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The Painting
A haunting, beautiful middle-grade novel about fractured relationships, loss, ghosts, friendship and art.
Annie and her mother don't see eye to eye. When Annie finds a painting of a lonely lighthouse in their home, she is immediately drawn to it--and her mother wishes it would stay banished in the attic. To her, art has no interest, but Annie loves drawing and painting.
When Annie's mother slips into a coma following a car accident, strange things begin to happen to Annie. She finds herself falling into the painting and meeting Claire, a girl her own age living at the lighthouse. Claire's mother Maisie is the artist behind the painting, and like Annie, Claire's relationship with her mother is fraught. Annie thinks she can help them find their way back to each other, and in so doing, help mend her relationship with her own mother.
But who IS Claire? Why can Annie travel through the painting? And can Annie help her mother wake up from her coma?
The Painting is a touching, evocative story with a hint of mystery and suspense to keep readers hooked.
Annie and her mother don't see eye to eye. When Annie finds a painting of a lonely lighthouse in their home, she is immediately drawn to it--and her mother wishes it would stay banished in the attic. To her, art has no interest, but Annie loves drawing and painting.
When Annie's mother slips into a coma following a car accident, strange things begin to happen to Annie. She finds herself falling into the painting and meeting Claire, a girl her own age living at the lighthouse. Claire's mother Maisie is the artist behind the painting, and like Annie, Claire's relationship with her mother is fraught. Annie thinks she can help them find their way back to each other, and in so doing, help mend her relationship with her own mother.
But who IS Claire? Why can Annie travel through the painting? And can Annie help her mother wake up from her coma?
The Painting is a touching, evocative story with a hint of mystery and suspense to keep readers hooked.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2017
14 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Charis Cotter
14 books147 followersCharis Cotter is a writer, editor and storyteller living in Newfoundland. She grew up in Cabbagetown and Parkdale in downtown Toronto. After taking a degree in English at Glendon College, York University, she went on to study acting at The Drama Studio in London, England. After several years as an actor, she moved into publishing, where she has been working as a freelance editor and writer for more than 20 years.
In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.
Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.
In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.
Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.
*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.
In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.
Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.
In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.
Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.
*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 20, 2020
We did enjoy this story but a couple of elements stopped this from being a 4 star read for us.
The story alternates between two girls, Annie and Claire. It's best coming to this story not knowing much about it, certain elements of the plot are fun to work our yourself. This story was reminiscent of a couple of books for us, the mysterious feel at the start reminded us of Marianne Dreams. Although the way the story unfolded by certainly has been used before, it was an enjoyable part of the story. We enjoyed the art elements to the story, the paintings were well described and added an interest to the story and some end notes explained some of the inspiration for this theme.
Some things really bothered me
The rest of the book was an interesting an enjoyable story but those problems did really spoil part of the book for me.
The story alternates between two girls, Annie and Claire. It's best coming to this story not knowing much about it, certain elements of the plot are fun to work our yourself. This story was reminiscent of a couple of books for us, the mysterious feel at the start reminded us of Marianne Dreams. Although the way the story unfolded by certainly has been used before, it was an enjoyable part of the story. We enjoyed the art elements to the story, the paintings were well described and added an interest to the story and some end notes explained some of the inspiration for this theme.
Some things really bothered me
The rest of the book was an interesting an enjoyable story but those problems did really spoil part of the book for me.
November 10, 2018
Charis Cotter's The Painting is another for the most part enjoyable, readable Middle Grade time-slip (and potential ghost) story (set in both Ontario and Newfoundland), although frustratingly and yes indeed a bit annoyingly, the two main protagonists (and actually pretty much ALL of the characters who make an appearance in The Painting) are in my humble opinion not nearly as finely nuanced, not remotely as well developed and indeed even as relatable as both the main and secondary sets of characters are in the author's The Swallow and The Ghost Road (and with dual protagonists Annie and Claire this lack of nuance and character development seems mostly because the back and forth voices of the latter do not always feel sufficiently distinct enough to stand on their own two feet so to speak, and that I for one have certainly had a bit of trouble distinguishing one from the other, especially since the Claire and Annie sections are often so short that one cannot really get a detailed enough portrait of either Annie or Claire before the point of view switches and changes).
While the messages and lessons presented by the author (by Charis Cotter) in The Painting (especially with regard to forgiveness, finding the strength to tell the truth, to come clean to one's nearest and dearest, to be both willing and able to take one's share of blame and to apologise if and when need be) are all of massive and essential importance, they are (and unfortunately so) in The Painting at least to and for me also often just a wee bit too on the surface, too in one's face (and with that of course, also rather frustratingly predictable at times).
And therefore, albeit The Painting is indeed a good (even in fact a very very good) lesson (and for both adults and children, I might add) with regard to understanding one another and that in particular parents need to accept their children's wants, needs, talents, likes and dislikes, their personalities, even if they should clash with their own (and their personal pet ideas and hopes for their children and their children's futures), and of course, also vice versa, as this is a two way and not ever a one way street, I definitely would have wanted and was kind of expecting a plot line, a story with somewhat more delicacy and introspection, with more nuances and less on the surfaceness. For in particular, the ending of The Painting while for a certainty satisfying, while sweet and even what I was in fact hoping for, it was (and remains) just a bit too rushed, too convenient and almost too easy, especially considering the long and painful set-up and explanation of how and why Claire and her mother Maisie had been so long estranged and the reasons as to why (for sorry, that the entire reconciliation between Claire and Maisie with regard to their mutual feelings of guilt and trauma regarding Little Annie's tragic death takes only about a short sentence and not much more, this just feels a trifle lacking and actually even a bit like a bolt of lightning come from above with not enough detail and information provided).
While the messages and lessons presented by the author (by Charis Cotter) in The Painting (especially with regard to forgiveness, finding the strength to tell the truth, to come clean to one's nearest and dearest, to be both willing and able to take one's share of blame and to apologise if and when need be) are all of massive and essential importance, they are (and unfortunately so) in The Painting at least to and for me also often just a wee bit too on the surface, too in one's face (and with that of course, also rather frustratingly predictable at times).
