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Light Beneath Ferns
I have this strange sense that my silence is preparing me for something I can't name . . . Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have "normal" lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic boy who draws Elizah into his dreamlike and mysterious world. Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel—and discover an unimaginable secret.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
1617 people want to read
About the author
Anne Spollen
3 books51 followersI was born in Staten Island, New York and grew up by the Atlantic Ocean. In the first grade, I turned over a book and saw that a human had created it. I asked my teacher how people got to write books. She said, "They read all the time." I took this very, very seriously.
I went away to New Paltz College and after graduating, I got a teaching job there and stayed. Teaching adverbial clauses and meeting with state auditors to discuss literacy scores was soul crushing so when my first son was born, I stayed home and returned to writing poetry while he napped. I eventually wrote faster (he napped less and soon had a new brother) and began writing short stories. Even better, editors began buying them. Eventually, my first novel, The Shape of Water, was published.
Right after that, I moved from New Paltz, back to a town near the Atlantic Ocean, but south of Staten Island. In February, 2010, my second novel, "Light Beneath Ferns," will be released. They are both young adult.
I finished a third that is still in the nether world, and I am working on a fourth. In the meantime, I teach English and Spanish part time and stalk my two teenage boys while raising their younger sister.
I went away to New Paltz College and after graduating, I got a teaching job there and stayed. Teaching adverbial clauses and meeting with state auditors to discuss literacy scores was soul crushing so when my first son was born, I stayed home and returned to writing poetry while he napped. I eventually wrote faster (he napped less and soon had a new brother) and began writing short stories. Even better, editors began buying them. Eventually, my first novel, The Shape of Water, was published.
Right after that, I moved from New Paltz, back to a town near the Atlantic Ocean, but south of Staten Island. In February, 2010, my second novel, "Light Beneath Ferns," will be released. They are both young adult.
I finished a third that is still in the nether world, and I am working on a fourth. In the meantime, I teach English and Spanish part time and stalk my two teenage boys while raising their younger sister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 19, 2010
Elizah has family issues as everyone does growing up. However Elizah turned a crazy life into a negative personality. I personally understood her and why she seemed bitter in life. Alot of people don't know how to deal with their emotions so they turn to sarcasm and snardy comments. Elizah was creepy and wonderously strange. I loved how the book started No expectations. The book is what it is. No more no less. So many people read so much into why this happened or why this didn't happen. They forget to just enjoy what the author wrote. This is definitely a great summer read. Quick and easy. I think I read it under 4 hours.
November 23, 2014
This is a ghost story. An awesome, awesome ghost story. I can't really say what it is that I loved about this book so much. Maybe because it was a ghost story unlike anything I've ever read. It wasn't scary but at the same time it was kind of creepy. They're not ghosts that haunt and torment but remind and maybe love. It was just so unique that I honestly want to read it again just to soak it in even more.
Elizah is a loner by nature, which some people just can't grasp the concept of. People think that because someone actually chooses to not want to interact with people that there's something inherently wrong with them. The guidance counselor that Elizah goes to feels this is the case and not only she but Elizah's mother forces social interaction on her in a gross attempt to make her "normal." I can kind of relate to Elizah simply because I'm a loner myself. Not quite to the extent she is but I am looked at oddly by some people because I choose not to go out and socialize. Not to say I don't have friends; I'm just horrendously picky of the company I keep and bar hopping every weekend is not only a waste of my money, it's just not my scene. I have better things to do. Like talk to the voices in my head.
My favorite aspect of the story was the imagery of Nathaniel's village. Just the way it was described your mind couldn't really picture it without it being coated in a cold mist, as if looking through an early morning lens. You could see what it looked like but at the same time it was never really clear. You knew it looked like that colonial reproduction village just down stream but it fades in and out of the shadows as the sun casts them through the trees. Or doesn't. It was just so gripping and ethereal, tangible and intangible at the same time. I wanted to go there and see it for myself and just hoped I'd be able to get back. It leaves you (or you leave it) with a sense that just maybe if you took the wrong turn, you might not make it back. It's not scary but it is unsettling.
The adults in this book irk the crap out of me. I kind of half understand the mother's situation because she was married to a degenerate gambler for so long that was so afraid of people coming after him for money that he forced his family into solitude. I get that. But at the end of the day she was really self-involved and didn't so much care about how Elizah felt but more how people would view her because of Elizah's "abnormal" actions. She really wasn't a likable character and I'm not sure if she was supposed to be. She's damaged, yes, but I was in Elizah's head with her in every conversation she had with her mother going, "yeah, it's all about you, isn't it?" I felt it. I don't think you even needed to be an objective third party to know that.
The rest of the adults were kind of stock characters, cookie-cutter cut-outs that were way too into normal. But maybe that was the point. Maybe this overwhelming sense of suburbanite normalcy that ran throughout the book was a means to overcompensate for what they previously lived through. Sure, Dirk was too into playing the father-figure role and took it on way too quickly, but maybe that was the point. He's normal. Elizah's mother wanted normal and fast. I guess it fits.
I loved how Elizah's father was often compared to the actions of a ghost, flitting in and out of someone's life, neither there or not. A presence more than anything tangible. It described him perfectly; except for how much of a creep he really was. Big creep.
Nathaniel is the best part. It's pretty obvious from the beginning just what he is, and it's pretty easy to make the connections once the character start talking about local legends and Indian lore but I don't think it was meant to be subtle. But what was was Elizah's and Nathaniel's inherent connection to each other. That was subtle and I really liked how in the background it was kept. The notion of past lives was barely even scratched but it was there enough to make you question what was going on in that entire situation. It left a whole different, and separate, story lingering at the end that you wished was filled in but you're left to use just your imagination.
It's a sad love story and a sad friendship story really. The only people Elizah connects with are those in the cemetery and really, being a loner isn't all it's cracked up to be. But somehow the entire situation is settling for her. She accepts it for what it is and while she wants to ask more of it, she doesn't because she knows she won't get it.
It's a story about a loner that isn't as much of a loner as she thought she was. It's a ghost story and a love story. A story of loss and healing. But really, it's just a great story.
Elizah is a loner by nature, which some people just can't grasp the concept of. People think that because someone actually chooses to not want to interact with people that there's something inherently wrong with them. The guidance counselor that Elizah goes to feels this is the case and not only she but Elizah's mother forces social interaction on her in a gross attempt to make her "normal." I can kind of relate to Elizah simply because I'm a loner myself. Not quite to the extent she is but I am looked at oddly by some people because I choose not to go out and socialize. Not to say I don't have friends; I'm just horrendously picky of the company I keep and bar hopping every weekend is not only a waste of my money, it's just not my scene. I have better things to do. Like talk to the voices in my head.
My favorite aspect of the story was the imagery of Nathaniel's village. Just the way it was described your mind couldn't really picture it without it being coated in a cold mist, as if looking through an early morning lens. You could see what it looked like but at the same time it was never really clear. You knew it looked like that colonial reproduction village just down stream but it fades in and out of the shadows as the sun casts them through the trees. Or doesn't. It was just so gripping and ethereal, tangible and intangible at the same time. I wanted to go there and see it for myself and just hoped I'd be able to get back. It leaves you (or you leave it) with a sense that just maybe if you took the wrong turn, you might not make it back. It's not scary but it is unsettling.
