Don't Hate Me. That Sounded Desperate.

Hey world! It's Bring a Friend Day! Did you bring your friends? If you did, go ahead and comment that, maybe with a suggestion for me to add to my To Read list which is growing short, and then you will have wonderful chances of winning the lame prize that is given to people who bring their friends, or enemies, or anyone who can read. And since it's Bring a Friend Day, I obviously have to post a review of something! The problem is, I haven't finished the book I'm reading because I've been so busy lately! Not to fear, there was a time before this blog, and there are multiple books that have made quite an impression, and I can review completely honestly, as if no time has passed. Problem averted through a trip down memory lane!

So, a really long time ago, at least more than two years, but not more than four years, and certainly not more than nine years ago, I read a book called A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz, who appears not to have a personal website, but does have a Wikipedia. This is a standalone book, and unlike most of the books I review, which are generally teen and adult, this is a children's book. You know, that part in the library with the shorter shelves? 


Summaryish: A young girl named Maud is living in an orphanage when a charming lady named Miss Hyacinth, who either has one sister or two, adopts her and takes her home. She soon finds out that the only reason she was adopted by the woman was so that she could help with elaborate faked séances for grieving parents or other such relatives. She is then torn between her desire to please her new guardians and her growing dirty conscience. 

Review: Oh my gosh, if I remember one thing about this book, it's that I didn't like it at all. I suffered through endless pages of pretty much nothing but suspense growing by the hair's width. I do remember that the characters were nicely brought to life, but the boring story line totally overshadows that. I've spent the last no more than four years getting through bad books by telling myself I've read worse. Thinking to myself, "At least it's nor Drowned Maiden's Hair" I would immediately get a second story-wind. Yeah, I read it quite a while ago, but something this bad stands out in one's memory. But then again, maybe I'm just incompatible with this kind of story telling, and slow moving tales are the kind of thing you like. The tagline, "A Melodrama" probably should have warned me I wouldn't like it... 

About the Title:

The title was the thing that drew me to the book in the first place, and I can at least say that it's properly curiosity-inducing. So at least that was done well.

See you next week. Thanks for bringing your friends!

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.