And therefore, albeit The Painting is indeed a good (even in fact a very very good) lesson (and for both adults and children, I might add) with regard to understanding one another and that in particular parents need to accept their children's wants, needs, talents, likes and dislikes, their personalities, even if they should clash with their own (and their personal pet ideas and hopes for their children and their children's futures), and of course, also vice versa, as this is a two way and not ever a one way street, I definitely would have wanted and was kind of expecting a plot line, a story with somewhat more delicacy and introspection, with more nuances and less on the surfaceness. For in particular, the ending of The Painting while for a certainty satisfying, while sweet and even what I was in fact hoping for, it was (and remains) just a bit too rushed, too convenient and almost too easy, especially considering the long and painful set-up and explanation of how and why Claire and her mother Maisie had been so long estranged and the reasons as to why (for sorry, that the entire reconciliation between Claire and Maisie with regard to their mutual feelings of guilt and trauma regarding Little Annie's tragic death takes only about a short sentence and not much more, this just feels a trifle lacking and actually even a bit like a bolt of lightning come from above with not enough detail and information provided).
May 2, 2017
A big thank you to Charis Cotter, Tundra Books, and Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
3.5 stars
Annie is placed in a precarious position. She doesn't get along with her mother, but her mother has been in a car accident and now she's in a coma. It's enough to make her head hurt. Maybe that's why she's suddenly inside the painting? Playing with Claire?
This story is about relationships and forgiveness-that it's never too late to say " I'm sorry". Also I think it's about guilt. Guilt is an ugly, black devourer of the soul. It can ruin a life. These characters teach us to talk about tragic events, to not let emotional wounds fester and break the bonds between the loving relationships in our lives. We miss out on so much. And not only us, but those who follow. It's a downward spiral.
Cotter keeps his focus on the past. I think we can all think of situations we wish we could rewind. Let's all take inspiration from this book and reach out to someone tonight.
3.5 stars
Annie is placed in a precarious position. She doesn't get along with her mother, but her mother has been in a car accident and now she's in a coma. It's enough to make her head hurt. Maybe that's why she's suddenly inside the painting? Playing with Claire?
This story is about relationships and forgiveness-that it's never too late to say " I'm sorry". Also I think it's about guilt. Guilt is an ugly, black devourer of the soul. It can ruin a life. These characters teach us to talk about tragic events, to not let emotional wounds fester and break the bonds between the loving relationships in our lives. We miss out on so much. And not only us, but those who follow. It's a downward spiral.
Cotter keeps his focus on the past. I think we can all think of situations we wish we could rewind. Let's all take inspiration from this book and reach out to someone tonight.
March 28, 2022
Requested from paperbackswap because I very much enjoyed The Swallow: A Ghost Story. Will reread because the mystery is complex, even after I know 'the answer,' and the journey to that answer is at least as important as that destination (and I still am not sure who Mrs. Silver is.)
I love that it's about how paintings/art can reach out from the soul of the artist to that of the viewer/audience, even if they aren't necessarily interpreting the message/theme the same way. I also love the particular speculative fiction elements... it's not necessarily a ghost story, but if I say more I'll be spoiling it.
If you're interested, put it on your list to read, but then wait until you've forgotten the blurb, and read it without expectations.
---
Upon reread I didn't actually like it quite as much, but I pin that on my extreme distractions of the irl stuff going on right now.
I love that it's about how paintings/art can reach out from the soul of the artist to that of the viewer/audience, even if they aren't necessarily interpreting the message/theme the same way. I also love the particular speculative fiction elements... it's not necessarily a ghost story, but if I say more I'll be spoiling it.
If you're interested, put it on your list to read, but then wait until you've forgotten the blurb, and read it without expectations.
---
Upon reread I didn't actually like it quite as much, but I pin that on my extreme distractions of the irl stuff going on right now.
September 24, 2024
Annie Jarvis ist 12 Jahre alt, als sie zu Beginn unseres Jahrhunderts auf dem Dachboden das Gemälde eines Leuchtturms auf Neufundland findet. Das Bild scheint sie förmlich einzusaugen in eine Welt, in der die gleichaltrige Claire Zeugin wird, wie ihre kleine Schwester auf die Straße und direkt vor ein Auto rennt. Claire fühlt sich schuldig an dem Unfall, auch wenn einige Erwachsene betonen, dass (die kleine) Annie selbst dann nicht zu bändigen gewesen wäre, wenn Claire versucht hätte, sie zurückzuhalten. Claires ohnehin schwieriges Verhältnis zu ihrer Mutter verschlechtert sich nach Annies Tod weiter, als Mutter und Tochter aus Toronto nach Neufundland ziehen, ins Wärterhäuschen des Leuchtturms am Crooked Head. Als Künstlerin erlebt die Mutter durch den Ortswechsel zwar einen unerwarteten Karriere-Schub; Claire jedoch verliert alles, ihre vertraute Umgebung, ihre Freunde – und ihre geliebte Bücherei.
Zwei circa gleichaltrige Mädchen, ein tragisches Unglück, eine Icherzählerin, die von Gemälden förmlich aufgesaugt, an anderem Ort wieder herausgeschleudert wird und deren Mutter nach einem Unfall im Koma liegt – als Setting hat mich das anfangs verwirrt. Da jedes Kapitel mit einem Zitat aus Alice im Wunderland und Alice hinter den Spiegeln angekündigt wird, hätte mir etwas Nachhilfe aus Lewis Carrolls Büchern vor der Lektüre sicher gutgetan. Das Netz aus Figuren, Zeitebenen, Geistergeschichten und der überwältigenden Kraft von Sturm und Wellen lichtet sich jedoch und die Lösung scheint schließlich plausibel.
Ein Buch über den Tod, Trauer, Schuldgefühle, ein übersehenes Geschwisterkind und die Macht von Geschichten, das mir für die Zielgruppe ab 11 sehr anspruchsvoll erscheint. Charis Cotters Geistergeschichten sind jedenfalls einen zweiten Blick wert.
Zwei circa gleichaltrige Mädchen, ein tragisches Unglück, eine Icherzählerin, die von Gemälden förmlich aufgesaugt, an anderem Ort wieder herausgeschleudert wird und deren Mutter nach einem Unfall im Koma liegt – als Setting hat mich das anfangs verwirrt. Da jedes Kapitel mit einem Zitat aus Alice im Wunderland und Alice hinter den Spiegeln angekündigt wird, hätte mir etwas Nachhilfe aus Lewis Carrolls Büchern vor der Lektüre sicher gutgetan. Das Netz aus Figuren, Zeitebenen, Geistergeschichten und der überwältigenden Kraft von Sturm und Wellen lichtet sich jedoch und die Lösung scheint schließlich plausibel.
Ein Buch über den Tod, Trauer, Schuldgefühle, ein übersehenes Geschwisterkind und die Macht von Geschichten, das mir für die Zielgruppe ab 11 sehr anspruchsvoll erscheint. Charis Cotters Geistergeschichten sind jedenfalls einen zweiten Blick wert.