The adults in this book irk the crap out of me. I kind of half understand the mother's situation because she was married to a degenerate gambler for so long that was so afraid of people coming after him for money that he forced his family into solitude. I get that. But at the end of the day she was really self-involved and didn't so much care about how Elizah felt but more how people would view her because of Elizah's "abnormal" actions. She really wasn't a likable character and I'm not sure if she was supposed to be. She's damaged, yes, but I was in Elizah's head with her in every conversation she had with her mother going, "yeah, it's all about you, isn't it?" I felt it. I don't think you even needed to be an objective third party to know that.
The rest of the adults were kind of stock characters, cookie-cutter cut-outs that were way too into normal. But maybe that was the point. Maybe this overwhelming sense of suburbanite normalcy that ran throughout the book was a means to overcompensate for what they previously lived through. Sure, Dirk was too into playing the father-figure role and took it on way too quickly, but maybe that was the point. He's normal. Elizah's mother wanted normal and fast. I guess it fits.
I loved how Elizah's father was often compared to the actions of a ghost, flitting in and out of someone's life, neither there or not. A presence more than anything tangible. It described him perfectly; except for how much of a creep he really was. Big creep.
Nathaniel is the best part. It's pretty obvious from the beginning just what he is, and it's pretty easy to make the connections once the character start talking about local legends and Indian lore but I don't think it was meant to be subtle. But what was was Elizah's and Nathaniel's inherent connection to each other. That was subtle and I really liked how in the background it was kept. The notion of past lives was barely even scratched but it was there enough to make you question what was going on in that entire situation. It left a whole different, and separate, story lingering at the end that you wished was filled in but you're left to use just your imagination.
It's a sad love story and a sad friendship story really. The only people Elizah connects with are those in the cemetery and really, being a loner isn't all it's cracked up to be. But somehow the entire situation is settling for her. She accepts it for what it is and while she wants to ask more of it, she doesn't because she knows she won't get it.
It's a story about a loner that isn't as much of a loner as she thought she was. It's a ghost story and a love story. A story of loss and healing. But really, it's just a great story.
February 23, 2010
Light Beneath Ferns was not at all what I expected. The summary didn't give anything about the book away so I was super surprised by the content. That being said, I'm not going to give away what it's about either. It made the book better for me. =]
Elizah Rayne is not happy about the move to Wenspaugh. She is especially not happy about the changes her mom is making. Elizah liked their quiet life when they were alone and now her mom is forcing her to make friends and go to parties. All Elizah wants to do is be alone and not be forced to talk. The only time she ever feels like talking is when she is with Nathaniel. When she is with Nathaniel, it's almost like she is a whole different person. The only problem is, Nathaniel is such a mysterious person and his secrets may change everything.
I'm a little torn with Light Beneath Ferns. I loved the story but not so much the characters. Elizah was only okay. I could sympathize with her because of my many moves but she was such a loner. I didn't feel like I ever got to know her so it took away from the book a bit. Also, her mother, Mrs.Daytner, Dirk, Kyle, all those people really got on my nerves. They never just let her do what she wanted. They wanted to pick her brain apart and analyze everything she did just because she was quiet and liked to be alone. It was outrageous.
I also had a problem with how Elizah acted with Nathaniel. He was a great guy, don't get my wrong, but from the very start she was super trusting of him and that's just stupidity in today's world. It was unbelievable that she just followed him wherever he led with barely any resistance. There were a few times when I thought she might be smart and turn back but she never did.
Overall, Light Beneath Ferns was unique and interesting but it had its flaws. It was a quick read and a good one. It was kind of creepy at some parts but not too bad. In my opinion, it's definitely worth checking out!
Elizah Rayne is not happy about the move to Wenspaugh. She is especially not happy about the changes her mom is making. Elizah liked their quiet life when they were alone and now her mom is forcing her to make friends and go to parties. All Elizah wants to do is be alone and not be forced to talk. The only time she ever feels like talking is when she is with Nathaniel. When she is with Nathaniel, it's almost like she is a whole different person. The only problem is, Nathaniel is such a mysterious person and his secrets may change everything.
I'm a little torn with Light Beneath Ferns. I loved the story but not so much the characters. Elizah was only okay. I could sympathize with her because of my many moves but she was such a loner. I didn't feel like I ever got to know her so it took away from the book a bit. Also, her mother, Mrs.Daytner, Dirk, Kyle, all those people really got on my nerves. They never just let her do what she wanted. They wanted to pick her brain apart and analyze everything she did just because she was quiet and liked to be alone. It was outrageous.
I also had a problem with how Elizah acted with Nathaniel. He was a great guy, don't get my wrong, but from the very start she was super trusting of him and that's just stupidity in today's world. It was unbelievable that she just followed him wherever he led with barely any resistance. There were a few times when I thought she might be smart and turn back but she never did.
Overall, Light Beneath Ferns was unique and interesting but it had its flaws. It was a quick read and a good one. It was kind of creepy at some parts but not too bad. In my opinion, it's definitely worth checking out!
January 12, 2011
This teen novel is part ghost story and part mystery.
The writing is quite poetic and full of arrestingly visual images. That is the best part of the novel. The plot proceeds at a leisurely pace, losing some tension in the process. Not so great when you are trying to write a ghostly mystery.
I think the major flaw here is a combination of characterization and plot development. The main character is portrayed as a very bright, very observant teen girl, yet the fact that she is obviously interacting with at ghost (Nathaniel) is screamingly obvious to the reader, and her inability to grasp that fact seems horribly obtuse and not at all in line with what we know of her character. I wanted to scream at her, “It’s a ghost, you dummy! What clues are you not getting? The fact that he rides in a boat that is a coffin? The fact that you visited his “village” which you cannot find later because it no longer exists? What!!!!”
The mother’s character is thinly realized. The intriguing subplot about the missing father who turns up unexpectedly and then vanishes again is not really explored enough.
So, Elizah’s obtuseness made this rather irritating to read, although I did love the language.
The writing is quite poetic and full of arrestingly visual images. That is the best part of the novel. The plot proceeds at a leisurely pace, losing some tension in the process. Not so great when you are trying to write a ghostly mystery.
I think the major flaw here is a combination of characterization and plot development. The main character is portrayed as a very bright, very observant teen girl, yet the fact that she is obviously interacting with at ghost (Nathaniel) is screamingly obvious to the reader, and her inability to grasp that fact seems horribly obtuse and not at all in line with what we know of her character. I wanted to scream at her, “It’s a ghost, you dummy! What clues are you not getting? The fact that he rides in a boat that is a coffin? The fact that you visited his “village” which you cannot find later because it no longer exists? What!!!!”
The mother’s character is thinly realized. The intriguing subplot about the missing father who turns up unexpectedly and then vanishes again is not really explored enough.
So, Elizah’s obtuseness made this rather irritating to read, although I did love the language.
