the village and heads back. I also felt that the ending was kind of rushed but I was glad about Maud's outcome. So, overall, it was good and definitely had that Gothic feel to it at times and I'd recommend it to fans of historical fiction or the Bronte sisters. Also, I'd probably purchase it but I would probably buy it in ebook form or in paperback, I just wasn't blown away enough to get it in hardback.
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