January 23, 2018
The Painting has been on my shelf for a couple of months and I’m glad I’ve finally had the opportunity to dive in. As for first impressions, the cover art drew me in almost immediately. Also, Charis Cotter’s use of style and fonts throughout the book sets the mood of the story. Fans of Lewis Carrol will especially appreciate the nods to his works of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass throughout this read.
The Painting is one of those books with a concept that was incredibly fascinating but still left me a bit puzzled in a few sections. I must say, I did enjoy the book overall but I am left with a nagging feeling, trying to understand a few things more clearly. For instance, who exactly was Mrs Silver? Perhaps I just missed some of the clues because I am still left wondering.
The way Charis Cotter shared the story of Annie and Claire was clever. Told from both Annie and Claire’s perspectives, the sadness, loneliness, and longing was captured well. Their connection unfolded neatly and their relationship with one another was sweet and authentic.
I especially found use of the paintings as a way for Annie to reach Claire to be the most interesting. The idea that art can transport you into another place isn’t necessarily a new one but is still both a very magical notion and one that shows the author’s love for the medium. Also, the paintings really do come to life in The Painting. As the reader, I was able to feel Maisie’s regret and heartache over little Annie’s accident and the anger she felt towards the dog that little Annie chased. I could see the paintings and the significance in vivid detail.
Admittedly, another small issue I had and where the story felt a bit rough was with Annie’s updates of her mother – it felt inconsistent and odd at times. As an example: moments Magda said things were bad for Annie’s mother in one line, she’d say maybe the same news was actually positive in another. Minor but again, nagging…
The Painting is both haunting and sweet. It was an interesting read, worth curling up with on a dark and stormy night.
I gave The Painting 3/5 stars
The Painting is one of those books with a concept that was incredibly fascinating but still left me a bit puzzled in a few sections. I must say, I did enjoy the book overall but I am left with a nagging feeling, trying to understand a few things more clearly. For instance, who exactly was Mrs Silver? Perhaps I just missed some of the clues because I am still left wondering.
The way Charis Cotter shared the story of Annie and Claire was clever. Told from both Annie and Claire’s perspectives, the sadness, loneliness, and longing was captured well. Their connection unfolded neatly and their relationship with one another was sweet and authentic.
I especially found use of the paintings as a way for Annie to reach Claire to be the most interesting. The idea that art can transport you into another place isn’t necessarily a new one but is still both a very magical notion and one that shows the author’s love for the medium. Also, the paintings really do come to life in The Painting. As the reader, I was able to feel Maisie’s regret and heartache over little Annie’s accident and the anger she felt towards the dog that little Annie chased. I could see the paintings and the significance in vivid detail.
Admittedly, another small issue I had and where the story felt a bit rough was with Annie’s updates of her mother – it felt inconsistent and odd at times. As an example: moments Magda said things were bad for Annie’s mother in one line, she’d say maybe the same news was actually positive in another. Minor but again, nagging…
The Painting is both haunting and sweet. It was an interesting read, worth curling up with on a dark and stormy night.
I gave The Painting 3/5 stars
August 9, 2017
I loved this book. It was mysterious and the characters were extremely compelling. Annie and Claire had a charming relationship which reminded me of devilish sisters but yet the best of friends. The book perfectly balanced secret compartments and creepy, mysterious paintings. The double perspective in the painting really adds that extra depth because you get to see both sides of the story. I love how Charis quotes Alice Through The Looking Glass And What She Saw There. The quotations fit perfectly with the mood and theme of The Painting. For example, in part six “The Haunting” we read “And I wish you wouldn’t keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.” This is how The Painting also makes us feel. This book is a real spine tingling page turner. We received this book as an advance review copy but all opinions are my own.
February 17, 2018
Great ghostly YA read. Takes place in Newfoundland and Toronto. All the elements of a little spine tingler. Great for kids and adults who enjoy a maritime ghost story. Wanted to read this one because it involves a painting of a lighthouse and ghosts and the Maritimes. Three of my favorite subjects.
July 27, 2017
The Painting Review by Vanessa Shields
From the first intriguingly chilling paragraph to the last ghostly page, Charis Cotter’s new novel "The Painting" is a startling story of unrest, connection and forgiveness. All this, wrapped in a book written for the avid child reader is truly a story for any age.
Coming off her award-winning first novel, The Swallow, Cotter’s talent for writing goosebump-giving ghost stories is spooktacular – and she has created for herself a spot amongst greats like Poe, Drew, Stine and Faraday to give her readers jumps, starts, and ends that are both exciting and unpredictable.
What moves Cotter’s writing the most is her seamless craft ability to keep the reader unsure and questioning – Is the character alive or a ghost? Do I believe in ghosts? Could this story really happen? Brilliant imagery and unique character descriptions exemplify Cotter’s talent for storytelling pushing the reader to turn the page…even when the story is stealing the breath away, and a pause may be needed.
The depth and breadth of her East-coast ghost knowledge is outstanding. From lighthouses to the living-dead, Cotter has been writing about ghosts in some form or other for years, and it’s paying off in her fiction. Like a high-pitched wind blowing into our lives, "The Painting" challenges readers to listen closely, to pay attention and to draw connections between all the stories weaving around us.
The subject matter is very important. Childhood trauma extends into our adult lives - and can (and does!) spread into how we parent. It reaches into our daily lives - especially something as tragic as a death of a sibling - and is constantly a part of our mind-matter. Writing about the effects of trauma on a parent, on her child, on her partner and those around her is something brave and hopeful. Cotter's intent, in my opinion, is not to upset but rather to set-up conversations about trauma, the past, death, life and how to live fully through the stories that begin in our childhoods.
Though Cotter does a tremendous job of encircling the reader with mystery, the heart of "The Painting" is a love story – between mothers and daughters and sisters. The wind, the water, the rain, the fog – these elements bear down in the story as strong characters holding torches along the way. This is a story about one family and its tragedy that knitted through time and generations. "The Painting" is universal in its core themes of family, love and forgiveness.
In the end, readers will be moved to tears, and hopefully, inspired to believe in both ghosts and the living as storytellers whose lessons are as alive as our hearts will allow them to be.
Favourite lines:
She had long, curly dark-brown hair that expanded in the damp sea air like some strange dark halo…The local women kept their distance, but all the men liked her fine.
I watched his fingers as he folded the napkin carefully. They were long and thin. A surgeon’s fingers.