May 17, 2010
Heavy topics, which weigh on your heart, and play games with your mind. Beautifully written, yet I still feel like I don't 100% "get" the story, it's one of those that, I know my mind will be "chewing" on for days and maybe even weeks to come. I will never look at the world and those little things we often "miss" if were not looking closely enough for them, again - or at the very least I will try harder not to. It's tough to say much about Light Beneath Ferns, but it's one that I am glad I did not miss out on...but it's also one that might be hard to recommend, not because it's not fascinating in many, MANY ways, but rather because it is, fascinating I mean. I almost, would only recommend this one to strong people, whom are open to things that are different and not quite normal. I give Light Beneath Ferns a 4 mushrooms, and will be adding Anne Spollen to my list of favorites, I can't wait to read more from her, her writing is hypnotic.
To read my full review...Light Beneath Ferns on Book Crazy.
To read my full review...Light Beneath Ferns on Book Crazy.
May 8, 2010
I think this is one of those books that would be really awesome if you were in the target age group, but is a little obvious if you are not.
Still, her writing style is appealing* and the story is a little creepy.
Elizah and her mom have just moved to a small New England town (her father is on the run after embezzling some money because of a gambling addiction). Elizah is antisocial (antisocial to the point of making me look like someone who loves to be around people--seriously, she hates people way, WAY more than I do) and is not having much fun in the new town.
One day, she finds a jawbone (did I mention that their new house is in a cemetery? It is) and shortly thereafter, a weird boy named Nathaniel appears. He talks strangely and tells her not to tell anyone about seeing him. Hmm. I wonder what Nathaniel's story is...
Anyway. While most people could probably figure out what's up with Nathaniel, I think most teens (maybe we'll say advanced 10-year-olds to maybe 13-year-olds) would really like this book.
And even though I called everything in this book (and I was right), I still kept reading.
* = Here's part of the first chapter to back me up.
"This story does not teach a lesson. It does not explain gravity or the pack rituals of wolves or how the sun will explode one day and leave us all inside a gray welt of ice and famine. It will not make you popular or get you invitations to parties, if you are after that sort of thing. If death and the dead make you afraid, you better just stop reading and go take a nap. If bones scare you, you cannot read this book. At all. Because, really, things started happening just a little after I found that bone.
You should also know that this story doesn't begin at the beginning. Really, nothing does. And don't believe people who tell you that's how the world works. My story goes sideways, like all stories. I pick the parts that I want to be the beginning, the middle and the end because nothing ever happens in order; we just pretend it does. Everything happens more like a rainstorm with wind and lightning and confusion happening at once, and none of it is divided into sections.
I am not going to tell you a lot about me in the beginning like other girl narrators because I am nothing like other girl narrators. If you were smart enough to find this book, and find me, you can figure out how I am without being told. But I will tell you what I am not.
I don't live on a prairie or in the American West or before, during, or after any war that you would find in a history book. I don't like flowers, or save small animals; I don't have whimiscal adventures that end neatly with a moral. I don't locate lost children. In fact, I'm not even fond of small children. I don't solve mysteries or fix what's broken. I don't scare easily, but I am not noble in the least. Usually, when stuff scares me, I avoid it. I also don't believe in courage. I think it is a radically misunderstood, applauded form of suicide. And I don't wish I lived anywhere else, even though we live on the edge of a graveyard."
Still, her writing style is appealing* and the story is a little creepy.
Elizah and her mom have just moved to a small New England town (her father is on the run after embezzling some money because of a gambling addiction). Elizah is antisocial (antisocial to the point of making me look like someone who loves to be around people--seriously, she hates people way, WAY more than I do) and is not having much fun in the new town.
One day, she finds a jawbone (did I mention that their new house is in a cemetery? It is) and shortly thereafter, a weird boy named Nathaniel appears. He talks strangely and tells her not to tell anyone about seeing him. Hmm. I wonder what Nathaniel's story is...
Anyway. While most people could probably figure out what's up with Nathaniel, I think most teens (maybe we'll say advanced 10-year-olds to maybe 13-year-olds) would really like this book.
And even though I called everything in this book (and I was right), I still kept reading.
* = Here's part of the first chapter to back me up.
"This story does not teach a lesson. It does not explain gravity or the pack rituals of wolves or how the sun will explode one day and leave us all inside a gray welt of ice and famine. It will not make you popular or get you invitations to parties, if you are after that sort of thing. If death and the dead make you afraid, you better just stop reading and go take a nap. If bones scare you, you cannot read this book. At all. Because, really, things started happening just a little after I found that bone.
You should also know that this story doesn't begin at the beginning. Really, nothing does. And don't believe people who tell you that's how the world works. My story goes sideways, like all stories. I pick the parts that I want to be the beginning, the middle and the end because nothing ever happens in order; we just pretend it does. Everything happens more like a rainstorm with wind and lightning and confusion happening at once, and none of it is divided into sections.
I am not going to tell you a lot about me in the beginning like other girl narrators because I am nothing like other girl narrators. If you were smart enough to find this book, and find me, you can figure out how I am without being told. But I will tell you what I am not.
I don't live on a prairie or in the American West or before, during, or after any war that you would find in a history book. I don't like flowers, or save small animals; I don't have whimiscal adventures that end neatly with a moral. I don't locate lost children. In fact, I'm not even fond of small children. I don't solve mysteries or fix what's broken. I don't scare easily, but I am not noble in the least. Usually, when stuff scares me, I avoid it. I also don't believe in courage. I think it is a radically misunderstood, applauded form of suicide. And I don't wish I lived anywhere else, even though we live on the edge of a graveyard."
October 15, 2010
I'm about halfway through Light Beneath Ferns, which follows the story of Elizah, who has just moved with her mother to a new town in the hopes of starting a new life. All the adults around Elizah seem convinced that she must be traumatized in some way due to the dissappearance of her father, after he was charged with theft due to his gambling problem. But Elizah is convinced that she's just fine. She doesn't want to form bonds with her classmates, and is surly with her mother (but in an unbelievably sweet way) and the guidance councilor she's sent to for weekly chats. But when she meets Nathaniel under a bridge while they're both canoeing, she finds someone she can open up to.
Many parts of this story are beautiful and vivid, and Elizah herself is an intriguing protagonist, but other areas are less compelling. The prose stumbles and feels stilted in places. The colloquialisms don't ring true, and in places, the narrator seems too old for a young 15. Although it's a slight book, the pacing in some areas was very slow, and sometimes a thrilling plot point, like Nathaniel taking Elizah to his home, were so difficult to follow that the reader is left wondering what the big deal is.
I'm not sure it succeeds as a ghost story -- many of the people Elizah must interact with are definitely creepy... but those are the living. The dead seem mostly sweet and sad... nothing to be afraid of.
Excellent descriptive prose segments -- like when we are treated to beautiful descriptions of bird bones and the jewelry Eliza makes of them, and her drawings of the jawbone -- are sadly too few and far between.
Many parts of this story are beautiful and vivid, and Elizah herself is an intriguing protagonist, but other areas are less compelling. The prose stumbles and feels stilted in places. The colloquialisms don't ring true, and in places, the narrator seems too old for a young 15. Although it's a slight book, the pacing in some areas was very slow, and sometimes a thrilling plot point, like Nathaniel taking Elizah to his home, were so difficult to follow that the reader is left wondering what the big deal is.
I'm not sure it succeeds as a ghost story -- many of the people Elizah must interact with are definitely creepy... but those are the living. The dead seem mostly sweet and sad... nothing to be afraid of.
