Book Review: The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 2010
Pages: 146
Series: no
Acquisition: bought

Summary:

Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. The ghost of the last maid will not leave Tabby in peace, yet this spirit is only one of many. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave?

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. He is determined to keep Seldom House as his own. Though Tabby tries to befriend the uncouth urchin, her kindness cannot alter his fate. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
Confession time - I've never actually read Wuthering Heights. I think I started reading it or maybe even had to read it for school but I know I've never read the entire book. So! I wasn't really sure what to expect from a book toted as it's prequel. Seriously though, I've wanted to read this book from the moment I saw that cover. Creepy! I love it!

The House of Dead Maids is a short book - I finished it up in about an hour - but even if it was longer, reading it would be time well spent. The creep factor starts with the cover and travels through the entire book - to the very end and through to the epilogue. It's mysterious and disturbing. It was full of questions - only some of which were answered and all these elements combined to make an excellent story.

Having only a small amount of knowledge regarding Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, it's hard to say if his actions as a small child are on par with the man he became. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that Clare did a very good job showing Heathcliff's dark side. If the facts of his childhood, as Clare portrays them, are seen as 'true', it might explain some of his future actions. Again - all in a very creepy kind of way!

I was captivated by the cover and I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. Whether you're a fan of Wuthering Heights or not, if you enjoy creepy, gets under your skin tales, I would highly recommend The House of Dead Maids.

Overall Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Henry Holt
Author's Website
Goodreads