The image of her white, still face in the hospital swam into my head.
She stumbled out the door and racketed down the stairs.
From the first intriguingly chilling paragraph to the last ghostly page, Charis Cotter’s new novel "The Painting" is a startling story of unrest, connection and forgiveness. All this, wrapped in a book written for the avid child reader is truly a story for any age.
Coming off her award-winning first novel, The Swallow, Cotter’s talent for writing goosebump-giving ghost stories is spooktacular – and she has created for herself a spot amongst greats like Poe, Drew, Stine and Faraday to give her readers jumps, starts, and ends that are both exciting and unpredictable.
What moves Cotter’s writing the most is her seamless craft ability to keep the reader unsure and questioning – Is the character alive or a ghost? Do I believe in ghosts? Could this story really happen? Brilliant imagery and unique character descriptions exemplify Cotter’s talent for storytelling pushing the reader to turn the page…even when the story is stealing the breath away, and a pause may be needed.
The depth and breadth of her East-coast ghost knowledge is outstanding. From lighthouses to the living-dead, Cotter has been writing about ghosts in some form or other for years, and it’s paying off in her fiction. Like a high-pitched wind blowing into our lives, "The Painting" challenges readers to listen closely, to pay attention and to draw connections between all the stories weaving around us.
The subject matter is very important. Childhood trauma extends into our adult lives - and can (and does!) spread into how we parent. It reaches into our daily lives - especially something as tragic as a death of a sibling - and is constantly a part of our mind-matter. Writing about the effects of trauma on a parent, on her child, on her partner and those around her is something brave and hopeful. Cotter's intent, in my opinion, is not to upset but rather to set-up conversations about trauma, the past, death, life and how to live fully through the stories that begin in our childhoods.
Though Cotter does a tremendous job of encircling the reader with mystery, the heart of "The Painting" is a love story – between mothers and daughters and sisters. The wind, the water, the rain, the fog – these elements bear down in the story as strong characters holding torches along the way. This is a story about one family and its tragedy that knitted through time and generations. "The Painting" is universal in its core themes of family, love and forgiveness.
In the end, readers will be moved to tears, and hopefully, inspired to believe in both ghosts and the living as storytellers whose lessons are as alive as our hearts will allow them to be.
Favourite lines:
She had long, curly dark-brown hair that expanded in the damp sea air like some strange dark halo…The local women kept their distance, but all the men liked her fine.
I watched his fingers as he folded the napkin carefully. They were long and thin. A surgeon’s fingers.
The image of her white, still face in the hospital swam into my head.
She stumbled out the door and racketed down the stairs.
September 22, 2017
Review originally published 17 September 2017 at Falling Letters. I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Back in 2014, I was so charmed by Charis Cotter’s debut The Swallow (review here) that I nominated it for a Cybils award. Today I’m reviewing Cotter’s sophomore middle grade novel. The mention of a lonely lighthouse caught my interest. Cotter, a native of Toronto who now lives in Newfoundland, evokes crisp imagery in her descriptions of the coast and lighthouse. The atmosphere, for me, makes up for the lack of explicit ghosts.
Annie soon deduces Claire’s identity, so I don’t believe it’s a spoiler to state that Claire is Annie’s mother, some years in the past. I enjoy books that explore the familial relationships between children and adults (an enjoyment that can be traced back to my reading of Inkheart at 10 years old). The mother-daughter relationships explored in The Painting are the kind where the daughter wants one thing for herself and the mother wants something else for the daughter. Conflicts sparks as they fail to understand each other’s needs. (The Pixar film Brave also did a great job at exploring this kind of relationship.) Annie sees her relationship with Claire inverted in Claire’s relationship with her own mother Maisie – Maisie paints, Claire studies, Claire wants to attend high school in town and Maisie wants her to stay at the lighthouse. In the modern timeline, Annie finds herself clashing with Claire over Annie’s interest in art and her introverted demeanor.
A number of poignant moments are scattered throughout the story. The death of Claire’s younger sister complicates Claire and Maisie’s relationship and gives further depth to their relationship. The first person narrative of a young girl who thinks she’s to blame for her sibling’s death or who believes her mother doesn’t love her can sting to read.
If you liked the style of The Swallow, you will probably like the style of The Painting. The narrative alternates between the two girls in short segments. As with The Swallow, I found Annie and Claire’s voices to be very similar. There is less creepiness in The Painting than in The Swallow – though atmospheric, the characters drive The Painting even more so than in The Swallow.
The Bottom Line: A touching story primarily set along Newfoundland’s atmospheric coast, Annie and Claire work together across decades to save Annie’s mother and in the process repair their own relationships with their mothers.
Back in 2014, I was so charmed by Charis Cotter’s debut The Swallow (review here) that I nominated it for a Cybils award. Today I’m reviewing Cotter’s sophomore middle grade novel. The mention of a lonely lighthouse caught my interest. Cotter, a native of Toronto who now lives in Newfoundland, evokes crisp imagery in her descriptions of the coast and lighthouse. The atmosphere, for me, makes up for the lack of explicit ghosts.
Annie soon deduces Claire’s identity, so I don’t believe it’s a spoiler to state that Claire is Annie’s mother, some years in the past. I enjoy books that explore the familial relationships between children and adults (an enjoyment that can be traced back to my reading of Inkheart at 10 years old). The mother-daughter relationships explored in The Painting are the kind where the daughter wants one thing for herself and the mother wants something else for the daughter. Conflicts sparks as they fail to understand each other’s needs. (The Pixar film Brave also did a great job at exploring this kind of relationship.) Annie sees her relationship with Claire inverted in Claire’s relationship with her own mother Maisie – Maisie paints, Claire studies, Claire wants to attend high school in town and Maisie wants her to stay at the lighthouse. In the modern timeline, Annie finds herself clashing with Claire over Annie’s interest in art and her introverted demeanor.
A number of poignant moments are scattered throughout the story. The death of Claire’s younger sister complicates Claire and Maisie’s relationship and gives further depth to their relationship. The first person narrative of a young girl who thinks she’s to blame for her sibling’s death or who believes her mother doesn’t love her can sting to read.
If you liked the style of The Swallow, you will probably like the style of The Painting. The narrative alternates between the two girls in short segments. As with The Swallow, I found Annie and Claire’s voices to be very similar. There is less creepiness in The Painting than in The Swallow – though atmospheric, the characters drive The Painting even more so than in The Swallow.
The Bottom Line: A touching story primarily set along Newfoundland’s atmospheric coast, Annie and Claire work together across decades to save Annie’s mother and in the process repair their own relationships with their mothers.