Excellent descriptive prose segments -- like when we are treated to beautiful descriptions of bird bones and the jewelry Eliza makes of them, and her drawings of the jawbone -- are sadly too few and far between.
February 28, 2015
This is my first ghost story and I had zero expectation with it, at all. But it's funny to think how me and the main character, Eliza, clicked that instant. I mean, she is totally a relatable character. I can see myself through her eyes. Like she's my girl version, in some way.
Everyone thinks Eliza is, I hate to put it this way, not "normal" just because she doesn't act stuff like what usually "normal" people do. She hates the company of others that she prefers to be alone and not talking to them at all and has this not so weird fascination with bones. Not that I'm a loner or have no friends but all her monologues and her being herself, and all the stuff she's trying to point out. The way she describes both her father and Nathaniel without trying to be too deep. They all made sense to me.
Reading the blurb, it's pretty obvious what and who Nathaniel is in Eliza's life. We know that the love interest would be with a ghost but it didn't distract me from liking them together. It worked out, I think. And all the secondary characters has depth in themm and well played but I felt sorry for Kyle, though.
The only part which I didn't come to like is when the story started with this long conversations that it felt like I'm reading a script in a play. But it didn't entirely affect my reading experience because the banter between Eliza and her mother throughout the story became more ejoyable. Though the conclusion is satisfying and not a cliffhanger it still left me wanting to see more. As in MORE NATHANIEL. If you love a good ghost story with a cool mc, this one is for you.
Everyone thinks Eliza is, I hate to put it this way, not "normal" just because she doesn't act stuff like what usually "normal" people do. She hates the company of others that she prefers to be alone and not talking to them at all and has this not so weird fascination with bones. Not that I'm a loner or have no friends but all her monologues and her being herself, and all the stuff she's trying to point out. The way she describes both her father and Nathaniel without trying to be too deep. They all made sense to me.
Reading the blurb, it's pretty obvious what and who Nathaniel is in Eliza's life. We know that the love interest would be with a ghost but it didn't distract me from liking them together. It worked out, I think. And all the secondary characters has depth in themm and well played but I felt sorry for Kyle, though.
The only part which I didn't come to like is when the story started with this long conversations that it felt like I'm reading a script in a play. But it didn't entirely affect my reading experience because the banter between Eliza and her mother throughout the story became more ejoyable. Though the conclusion is satisfying and not a cliffhanger it still left me wanting to see more. As in MORE NATHANIEL. If you love a good ghost story with a cool mc, this one is for you.
September 26, 2012
Light Beneath Ferns ( Anne Spollen)
This book was about a fourteen year old named Elizah who was a very quiet girl. Basically, she likes it better to stay more to herself rather than to speak to other people about her feelings and concerns. Elizah and her mother lived in a graveyard for lack of money to get better housing or shelter. Also, her mother works as kind of the guard of the graveyard. Elizah has interests in mainly bones of birds and jum st bones of any type. SHe likes things that seem peculiar to others.
I really think Elizah's character and I was very interested in knowing what the thoughts are of people who tend to remain more quiet than others. Kowing that Elizah has the kind of character that does not tell everyone her true feelings, I was indeed very interested in knowing what she would do.
I really liked the mystery of the pendant that the ghost boy had given her. It was really a big symbol to me. Also, the finding of the bone was also foreshadowing something. Although I could not tell this by any of the evidence, I could just tell that the fact that she found the bone would lead to her discovering something much greater or scarier.
This book was my favorite book EVER!!! I probably did a bad job describing and telling how much I love it but I guess you will have to read it for yourself to find out just how exciting it is.
This book was about a fourteen year old named Elizah who was a very quiet girl. Basically, she likes it better to stay more to herself rather than to speak to other people about her feelings and concerns. Elizah and her mother lived in a graveyard for lack of money to get better housing or shelter. Also, her mother works as kind of the guard of the graveyard. Elizah has interests in mainly bones of birds and jum st bones of any type. SHe likes things that seem peculiar to others.
I really think Elizah's character and I was very interested in knowing what the thoughts are of people who tend to remain more quiet than others. Kowing that Elizah has the kind of character that does not tell everyone her true feelings, I was indeed very interested in knowing what she would do.
I really liked the mystery of the pendant that the ghost boy had given her. It was really a big symbol to me. Also, the finding of the bone was also foreshadowing something. Although I could not tell this by any of the evidence, I could just tell that the fact that she found the bone would lead to her discovering something much greater or scarier.
This book was my favorite book EVER!!! I probably did a bad job describing and telling how much I love it but I guess you will have to read it for yourself to find out just how exciting it is.
March 1, 2015
I came across this book at my school's local library drive 5 years ago and was immediately hooked! After reading this, and fast forward 4 years, I had forgotten the title of the book but had remembered most of the story and Googled it.
I then purchased this book online and I do not regret it! This book is wonderful with its mystery and prose. One of the best books I've read. Elizah really is an interesting protagonist with her strangeness, which furthermore make her more unique.
As the book progresses, you really see the world through Elizah's eyes, and it's truly mesmerizing. The world Anne Spollen creates is both haunting and unique. Enough to keep you returning to it... for perhaps a lifetime.
I then purchased this book online and I do not regret it! This book is wonderful with its mystery and prose. One of the best books I've read. Elizah really is an interesting protagonist with her strangeness, which furthermore make her more unique.
As the book progresses, you really see the world through Elizah's eyes, and it's truly mesmerizing. The world Anne Spollen creates is both haunting and unique. Enough to keep you returning to it... for perhaps a lifetime.
June 1, 2020
You could always find something new when re-reading a novel. In my case, questioning why I loved this novel so much in the past.
Basically, I love the theme, how the story flows, how it wraps up. But, it wasn't enough. The book was too short for an appealing story!! Why can't just add more details about Nathaniel's story. Oh, and everything goes so fast. I kind of didn't get the romance between Nathaniel and Elizah. One time they kissed, another Elizah kept wondering about Nathaniel.
It was my favorite novel when I was 13/14, idk. I remember crying after reading this novel. Now, I'm 20. I just don't get it lol.
Basically, I love the theme, how the story flows, how it wraps up. But, it wasn't enough. The book was too short for an appealing story!! Why can't just add more details about Nathaniel's story. Oh, and everything goes so fast. I kind of didn't get the romance between Nathaniel and Elizah. One time they kissed, another Elizah kept wondering about Nathaniel.
It was my favorite novel when I was 13/14, idk. I remember crying after reading this novel. Now, I'm 20. I just don't get it lol.
July 2, 2016
I really enjoyed this mystery/ghost story. I love the main character Elizah because she was different and saw things from a different perspective then others around her. I'm not sure if it was because of the issues she had with her parents or if her personality was naturally like that. I saw a lot of traits in her that I could relate to. I like the plot and twist in the stories and being able to see the different sides of all the characters. This book was well written for being such a short story. I will definitely read more from this writer.
March 15, 2010
This was an amazing read! I won this book and I'm so glad I did. I think its a young person's read - middle school to high school but its a book that will weave its spell around everyone!
I received this book free in a giveaway and I'm so glad of this introduction to Anne Spollen's work.
I received this book free in a giveaway and I'm so glad of this introduction to Anne Spollen's work.
