Friday, August 22, 2014

Midnight in Austenland

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

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This is one of those books that, while it is technically the second in a series, you do NOT have to read the first book in order to understand what is going on. There are only two similar characters, and the main character meets them with you there, so it isn't confusing. 

In case you don't know anything about Austenland, I will provide a little bit of background for you. But I suggest that a) you read the first book, because it's adorable b) and watch the movie, because it's even more adorable. The sequel is less adorable, and more of a bone chilling mystery with a little romance thrown in. Other than this book's overuse of the word "Ominous," I thought this was a pretty good book.


Ominous: giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; or in the case of this book; evil, creepily, uneasy, scared, dark, and a million other things.

This book is told from the perspective of a woman named Charlotte, who got her heart broken when she was dumped by her husband James. They divorced, he remarried, and she stayed behind with hurt feelings and two kids. After many failed first dates, Charlotte decides she needs a fantasy; and with plenty of money, she decides to take a vacation to Austenland, a place in England where actors are paid to pretend to fall in love with her. What could possibly be better to take her mind off the past?

But as she goes through the trip, it's hard to separate the fantasy and reality. A murder mystery has been invented to keep the guests entertained. During a game of Bloody Murder, Charlotte stumbles in a secret room and discovers what she is sure to be a dead body. The darkness hides anything she could see; but when she comes back in the morning, the body is gone. Is the fantasy making her crazy, or is something going on? 

What was supposed to be fun and games turns into something more sinister and scary. Can Charlotte uncover the secrets of Pembrook Park and the Windy Manor before it's too late?

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Bring a dictionary with you unless you are an adult, an advanced and intellectual human being, or in fact, a dictionary. 

This book used the word "ominous" a lot. I already said that, but it seriously does. And since they are pretending to be in the 1800s, there are some words that you might not know. 

Other than that, this is a really great read!!

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