July 24, 2018
I'm on the fence about whether or not I'd give this book 2.5 or 3 stars. I really struggled to get through the first half. It was slow going because of the layout- the book switched between two characters, Claire and Annie. It got confusing constantly switching between two different first person's point of views. That really threw me off. And then when I was a little over halfway finished, suddenly the plot got interesting and everything picked up speed. But unfortunately the book was over half done, so then it felt like the ending was rushed. The speed just didn't feel proportionate. I did enjoy how the characters were intertwined, and the ending pleased me. But this book was just a mediocre read.
September 17, 2017
“The Painting”
Written by Charis Cotter
Review written by Diana Iozzia
“The Painting” by Charis Cotter is a wonderful book for children to young adults. The book is about a girl named Annie who finds herself in a painting. Annie’s mother was recently in a car accident and lays in a hospital bed, in a coma. Annie finds herself in the painting’s lighthouse in Newfoundland, Canada, where she meets a girl, Claire, who thinks Annie is the ghost of her little sister.
This book becomes a gigantic mystery, who is Claire? Why was Annie able to be transported into the book? Who is Ms. Silver, the mysterious librarian that Annie speaks to? When we find out who Annie and Claire really are (in the first half), we’re unsure how the rest of the book will proceed. There are about a thousand things I can spoil, so this review will be quite vanilla in comparison to my other, more descriptive reviews.
This book reminds me of many books from my childhood. The author alludes to many similarities between “Alice in Wonderland”, by having a quote from “Through the Looking Glass” preceding every chapter. I also found this similar to “Matilda”, “Goosebumps”, “The Twilight Zone”, and “Coraline”. One of my biggest gripes about children characters is not at all present in this book. All too often, young children are portrayed inaccurately in books. This can include poor language, precocious language, too adult behaviors, or childish actions. Annie, eleven years old, and Claire, twelve years old, are portrayed very accurately as their ages. The best examples I can mention is the descriptions of the five senses that Claire and Annie use. Their metaphors and similes are exactly what you’d expect an almost ‘tween’ to use. Their characters are very realistic.
I do take issue with the dual perspectives. I usually don’t mind a couple of different perspectives in a book, as long as it is obvious which character is speaking when. Constantly, I found myself confused for a page or two as to whose perspective I am reading. A good trick is the different font, but even so, I was still confused when I didn’t notice the switch. This is easily one of my favorite novels for children, and I’ve just read it all in two days, maybe no more than four hours to five hours consuming this. I was honestly surprised how much I would like this, and how it’s instantly moved up into my favorite’s list for children’s literature. I am eager to read books in the future by Charis Cotter. Also, can I just mention how beautiful the cover and back art are for this book? Even though I received an ARC, this is beautiful. I’ll be tempted to pick up a finished copy at Barnes and Noble, because I can imagine a hard cover of this nifty little book would look great on my bookshelf.
*I received this as an advanced reader’s copy.*
Written by Charis Cotter
Review written by Diana Iozzia
“The Painting” by Charis Cotter is a wonderful book for children to young adults. The book is about a girl named Annie who finds herself in a painting. Annie’s mother was recently in a car accident and lays in a hospital bed, in a coma. Annie finds herself in the painting’s lighthouse in Newfoundland, Canada, where she meets a girl, Claire, who thinks Annie is the ghost of her little sister.
This book becomes a gigantic mystery, who is Claire? Why was Annie able to be transported into the book? Who is Ms. Silver, the mysterious librarian that Annie speaks to? When we find out who Annie and Claire really are (in the first half), we’re unsure how the rest of the book will proceed. There are about a thousand things I can spoil, so this review will be quite vanilla in comparison to my other, more descriptive reviews.
This book reminds me of many books from my childhood. The author alludes to many similarities between “Alice in Wonderland”, by having a quote from “Through the Looking Glass” preceding every chapter. I also found this similar to “Matilda”, “Goosebumps”, “The Twilight Zone”, and “Coraline”. One of my biggest gripes about children characters is not at all present in this book. All too often, young children are portrayed inaccurately in books. This can include poor language, precocious language, too adult behaviors, or childish actions. Annie, eleven years old, and Claire, twelve years old, are portrayed very accurately as their ages. The best examples I can mention is the descriptions of the five senses that Claire and Annie use. Their metaphors and similes are exactly what you’d expect an almost ‘tween’ to use. Their characters are very realistic.
I do take issue with the dual perspectives. I usually don’t mind a couple of different perspectives in a book, as long as it is obvious which character is speaking when. Constantly, I found myself confused for a page or two as to whose perspective I am reading. A good trick is the different font, but even so, I was still confused when I didn’t notice the switch. This is easily one of my favorite novels for children, and I’ve just read it all in two days, maybe no more than four hours to five hours consuming this. I was honestly surprised how much I would like this, and how it’s instantly moved up into my favorite’s list for children’s literature. I am eager to read books in the future by Charis Cotter. Also, can I just mention how beautiful the cover and back art are for this book? Even though I received an ARC, this is beautiful. I’ll be tempted to pick up a finished copy at Barnes and Noble, because I can imagine a hard cover of this nifty little book would look great on my bookshelf.
*I received this as an advanced reader’s copy.*
April 18, 2017
A deep and suspenseful story for young readers about loss, guilt, misunderstandings, and mistakes. | This will definitely be too much for some readers, it hurt my heart and I have decades more life than the target audience. But there are good messages here, and the reader can see how hiding one's feelings never works--they come out round the edges and impact you later regardless. All of the characters are well and sympathetically drawn, everybody has their flaws and their virtues, and the reader can understand the perspective they're each coming from, even if it's not our own. I'm grateful for an upbeat ending, even if the time lost isn't glossed over, and there are certainly young readers carrying unearned guilt who will appreciate it as well.
Appreciation to the publisher for an ARC, which did not have an effect on my review or rating.
Appreciation to the publisher for an ARC, which did not have an effect on my review or rating.
April 27, 2022
While I didn't love this as much as The Swallow: A Ghost Story or The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story, it's still a beautiful take on the ghost story and what it means to be haunted. It's heavier in its themes than Cotter's other works, but still a good choice for the Goth middle grade reader in your life.
January 24, 2022
A lovely middle-grade story of familial love between mothers and daughters. Annie gets dizzy and Annie falls into a picture. There she meets Claire who needs her help with her mother. Meanwhile, in Annie's world, her mum is in a coma but Annie feels a deep, mysterious connection to Claire in the dreamworld. Beautiful writing! The two twelve-year-olds are fantastic, real characters. I loved them both. The pacing is always on the go with a sped-up race to the end. Now I've read two of Cotter's ghost stories, I'll certainly read her again.