November 5, 2015
This is a girl meets ghost-boy kinda romance. Not great, though it had potential. I thought the main character came across as both bratty and passive (not a great combination) and the story rather faded away. Also, it takes place in fall and early winter, so what's up with the titular ferns?
September 20, 2010
A great ghost story!
May 25, 2011
Terrific book. read it in 2 hours.
May 6, 2019
it was....okay. just okay. i thought the prose was beautiful, but even that was put off by how annoying of a character Elizah “I’m Not Like Other Girls” was. i think Spollen’s attempt to write with the voice of a teen girl was definitely a miss. the mood of the story was interesting enough, but the interactions with Nathaniel left much to be desired. i wouldn’t call this story “unique,” just very....”eehhh?” “different?” the slenderness of this book was initially attractive to me but i felt it would have been better if it was longer, if the story and characters were more fleshed out, of the spookiness was....spookier? in any case, Spollen does have a voice for the creeps and I hope she writes again to expand her creepiness. over all, an okay reread from a book i read in high school, but just like my first read through, this book is nothing spectacular or worth keeping.
August 12, 2019
Light Beneath Ferns was a magical read. I loved a lot about this book. The setting and description was lovely and made imaging the river and cemetery fun. Elizah's witty personality made everything more entertaining, and her angst fit the situation she's in. I can't blame her for being a little snarky when she's dealing with Daytime, and her mother (plus Kyle). Her father doesn't make her situation any easier either. Nathaniel was a trip, and the book really came to life when him and Elizah were together, their strangeness well matched. The ending made me smile and tear a bit too, but it wrapped up perfectly.
The cover is what really drew me in, and I'm so glad I picked it off the shelf. I would definitely recommend!
The cover is what really drew me in, and I'm so glad I picked it off the shelf. I would definitely recommend!
Read
April 27, 2020It's been 10+ years that I've been trying to look for this long lost book. I couldn't remember the name or anything about it other than the main plot of the story. Finally! I found the title! This book has captivated me for so long, and it's still one of my favorites. It's written in such a way that felt so weird.. eerie? In a good way.
July 15, 2018
I’m not certain what to say about this. While Elizah was an interesting main character and the writing good, the story fell flat. It just wasn’t that interesting.
March 26, 2022
It was an interesting read for sure. I had a hard time following some of it but overall not a bad book.
January 6, 2012
The paranormal world is one of ups and downs…For example, you can read 6 or 7 fantastic books in a row and then BLAH you run into a swamp. You would think that over the years my love of reading and my somewhat educated mind would learn that anticipation is a horrendous habit, yet there I was 12:30am Monday morning, hopped up on caffeine and waiting not so patiently for the Kindle faeries to bring me a prize.
“Light Beneath Ferns” was supposed to be a smash, I didn’t just decide this for myself, it has been splashed across the literary world for a few months now making several (including mine) lists of what to read in 2010. So as I sat on the edge of my bed, freezing my ass off cause my husband steals the covers, I opened the well worn cover on my Kindle and began to read.
The first chapter was brilliant. Spouting warnings like…”If death and the dead make you afraid, you better just stop reading and go take a nap.” and I loved the heroin of the book, she was brooding, witty, sarcastic and an overall pain in the ass (kinda like me) but as for the remainder of the book? Yes, thanks….I think I’ll go take that nap you suggested.
The concept of this book was captivating…very quiet girl who would rather spend time with bones than live people moves to town and meets mysterious disappearing boy. Great right? Just reading that sentence alone could spin a million different scenarios into your head, unfortunately…the book spent more time focusing on the emotional instability of Elizah and her screwed up family than it actually did with the “supposedly” scary scenarios.
Elizah likes to be alone, to her, talking is unnecessary and “fitting in” is the last thing on her list. After her father gambles all of the family’s money away and then jumps trial, Elizah and her equally as quirky mother hoof it out of town only to turn around and take up residence in a old house that borders a cemetery. Elizah, wanting nothing more than a little peace and quiet wanders the property eventually running across a human jaw bone. With bones on her mind and a mother on her back Elizah set out to find the truth, but instead finds Nathaniel, a boy that speaks like a fortune cookie and dresses like a pauper.
After the first chapter the plot becomes a tangled mess of witty but sloppy writing. All the questions are… in the end answered, (some very abstractly) but with the book being so short (it took me only a few hours to read it) there was hardly time for proper character developement leaving me with a somewhat distant or lost feeling. “Spollen’s” YA moments were lacking the push/pull that is necessary to keep an audience enthralled and the so called “scary” was almost completely non-existent. What was supposed to be a bright shining mark in this years literary catalog was nothing more than a mild jog through the woods with an overbearing guidance counselor and paragraphs of sloppy descriptives.
My suggestion? Save your money…if you require substance in your reads than this book is just to short to make any sort of lasting impression.
Happy reading my fellow Outcast and remember: if you find a random human bone in the ground just leave it there… picking it up and turning it into your pet is just plain weird.
“Light Beneath Ferns” was supposed to be a smash, I didn’t just decide this for myself, it has been splashed across the literary world for a few months now making several (including mine) lists of what to read in 2010. So as I sat on the edge of my bed, freezing my ass off cause my husband steals the covers, I opened the well worn cover on my Kindle and began to read.
The first chapter was brilliant. Spouting warnings like…”If death and the dead make you afraid, you better just stop reading and go take a nap.” and I loved the heroin of the book, she was brooding, witty, sarcastic and an overall pain in the ass (kinda like me) but as for the remainder of the book? Yes, thanks….I think I’ll go take that nap you suggested.
The concept of this book was captivating…very quiet girl who would rather spend time with bones than live people moves to town and meets mysterious disappearing boy. Great right? Just reading that sentence alone could spin a million different scenarios into your head, unfortunately…the book spent more time focusing on the emotional instability of Elizah and her screwed up family than it actually did with the “supposedly” scary scenarios.
Elizah likes to be alone, to her, talking is unnecessary and “fitting in” is the last thing on her list. After her father gambles all of the family’s money away and then jumps trial, Elizah and her equally as quirky mother hoof it out of town only to turn around and take up residence in a old house that borders a cemetery. Elizah, wanting nothing more than a little peace and quiet wanders the property eventually running across a human jaw bone. With bones on her mind and a mother on her back Elizah set out to find the truth, but instead finds Nathaniel, a boy that speaks like a fortune cookie and dresses like a pauper.
After the first chapter the plot becomes a tangled mess of witty but sloppy writing. All the questions are… in the end answered, (some very abstractly) but with the book being so short (it took me only a few hours to read it) there was hardly time for proper character developement leaving me with a somewhat distant or lost feeling. “Spollen’s” YA moments were lacking the push/pull that is necessary to keep an audience enthralled and the so called “scary” was almost completely non-existent. What was supposed to be a bright shining mark in this years literary catalog was nothing more than a mild jog through the woods with an overbearing guidance counselor and paragraphs of sloppy descriptives.
My suggestion? Save your money…if you require substance in your reads than this book is just to short to make any sort of lasting impression.
Happy reading my fellow Outcast and remember: if you find a random human bone in the ground just leave it there… picking it up and turning it into your pet is just plain weird.
January 25, 2013
Finally, finished reading this book. I'm so relieved when I had finished it. Lega banget rasanya setelah membalik halaman terakhir. Padahal buku ini tipis, coba kalau tebal? Tapi mungkin juga justru karena bukunya tipis ceritanya jadi kurang tergali. Selesai membaca cuma bisa bilang, "gini doank? terus?" Sebenarnya ide ceritanya cukup menarik, tentang legenda suku Indian Lenape yang diselipkan unsur Kristen di dalamnya.
Elizah pindah ke Wenspaugh, kota kelahiran Ibunya berdua dengan Ibunya setelah ayahnya meninggalkan mereka dengan meninggalkan setumpuk hutang akibat berjudi. Ibunya Elizah bekerja sebagai penjaga pemakaman di situ. Suatu hari Elizah menemukan sepotong tulang yang ternyata tulang rahang manusia. Elizah yang pada dasarnya memang menggemari tulang belulang (oh, please...) menyimpan tulang tersebut. Menurut legenda di Wenspaugh, orang yang telah mati apabila sewaktu dikuburkan masih ada sebagian tulang dari anggota tubuhnya yang tidak ikut terkubur, maka dia tidak akan bisa meneruskan perjalanannya ke alam sana. Dia akan mencari anggota tubuhnya dan mendatangi orang yang menemukan tulang dari anggota tubuhnya tersebut.
Tidak berapa lama setelah menemukan tulang, Elizah lalu didatangi seorang cowok tampan bernama Nathaniel. Tapi Nathaniel berpakaian tidak seperti anak remaja biasanya dan bertingkah sangat misterius dan aneh. Elizah secara kilat jatuh cinta dengan Nathaniel (no kidding, beneran cepet banget *sigh*),tapi Nathaniel selalu datang dengan tidak diduga dan selalu menghilang. Elizah juga diajak ke desa Nathaniel dengan syarat tidak boleh berbicara selama di sana. Nathaniel sentuhannya sangat dingin dan seperti tidak bernafas dan bayangannya di kaca aneh banget(dan sampai di sini si Elizah gak curiga juga kalo si Nathaniel itu bukan manusia? puhlissss....Even Bella langsung sadar kalo Edward bukan manusia, padahal petunjuknya gak sebanyak ini *mendesah keras*).
Nathaniel selalu mengingatkan kalau Elizah mempunyai sesuatu yang harus diambil oleh Nathaniel, sesuatu yang ditemukan di pemakaman. Dan Elizah tetap nggak ngerti juga, duh!!
Well, pokonya dgn cm beberapa kali ketemu Elizah jatuh cinta berat. Tapi setelah tulang dikembalikan ke Nathaniel, akhirnya Nathaniel menghilang. Karena ternyata itu tulang rahang ayahnya Nathaniel yang mati karena secara tidak sengaja menembak dirinya sendiri. Setelah itu Nathaniel tidak pernah muncul lagi. That's it. Tamat.
Dari ide cerita menarik banget, makanya begitu baca sinopsisnya langsung beli bukunya. Tp pengembangan ceritanya kurang tergali dan agak terlalu cepat sehingga kesannya sambil lalu. Lalu Elizah sendiri, sebagai lead character sangat sulit untuk disukai. I love a lead chara with sharp tongue, but not rude. Elizah bisa dibilang rude. Terhadap orang tuanya, gurunya maupun teman2nya yang mencoba berteman dengannya. Dan antara Elizah dan Nathaniel juga tidak ada chemistry-nya, malah kesannya Nathaniel cuma sekedar tempelan, sambil lalu.
Well, intinya I'm not a big fan of this book. Dua bintang sudah cukup. Itu juga karena ide ceritanya yang lumayan menarik.
Elizah pindah ke Wenspaugh, kota kelahiran Ibunya berdua dengan Ibunya setelah ayahnya meninggalkan mereka dengan meninggalkan setumpuk hutang akibat berjudi. Ibunya Elizah bekerja sebagai penjaga pemakaman di situ. Suatu hari Elizah menemukan sepotong tulang yang ternyata tulang rahang manusia. Elizah yang pada dasarnya memang menggemari tulang belulang (oh, please...) menyimpan tulang tersebut. Menurut legenda di Wenspaugh, orang yang telah mati apabila sewaktu dikuburkan masih ada sebagian tulang dari anggota tubuhnya yang tidak ikut terkubur, maka dia tidak akan bisa meneruskan perjalanannya ke alam sana. Dia akan mencari anggota tubuhnya dan mendatangi orang yang menemukan tulang dari anggota tubuhnya tersebut.
Tidak berapa lama setelah menemukan tulang, Elizah lalu didatangi seorang cowok tampan bernama Nathaniel. Tapi Nathaniel berpakaian tidak seperti anak remaja biasanya dan bertingkah sangat misterius dan aneh. Elizah secara kilat jatuh cinta dengan Nathaniel (no kidding, beneran cepet banget *sigh*),tapi Nathaniel selalu datang dengan tidak diduga dan selalu menghilang. Elizah juga diajak ke desa Nathaniel dengan syarat tidak boleh berbicara selama di sana. Nathaniel sentuhannya sangat dingin dan seperti tidak bernafas dan bayangannya di kaca aneh banget(dan sampai di sini si Elizah gak curiga juga kalo si Nathaniel itu bukan manusia? puhlissss....Even Bella langsung sadar kalo Edward bukan manusia, padahal petunjuknya gak sebanyak ini *mendesah keras*).
Nathaniel selalu mengingatkan kalau Elizah mempunyai sesuatu yang harus diambil oleh Nathaniel, sesuatu yang ditemukan di pemakaman. Dan Elizah tetap nggak ngerti juga, duh!!
Well, pokonya dgn cm beberapa kali ketemu Elizah jatuh cinta berat. Tapi setelah tulang dikembalikan ke Nathaniel, akhirnya Nathaniel menghilang. Karena ternyata itu tulang rahang ayahnya Nathaniel yang mati karena secara tidak sengaja menembak dirinya sendiri. Setelah itu Nathaniel tidak pernah muncul lagi. That's it. Tamat.
Dari ide cerita menarik banget, makanya begitu baca sinopsisnya langsung beli bukunya. Tp pengembangan ceritanya kurang tergali dan agak terlalu cepat sehingga kesannya sambil lalu. Lalu Elizah sendiri, sebagai lead character sangat sulit untuk disukai. I love a lead chara with sharp tongue, but not rude. Elizah bisa dibilang rude. Terhadap orang tuanya, gurunya maupun teman2nya yang mencoba berteman dengannya. Dan antara Elizah dan Nathaniel juga tidak ada chemistry-nya, malah kesannya Nathaniel cuma sekedar tempelan, sambil lalu.
Well, intinya I'm not a big fan of this book. Dua bintang sudah cukup. Itu juga karena ide ceritanya yang lumayan menarik.
March 1, 2010
LIGHT BENEATH FERNS is a beautifully written book that will chill you to your bones. If you appreciate poetic language and want to be spooked, this book is the one for you.
The strongest part of this book is its language. Anne Spollen strings words and descriptive language together in chains that I would never have thought possible—until I read it from her. The dreamy language transports you into half-mystical Wenspaugh and sets you right in the middle of Elizah’s tiny high school, the graveyard, and the mysterious woods.