December 25, 2017
Magic realism is a difficult genre. For one, it is hard to come up with a particularly original idea in a field where most of the long hanging fruit has already been gathered. For two, introducing magic often requires a good deal of backstory in order for the rules of the phantasmagorical to be properly understood by the reader. On both accounts, The Painting leaves much to be desired. The idea of traveling through space and time via a painting is tired and stale, and the magical means by which the paintings (and the associated ghosts and spirits) operate is neither fully explained nor fully understood. As a direct result of sacrificing clarity for the sake of mystery, Cotter undermines her own climax, as it is not clear why or what agency Annie has in affecting the outcome of her mother's injury, or why there was any need to race against time besides for the dramatic convenience of the author. It also makes Annie's actions in the middle of the novel somewhat bizarre. Once Annie figures out who Claire actually is, why is there any need for her to help Claire on her quest to go to college in Toronto when Annie knows that is the eventual outcome.
The setting of an isolated Newfoundland lighthouse was an excellent idea, but the follow-through left much to imagination. We understand that Claire wants to leave, but without a further exploration of the underlying decline of the Newfoundland cod fisheries and outports during the era of Claire's childhood, it is hard for the reader to fully grasp why beyond the suburban bourgeoisie concerns of better schools so she could embark on her remarkably stress-free path to being an apparently tenured English professor at the one city she always wanted to live in.
Finally, while the writing itself was above average for the genre, I did not like for the high frequency of jump cuts between Claire and Annie, particularly at the beginning of the novel. Jump cuts like that are best if used sparingly; when overused, they come off as more of a gimmick than an effective means of building either reader interest or suspense.
In short, The Painting is too generic to be really worth your while, particularly given that the execution was mediocre at best.
The setting of an isolated Newfoundland lighthouse was an excellent idea, but the follow-through left much to imagination. We understand that Claire wants to leave, but without a further exploration of the underlying decline of the Newfoundland cod fisheries and outports during the era of Claire's childhood, it is hard for the reader to fully grasp why beyond the suburban bourgeoisie concerns of better schools so she could embark on her remarkably stress-free path to being an apparently tenured English professor at the one city she always wanted to live in.
Finally, while the writing itself was above average for the genre, I did not like for the high frequency of jump cuts between Claire and Annie, particularly at the beginning of the novel. Jump cuts like that are best if used sparingly; when overused, they come off as more of a gimmick than an effective means of building either reader interest or suspense.
In short, The Painting is too generic to be really worth your while, particularly given that the execution was mediocre at best.
July 27, 2019
This story is told from two perspectives. Annie is a girl in Toronto whose mother is in a coma. One night, as Annie stares at a lighthouse painting that had seemed to disturb her mother when Annie found it in the attic, she finds herself falling into the painting--and into the world of Claire, a girl about her age who lives in the lighthouse (in Newfoundland) with her artist mother Maisie. Claire is also desperately unhappy, as her little sister, also named Annie, was hit by a car and killed. Claire thinks her mother blames her (Claire), and feels ignored by her mother; all she wants is to get away from Newfoundland. When Annie falls into her world, Claire thinks Annie is her sister, somehow returned to her. She wants Annie to help her convince her mother to let Claire go back to Toronto. Annie, meanwhile, is trying to figure out what it means that she falls into Claire's world through the paintings of a well-known Newfoundland artist...and does it have anything to do with her mother's coma?
I liked this one well enough, though not as much as Swallow. I think the world of the lighthouse was well-constructed, and the family mystery, if not totally mysterious, was well-constructed. The supernatural element is well-handled, though there is a mysterious character whose identity we're supposed to just know but I didn't. Maybe I'm just being dense, but I found that irritating. Claire is not a particularly likeable girl, though I did feel a bit sorry for her. I thought her mother could have done a better job of listening to her, which was kind of the point. So...liked it, didn't love it.
I liked this one well enough, though not as much as Swallow. I think the world of the lighthouse was well-constructed, and the family mystery, if not totally mysterious, was well-constructed. The supernatural element is well-handled, though there is a mysterious character whose identity we're supposed to just know but I didn't. Maybe I'm just being dense, but I found that irritating. Claire is not a particularly likeable girl, though I did feel a bit sorry for her. I thought her mother could have done a better job of listening to her, which was kind of the point. So...liked it, didn't love it.
October 16, 2017
3.75*
I thought this book was an enjoyable read that centred around the ideas of family, love, loss, and forgiveness. Although the first bit felt slow to me, the last half was fantastic as we learn more about Claire and why her relationship with Maisie is so frayed. The mystery in this book was also fantastic because the whole time you're trying to figure out the lives of these two girls. The aspect of ghosts in this novel was also interesting and quite enjoyable. Part of the reason why I didn't give it a higher rating is because I didn't feel like I connected with the characters as much as I'd like to and the first third of the book felt sort of slow to me. That was sort of a sum of what I felt while reading it, but I do have a review on my blog :) https://bookbloggingforfun.wordpress....
I thought this book was an enjoyable read that centred around the ideas of family, love, loss, and forgiveness. Although the first bit felt slow to me, the last half was fantastic as we learn more about Claire and why her relationship with Maisie is so frayed. The mystery in this book was also fantastic because the whole time you're trying to figure out the lives of these two girls. The aspect of ghosts in this novel was also interesting and quite enjoyable. Part of the reason why I didn't give it a higher rating is because I didn't feel like I connected with the characters as much as I'd like to and the first third of the book felt sort of slow to me. That was sort of a sum of what I felt while reading it, but I do have a review on my blog :) https://bookbloggingforfun.wordpress....
January 16, 2021
It's not badly written but the protagonist's trips did have very slight changes through out the book. I expected each trip to have its own magic and independency instead of a constant repetition. Annie, the protagonist of this story, has the ability to go back in time by entering her grandmother's book about the past. There are so many jump cuts in this book so it's hard to fully capture what is going on - I particularly would have preferred if they were used sparingly.
Claire
This is something that would torment everyone, we get that. The problem for me had to do with Claire and, of course, the simplicity and the repetition of this story - but this is not what I'm talking about.
And most of the book is about this feeling of guilt. It's played out interestingly but not in the best way and that's why I give it two stars.