Elizah is not the protagonist for everyone. She’s cynical to the point of being a little depressing, sarcastic to the point of being rude, and seems to change very little throughout the course of the novel. While I love and admire snarky, well-written dialogue, the number of times that Elizah clashed verbally with other characters quickly grew tiring for me.
Elizah is essentially a strong and well-developed protagonist, and may not have developed throughout the novel, but I was still surprised at the inconsistency of her character when it came to her interactions with Nathaniel. Many times I felt that the story was trying to force Nathaniel and Elizah upon one another, eschewing typical relationship development and trying to make it out that they had a connection before they even met. As a result, the romance was disappointing to me, their interactions based upon sensation but little substance.
LIGHT BENEATH FERNS is a story that revolves, surprisingly, not around the strong, albeit unchanging, characters, but rather the creepy element. It’s an interesting mix of snarky dialogue, poetic language, and the paranormal. That unconventional combination of genre and stylistic techniques may be its selling point for some people. It could also be its downfall: many times I found myself struggling to fit the book’s many parts together into one cohesive whole. Check it out, and see what it is for you.
The strongest part of this book is its language. Anne Spollen strings words and descriptive language together in chains that I would never have thought possible—until I read it from her. The dreamy language transports you into half-mystical Wenspaugh and sets you right in the middle of Elizah’s tiny high school, the graveyard, and the mysterious woods.
Elizah is not the protagonist for everyone. She’s cynical to the point of being a little depressing, sarcastic to the point of being rude, and seems to change very little throughout the course of the novel. While I love and admire snarky, well-written dialogue, the number of times that Elizah clashed verbally with other characters quickly grew tiring for me.
Elizah is essentially a strong and well-developed protagonist, and may not have developed throughout the novel, but I was still surprised at the inconsistency of her character when it came to her interactions with Nathaniel. Many times I felt that the story was trying to force Nathaniel and Elizah upon one another, eschewing typical relationship development and trying to make it out that they had a connection before they even met. As a result, the romance was disappointing to me, their interactions based upon sensation but little substance.
LIGHT BENEATH FERNS is a story that revolves, surprisingly, not around the strong, albeit unchanging, characters, but rather the creepy element. It’s an interesting mix of snarky dialogue, poetic language, and the paranormal. That unconventional combination of genre and stylistic techniques may be its selling point for some people. It could also be its downfall: many times I found myself struggling to fit the book’s many parts together into one cohesive whole. Check it out, and see what it is for you.
November 4, 2013
Buku misteri paling menyebalkan yang pernah kubaca. Elizah berkepribadian sangat dangkal. Dibuku di jelaskan kalau Elizah sangat pendiam sehingga tidak banyak bicara namun kenyataannya dia sangat cerewet, very annoying and not so mature. Perilaku Elizah sedikit mengingatkanku pada Bella di Twilight yang hanya tahan kubaca beberapa bab saja.
Elizah hampir mirip Bella dibeberapa adegan saat dia mencoba untuk menghindari segala kontak fisik dengan orang lain terutama kepada teman-teman barunya di sekolah. Sungguh merutuku itu sangat konyol, walaupun dia punya alasan menggunakan sebab Ayahnya yang seorang kriminal tapi tetap saja Elizah ini kelihatan lebay. Apa lagi penggambaran sikap teman-teman barunya yang tetap saja nempel kepada Elizah padahal sudah jelas-jelas Elizah tidak menunjukkan sikap bersahabat pada mereka, sangat mengingatkanku dengan Bella Twilight.
Yang lebih parahnya lagi sikap annoying Elizah yang selalu mencibir setiap perkataan orang lain. Terutama pada ibunya dan guru pembimbingnya, Ella. Serius, paling nggak tahan sama yang gituan. Kalau Elizah Ada di dunia nyata, rasa-rasanya dia pengen kutampar.
Yang buat aku tahan baca sampai akhir hanya Nathaniel serta misteri yang disembunyikan cowok itu hingga lembar-lembar terakhir novel. Sebenernya sih udah ketahuan jelas siapa si Nathaniel ini dari bab-bab awal. Cuma mungkin si pengarang rada memaksakan diri membuat Elizah seolah-olahjadi cewek dungu tidak menyadari siapa sebenarnya si cowok misterius yang selalu di temuinya di dekat sungai.
Jadi dengan banyak sekali kritikan dan celaan yang kulontarkan tetang The Lost Bone. Aku kasih rating novel ini 1 dari 5 bintang. Cukup nyesel juga keluarin duit Rp 40.000,- kurang cepek untuk novel yang hanya buat sebel dari pada seneng ini. Mendingan kemaren tunggu sampai novel ini di obral di Gramedia fair.
Elizah hampir mirip Bella dibeberapa adegan saat dia mencoba untuk menghindari segala kontak fisik dengan orang lain terutama kepada teman-teman barunya di sekolah. Sungguh merutuku itu sangat konyol, walaupun dia punya alasan menggunakan sebab Ayahnya yang seorang kriminal tapi tetap saja Elizah ini kelihatan lebay. Apa lagi penggambaran sikap teman-teman barunya yang tetap saja nempel kepada Elizah padahal sudah jelas-jelas Elizah tidak menunjukkan sikap bersahabat pada mereka, sangat mengingatkanku dengan Bella Twilight.
Yang lebih parahnya lagi sikap annoying Elizah yang selalu mencibir setiap perkataan orang lain. Terutama pada ibunya dan guru pembimbingnya, Ella. Serius, paling nggak tahan sama yang gituan. Kalau Elizah Ada di dunia nyata, rasa-rasanya dia pengen kutampar.
Yang buat aku tahan baca sampai akhir hanya Nathaniel serta misteri yang disembunyikan cowok itu hingga lembar-lembar terakhir novel. Sebenernya sih udah ketahuan jelas siapa si Nathaniel ini dari bab-bab awal. Cuma mungkin si pengarang rada memaksakan diri membuat Elizah seolah-olah
Jadi dengan banyak sekali kritikan dan celaan yang kulontarkan tetang The Lost Bone. Aku kasih rating novel ini 1 dari 5 bintang. Cukup nyesel juga keluarin duit Rp 40.000,- kurang cepek untuk novel yang hanya buat sebel dari pada seneng ini. Mendingan kemaren tunggu sampai novel ini di obral di Gramedia fair.
December 18, 2012
Books “THE LOST BONE”
Judul Asli : LIGHT BENEATH FERNS
Copyright © 2010 by Anne Spollen
Penerbit Grantika Publishing
Alih Bahasa : Indriani
Editor : Indriani
Proofreader : Priska Ghania
Desain Sampul & Lay-out : Indriani
Cetakan I : November 2012 ; 504 hlm
Rate : 2 of 5
“Legenda Wenspaugh adalah perpaduan antara mitologi Indian Lenape dengan Legenda Appalachia, dengan sedikit unsur Kristen. Barangsiapa menemukan atau menyimpan tulang yang merupakan bagian tubuh manusia yang telah tiada, roh mereka akan kembali dalam wujud manusia untuk menuntut pengembalian miliknya.” [ p. 48 -50 ]
Elizah Rayne baru saja pindah bersama sang ibu di Pemakaman Desa Wenspaugh, bagian utara kota New York. Ia sangat pendiam dan asosial, hingga sang ibu meminta bantuan konseling sekolah di SMA baru yang dimasuki oleh Elizah. Meski demikian Elizah bukanlah gadis yang bodoh, hanya ia lebih suka memikirkan hal-hal lain daripada mengikuti pelajaran yang menurutnya tidak berguna. Atau kegiatan serta aktifitas sosial yang juga tak disenanginya. Sang pembimbing Ella Daytner atau lebih suka dipanggil Mrs. Daytime oleh Eliza, berusaha keras menembus pikiran gadis ini. Anehnya, kondisi Elizah yang seperti ini justru mengundang perhatian teman-teman sekelasnya, para gadis populer. Bahkan sang kapten basketball Kyle yang juga kemenakan Mrs. Daytner, menaruh perhatian khusus kepada dirinya. Ia juga mulaimemperoleh berbagai undangan ke pesta anak-anak populer, menjadi asisten guru Sains-nya Sarah Poulle.
more about this book, check on here :
http://my-mystery-readings.blogspot.c...
July 5, 2013
I immediately liked this book when I opened it and saw how the "first chapter" wasn't even really the first chapter, as it clearly states "not the first chapter." It's more like an introduction. One of my favorite parts is when the girl narrator says "Everything happens more like a rainstorm with wind and lightning and confusion all happening at once, and none of it is divided into sections. "
But as the book went on.. It didn't really live up to the expectations from what the prologue said. I was expecting some awesome, off the wall story. And yes. It was off the wall weird but it wasn't as good as it could have been.
You can tell right from the beginning that the main girl, Elizah, is very different from your average girl. Not only does she have a fascination with bones, but she also is very reserved and lives basically at a cemetery. She finds a bone on her property and she's not sure what type of animal it came from, but throughout the novel the bone is referenced more and more and you begin to realize what the importance of it is. Elizah meets a boy named Nathaniel. He's also very unique and different and I believe that's why she is so drawn to him instead of Kyle, the boy her mother and counselor want her to be with.
This book is very different. And it's sort of weird. There were many parts I liked and then other parts I had a "WTF" expression. It was ok though.
But as the book went on.. It didn't really live up to the expectations from what the prologue said. I was expecting some awesome, off the wall story. And yes. It was off the wall weird but it wasn't as good as it could have been.
You can tell right from the beginning that the main girl, Elizah, is very different from your average girl. Not only does she have a fascination with bones, but she also is very reserved and lives basically at a cemetery. She finds a bone on her property and she's not sure what type of animal it came from, but throughout the novel the bone is referenced more and more and you begin to realize what the importance of it is. Elizah meets a boy named Nathaniel. He's also very unique and different and I believe that's why she is so drawn to him instead of Kyle, the boy her mother and counselor want her to be with.
This book is very different. And it's sort of weird. There were many parts I liked and then other parts I had a "WTF" expression. It was ok though.
October 9, 2014
((2.5 stars))
I read this book in one sitting and I'm pretty glad I did because I would not have liked to waste another day on it. Light Beneath Ferns was an alright book. I'd been excited for it, though, so I'm kinda disappointed. I thought it might have been amazing, but it was just pretty okay.
The main character is unique as far as YA protagonists go, but she is a complete special snowflake. She seems to think she's better than other girls because she doesn't like going to parties, because she prefers hanging out in a graveyard and collecting bones. And okay, that's fine, but that doesn't make those girls any less of a person than you. So that annoyed me.
And then there's the romance. Nathaniel just appears one day, and keeps appearing subsequent days out of nowhere, and the main character doesn't think a single thing of it. He takes her to a village that stopped existing hundreds of years ago, and she thinks nothing of it. He tells her absolutely nothing about himself, and she's like okay that's fine. She asks questions and he basically tells her to shut the fuck up. It's controlling at worst, problematic at best.
But the writing is quite lovely in places and the atmosphere is pretty eerie and queer.
I read this book in one sitting and I'm pretty glad I did because I would not have liked to waste another day on it. Light Beneath Ferns was an alright book. I'd been excited for it, though, so I'm kinda disappointed. I thought it might have been amazing, but it was just pretty okay.
The main character is unique as far as YA protagonists go, but she is a complete special snowflake. She seems to think she's better than other girls because she doesn't like going to parties, because she prefers hanging out in a graveyard and collecting bones. And okay, that's fine, but that doesn't make those girls any less of a person than you. So that annoyed me.
And then there's the romance. Nathaniel just appears one day, and keeps appearing subsequent days out of nowhere, and the main character doesn't think a single thing of it. He takes her to a village that stopped existing hundreds of years ago, and she thinks nothing of it. He tells her absolutely nothing about himself, and she's like okay that's fine. She asks questions and he basically tells her to shut the fuck up. It's controlling at worst, problematic at best.
But the writing is quite lovely in places and the atmosphere is pretty eerie and queer.
November 18, 2010
I'm still unsure of what to think about this novel. There were parts of the story that I enjoyed reading and other parts that made me dislike the novel. I must say that Light Beneath Ferns is beautifully and uniquely written. Spollen's descriptive language set a creepy feel to the book, which is one of the things I enjoyed most.
I do feel that the language could either make or break Light Beneath Ferns. Considering the story revolves mostly around the setting and not so much the characters, there is a lot of descriptions and not a lot of dialogue between characters. At times, I found myself struggling to put the story's many puzzle pieces together to form the big picture.
The thing that bothered me the most was Elizah. Most of the time I just wanted to slap her. I found her to be rude and a little depressing. She has family issues (just like everyone else) and I can somewhat see why she may act the way she does, but I really didn't care for her negative personality, which didn't seem to change much throughout the novel.
Light Beneath Ferns has its good parts and bad parts but overall it was an okay novel.
I do feel that the language could either make or break Light Beneath Ferns. Considering the story revolves mostly around the setting and not so much the characters, there is a lot of descriptions and not a lot of dialogue between characters. At times, I found myself struggling to put the story's many puzzle pieces together to form the big picture.
The thing that bothered me the most was Elizah. Most of the time I just wanted to slap her. I found her to be rude and a little depressing. She has family issues (just like everyone else) and I can somewhat see why she may act the way she does, but I really didn't care for her negative personality, which didn't seem to change much throughout the novel.
Light Beneath Ferns has its good parts and bad parts but overall it was an okay novel.
June 30, 2010
I'd really like to give this book one and a half stars with an "it was weird". Elizah and her mother move to a new town where her mother has taken on the job of cemetary caretaker. This is a good thing for Elizah because she loves bones and ends up finding a human jawbone along the river bank. Thus begins a story of weird wives tales that turn out to be true and a strange boy that Elizah meets along the river. The story was even more convoluted by the author's attempts at a side-story about Elizah's absent father and how his uncontrolled gambling caused her and her mother's move. There were so many other strange things going on that this sort of got pushed to the side and undeveloped. I actually really liked Elizah when she wasn't stalking along the riverbank, or caressing the bone ("that's what she said"), or canoeing down the river with the strange boy. She was sarcastic and witty and I enjoyed her repartee with her mother, but that was all I enjoyed. I do not recommend this book.
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