Claire
This is something that would torment everyone, we get that. The problem for me had to do with Claire and, of course, the simplicity and the repetition of this story - but this is not what I'm talking about.
And most of the book is about this feeling of guilt. It's played out interestingly but not in the best way and that's why I give it two stars.
March 28, 2018
As soon as I opened The Painting by Charis Cotter I was hooked. It was one of those books I just couldn’t put down.
The Painting is the story of Annie and Claire and Newfoundland. Annie has a painting in her room of a lighthouse in Newfoundland. Annie is an artist and she was drawn to this painting the moment she found it in the attic of her Toronto home. When a terrible accident puts Annie’s mother in the hospital she is suddenly so drawn to the painting that she actually falls into it. She is transported to Newfoundland and her world is turned topsy-turvy. She’s not sure what is real and what is a dream. It is through these painting Annie meets a ghost and solves a mystery and brings her family together again.
It’s a beautiful coming of age story. A story any middle grade child can relate to. The conflicts that arise between parent and child as the child is entering the teen years and struggling to determine who they are even when that runs contrary to who the parent thinks they should be. With references at the beginning of the chapters to Lewis Caroll’s Alice books, the story takes us through a type of wonderland experience such as Alice faced, only this time we travel between Toronto and Newfoundland, between past and present. We can feel Claire’s frustration and pain. We can understand Annie’s fear and eagerness to bring this mystery to a conclusion. It’s a beautiful mirror book for all middle graders to see their relationships reflected back and to understand they are not alone in their struggle.
The Painting is the story of Annie and Claire and Newfoundland. Annie has a painting in her room of a lighthouse in Newfoundland. Annie is an artist and she was drawn to this painting the moment she found it in the attic of her Toronto home. When a terrible accident puts Annie’s mother in the hospital she is suddenly so drawn to the painting that she actually falls into it. She is transported to Newfoundland and her world is turned topsy-turvy. She’s not sure what is real and what is a dream. It is through these painting Annie meets a ghost and solves a mystery and brings her family together again.
It’s a beautiful coming of age story. A story any middle grade child can relate to. The conflicts that arise between parent and child as the child is entering the teen years and struggling to determine who they are even when that runs contrary to who the parent thinks they should be. With references at the beginning of the chapters to Lewis Caroll’s Alice books, the story takes us through a type of wonderland experience such as Alice faced, only this time we travel between Toronto and Newfoundland, between past and present. We can feel Claire’s frustration and pain. We can understand Annie’s fear and eagerness to bring this mystery to a conclusion. It’s a beautiful mirror book for all middle graders to see their relationships reflected back and to understand they are not alone in their struggle.
August 20, 2017
A haunting mystery of two girls who meet across 30 years. Annie’s mother is in the hospital after a car accident in Toronto and she finds herself somehow falling into various paintings of Newfoundland. She meets a little girl called Claire in the Crooked Head Lighthouse who is not getting along with her mother, Maisie.
Maisie and Claire are dealing with the sorrow of losing Claire's little sister who was run over by a car several years before.
Claire tells Annie of her anger with her mother, of how she wants to move back to St. John's to attend high school and we hear various spooky stories of living in the rural areas of Newfoundland. Annie keeps getting pulled back and forth between Newfoundland in the past and her home in the present where her father is worrying about her mother in hospital in a coma. Then… Annie discovers one important clue to the mystery of why she is being pulled into Claire's life.
This is a story of the difficulties of dealing with sorrow, but at the same time the joy of friendship, sparkling magic and enduring love. It will be exciting for kids 9 and up to be caught up in the mystery and spookiness.
For me, a mature woman… this story grabbed me by the heart. It is a tender, understanding tale of the difficulties arising from the lack of communication between mother and daughter. Often.. sometimes soon, unfortunately sometimes it takes many years, this can be worked out.
Maisie and Claire are dealing with the sorrow of losing Claire's little sister who was run over by a car several years before.
Claire tells Annie of her anger with her mother, of how she wants to move back to St. John's to attend high school and we hear various spooky stories of living in the rural areas of Newfoundland. Annie keeps getting pulled back and forth between Newfoundland in the past and her home in the present where her father is worrying about her mother in hospital in a coma. Then… Annie discovers one important clue to the mystery of why she is being pulled into Claire's life.
This is a story of the difficulties of dealing with sorrow, but at the same time the joy of friendship, sparkling magic and enduring love. It will be exciting for kids 9 and up to be caught up in the mystery and spookiness.
For me, a mature woman… this story grabbed me by the heart. It is a tender, understanding tale of the difficulties arising from the lack of communication between mother and daughter. Often.. sometimes soon, unfortunately sometimes it takes many years, this can be worked out.
September 24, 2017
The Painting is an amazing book and it really made me think, I saw both sides of the story and realized how lucky you are to have a functional relationship with your guardians.
I thought it was really good and made you think of what the possible connection could be between Annie and Claire, like how Claire was positively convinced that she was Annie's sister. Yet Annie did not know her at all and was seriously confused.
I really loved how it switched back and forth between perspectives. I thought it was different than the plot lines of most other books, something new, and really emphasized the confusion between Annie and Claire's relationship. It created more of a mystery.
It also made me really think about the different relationships you can have with your parents. Just like how Claire lost her good relationship with her mother and how much forgiving, forgetting and effort it was to mend it.
The book was very detailed had lots of sensory language, was described very well and felt super realistic. I felt like I was actually in Newfoundland. I would definitely recommend it to other readers.
I thought it was really good and made you think of what the possible connection could be between Annie and Claire, like how Claire was positively convinced that she was Annie's sister. Yet Annie did not know her at all and was seriously confused.
I really loved how it switched back and forth between perspectives. I thought it was different than the plot lines of most other books, something new, and really emphasized the confusion between Annie and Claire's relationship. It created more of a mystery.
It also made me really think about the different relationships you can have with your parents. Just like how Claire lost her good relationship with her mother and how much forgiving, forgetting and effort it was to mend it.
The book was very detailed had lots of sensory language, was described very well and felt super realistic. I felt like I was actually in Newfoundland. I would definitely recommend it to other readers.
August 7, 2025
“Der Leuchtturm der magischen Träume” ist ein Kinder- und Jugendbuch von Charis Cotter
(ins Deutsche übersetzt von Dieter Fuchs).
Allie fällt zu Beginn der Handlung durch ein Gemälde eines neufundländischen Leuchtturms
in ebendiesen Turm und trifft dort auf Claire, die in ihr den Geist ihrer verstorbenen kleinen
Schwester vermutet.
Allie kommt einem Geheimnis auf die Spur, das ausschlaggebend dafür ist, ihre verunfallte
Mutter aus dem Koma zu wecken.
Die Erzählung wird zwischen Allie und Claire aufgeteilt, oft finden Wechsel schon nach einer
halben Seite statt, sodass der Lesefluss nicht selten unterbrochen wird und man immer
wieder nachlesen muss, in wessen Realität man sich gerade befindet, insbesondere, wenn
beide in Claires Welt aufeinander treffen.
Insgesamt ist der Autorin jedoch ein spannendes mehrdimensionales Werk für Personen ab
11 Jahren (eine für mich stimmige Altersangabe) gelungen, das mit überzeugenden
Charakterentwicklungen und einer tiefen Story aufwarten kann, das für mich eines der
besten Sommerbücher in dieser Saison war.
*Das Buch wurde mir kostenfrei von netgalley zur Verfügung gestellt.
(ins Deutsche übersetzt von Dieter Fuchs).
Allie fällt zu Beginn der Handlung durch ein Gemälde eines neufundländischen Leuchtturms
in ebendiesen Turm und trifft dort auf Claire, die in ihr den Geist ihrer verstorbenen kleinen
Schwester vermutet.
Allie kommt einem Geheimnis auf die Spur, das ausschlaggebend dafür ist, ihre verunfallte
Mutter aus dem Koma zu wecken.
Die Erzählung wird zwischen Allie und Claire aufgeteilt, oft finden Wechsel schon nach einer
halben Seite statt, sodass der Lesefluss nicht selten unterbrochen wird und man immer
wieder nachlesen muss, in wessen Realität man sich gerade befindet, insbesondere, wenn
beide in Claires Welt aufeinander treffen.
Insgesamt ist der Autorin jedoch ein spannendes mehrdimensionales Werk für Personen ab
11 Jahren (eine für mich stimmige Altersangabe) gelungen, das mit überzeugenden
Charakterentwicklungen und einer tiefen Story aufwarten kann, das für mich eines der
besten Sommerbücher in dieser Saison war.
*Das Buch wurde mir kostenfrei von netgalley zur Verfügung gestellt.
June 22, 2018
This is a very interesting story about a young girl who seems to enter a painting of a light house scene and is able to interact with the people at the lighthouse. She is confused as to how this keeps happening, who painted the picture, and why she is being taken into the picture and how. She forms a friendship with the girl in the painting, the girl seems to think she is her dead sister come back to her. The mother of the girl in the painting can't see this girl who visits so you wonder just what is happening, is the girl a ghost, is she really going into the painting or only dreaming that she does and there is a big twist at the end that I will not add here as it would spoil the mystery for those who have not yet read the book. This book is well worth the time to read and you will be greatly surprised by the ending.
December 1, 2024
This was an interesting book, concept wise. Charis Cotter is good at drawing you in to the story and teasing out the ghostly elements to leave you guessing. These ghostly elements are incorporated in unique ways that make you think.
One detail that really irritated me though is the naming of Annie, in the book. I certainly understand why it was done, for consistency between "Little Annie" of the past and current Annie. I just find it really annoying.
I find it sad that the current Annie doesn't get to be her own person and seems to be a replacement for Annie of the past.
While I enjoy Cotter's books, I'd really be interested in reading stories written by her that involve something other than ghosts. I think I'll be taking a break from ghost stories for a while.
One detail that really irritated me though is the naming of Annie, in the book. I certainly understand why it was done, for consistency between "Little Annie" of the past and current Annie. I just find it really annoying.
I find it sad that the current Annie doesn't get to be her own person and seems to be a replacement for Annie of the past.
While I enjoy Cotter's books, I'd really be interested in reading stories written by her that involve something other than ghosts. I think I'll be taking a break from ghost stories for a while.
February 20, 2018
Thank you to Tundra Books for sending me a free copy of this book to review.
"Why did you have to run, Annie? Why did you always have to run?"
Right away this book drew me into the atmospheric Newfoundland coast and the haunting story of Claire and Annie. I was certainly confused at first, but I believe that was the intent given the references to Lewis Carrol's Alice works. While I loved the unknown factor of reading this for the first time, this might be one of those books that are even better when re-read. Fans of middle-grade mysteries and realistic fiction would likely enjoy this one!
"Why did you have to run, Annie? Why did you always have to run?"
Right away this book drew me into the atmospheric Newfoundland coast and the haunting story of Claire and Annie. I was certainly confused at first, but I believe that was the intent given the references to Lewis Carrol's Alice works. While I loved the unknown factor of reading this for the first time, this might be one of those books that are even better when re-read. Fans of middle-grade mysteries and realistic fiction would likely enjoy this one!
October 23, 2017
This is a lovely atmospheric ghost story. It's about the past and present, wounding and healing. I was drawn in immediately and the story moves along quickly. I didn't want to put it down until I finished, but had to with life things getting the way. I felt myself going back to when I read books like this when I was much younger and increasing my love of reading. Wonderfully told and highly enjoyable. I felt for Annie, Claire, the parents, everyone involved.
I can definitely recommend this book.
I can definitely recommend this book.
November 14, 2021
I loved this book. It was a magical experience and it became one of my favourite books. I recommend it for people over nine or ten years old.
The story is written in the first person of singular to make us feel like we are inside the book just like Annie was inside of the painting. The story is full of mistery and along the book we have so many questions but when we get to the final we seeeverything clear.
In my opinion the book is brilliant and as my first book that I've read from Charis I defenetely want to read more books from her.
The story is written in the first person of singular to make us feel like we are inside the book just like Annie was inside of the painting. The story is full of mistery and along the book we have so many questions but when we get to the final we seeeverything clear.
In my opinion the book is brilliant and as my first book that I've read from Charis I defenetely want to read more books from her.
October 30, 2017
My Halloween read this year! An atmospheric novel about a family tragedy that leads to the breakdown of a mother-daughter relationship. It explores how the ghosts of our past can haunt our present, and that healing can be achieved through forgiveness. I like the paranormal touches, but ultimately the story is about the unbreakable bonds of family. I enjoyed this book and found the author's writing style engaging.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book.
February 26, 2018
Annie and her mother are very different, and have trouble talking to each other sometimes. Annie finds an old painting in the attic of her house and is drawn to it. It fascinates her every time she looks at it, until she notices one day that things in the painting are actually moving. The more she looks, the closer she gets, until finally she falls into the painting and enters that world. How will she get back? Why do some things feel familiar? Will Annie and her mom improve their relationship?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews