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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Well for one, the cover is rather gorgeous. I love the vibrant red of the girl's lips and the scarlet of her hair and the pale pink color tones and the wisps of white that wreathe the title and the splash of green for her eyes. I think it's a beautiful color palette.
And then there is the story, which promises to be beautiful as well. I loved Clement-Moore's The Splendor Falls and I hope that in these pages I'll find more of the same magic and suspense and wonderful characters and delectably drool-worthy descriptions of food.
And then there is the story, which promises to be beautiful as well. I loved Clement-Moore's The Splendor Falls and I hope that in these pages I'll find more of the same magic and suspense and wonderful characters and delectably drool-worthy descriptions of food.
Texas Gothic RATING: 3.5 stars.
After the "Morganville Vampires" marathon I was longing for something I could read and be done with. Texas Gothic, a stand alone novel about a family of witches was a good choice. It has a definite end and it's enjoyable.
I liked the book, overall, but it wasn't an outstanding read. Amy is the typical 'black sheep' of the family because while all the others are witches and psychics she is "normal" and is somewhat embarrassed when her family starts acting... witchy. Typically Amy only wants to lead a normal, non-magical life.
But when her aunt asks her and her sister Phin to take care of her ranch, Amy will find herself involved in paranormal events that will follow her... whether she wants to or not.
The mystery with the ghost was pretty typical, nothing special. I did like the way the author was developing things gradually, but then she rushed everything in the last chapters and that made the ending kind of anticlimatic and nonsensical. Amy was all bent on being a sleuth but she ended up not doing that much investigation.I liked the chemistry between Amy and Ben, it was really good and it seemed it was also going to be a gradual sort of relationship, until it... wasn't. But hey, at least it wasn't insta-love.
I got the feeling the author was taking her time developing her story and her characters but then it was like she just got tired of writing and decided on an abrupt end, which was kind of bad. So this book could have been really entertaining, but it was just mildly interesting.
Overall, Texas Gothic was an good read. I liked the characters (Phin was my favorite, she was great), the mystery and the whole history around it was cool, and the world and story building were great at first. I really liked the fact that it involved anthropology and digs and it also mentioned how people see digging of old cemeteries. But the ending was disappointing. A recommended read for lovers of paranormal mysteries.
After the "Morganville Vampires" marathon I was longing for something I could read and be done with. Texas Gothic, a stand alone novel about a family of witches was a good choice. It has a definite end and it's enjoyable.
I liked the book, overall, but it wasn't an outstanding read. Amy is the typical 'black sheep' of the family because while all the others are witches and psychics she is "normal" and is somewhat embarrassed when her family starts acting... witchy. Typically Amy only wants to lead a normal, non-magical life.
But when her aunt asks her and her sister Phin to take care of her ranch, Amy will find herself involved in paranormal events that will follow her... whether she wants to or not.
The mystery with the ghost was pretty typical, nothing special. I did like the way the author was developing things gradually, but then she rushed everything in the last chapters and that made the ending kind of anticlimatic and nonsensical. Amy was all bent on being a sleuth but she ended up not doing that much investigation.I liked the chemistry between Amy and Ben, it was really good and it seemed it was also going to be a gradual sort of relationship, until it... wasn't. But hey, at least it wasn't insta-love.
I got the feeling the author was taking her time developing her story and her characters but then it was like she just got tired of writing and decided on an abrupt end, which was kind of bad. So this book could have been really entertaining, but it was just mildly interesting.
Overall, Texas Gothic was an good read. I liked the characters (Phin was my favorite, she was great), the mystery and the whole history around it was cool, and the world and story building were great at first. I really liked the fact that it involved anthropology and digs and it also mentioned how people see digging of old cemeteries. But the ending was disappointing. A recommended read for lovers of paranormal mysteries.
Actual 4.5 stars.
I loved this book. I mean I really loved it. The balance between paranormal and mystery was just perfect, and the romance aspect did not overwhelm the rest of the storyline at any point. The main character was smart and sarcastic, stubborn and brave. I laughed out loud at points and I have no idea why I'm not giving this 5 stars to be honest.
I loved this book. I mean I really loved it. The balance between paranormal and mystery was just perfect, and the romance aspect did not overwhelm the rest of the storyline at any point. The main character was smart and sarcastic, stubborn and brave. I laughed out loud at points and I have no idea why I'm not giving this 5 stars to be honest.
Texas Gothic is an interesting blend of magic and old Texas history. And within that magic, there is something we don't see very often: witches mixed science mixed with ghosts. Amy Goodnight is a witch from a long line of witches, but she doesn't like to admit it. She wants to be normal (who doesn't) and that's hard to do when her sister Phin is creating ray guns to monitor a ghost's "footprint".
I was the designated grown up in a family that operated in different reality than the rest of the world.
Amy & Phin are spending the summer house-sitting for their Aunt Hyacinth and unfortunately they have a lot more trouble than just keeping the goats from escaping. There seems to be a ghost on the loose and he's terrorizing people on the ranch next door. Said ranch just happens to be owned by a young handsome cowboy who immediately clashes with Amy and doesn't believe in ghosts, magic, or any of that other nonsense. Amy is dragged into the mess against her will when the ghost seems to become attached to her and she starts Nancy Drew-ing around.
"Those books were highly unrealistic. Do you have any idea how much brain damage a person would have if she were hit on the head and drugged with chloroform that often?"
Cowboy Ben's main irritation stems from the anthropologists digging up his land after a skeleton is found. (And it's questionable whether this is Amy's ghost or not.) Local ghost stories merge with scientific facts until it's hard to tell who the villain is, dead or alive. It was so interesting to read a story based in Texas that included the history of its land and local legends but wasn't completely stereotypical. Yes, there were cowboys and cattle but it but didn't bash you over the head with "yeehaws" and "y'alls".
Reviewed at Give a Hoot Read a Book!
I was the designated grown up in a family that operated in different reality than the rest of the world.
Amy & Phin are spending the summer house-sitting for their Aunt Hyacinth and unfortunately they have a lot more trouble than just keeping the goats from escaping. There seems to be a ghost on the loose and he's terrorizing people on the ranch next door. Said ranch just happens to be owned by a young handsome cowboy who immediately clashes with Amy and doesn't believe in ghosts, magic, or any of that other nonsense. Amy is dragged into the mess against her will when the ghost seems to become attached to her and she starts Nancy Drew-ing around.
"Those books were highly unrealistic. Do you have any idea how much brain damage a person would have if she were hit on the head and drugged with chloroform that often?"
Cowboy Ben's main irritation stems from the anthropologists digging up his land after a skeleton is found. (And it's questionable whether this is Amy's ghost or not.) Local ghost stories merge with scientific facts until it's hard to tell who the villain is, dead or alive. It was so interesting to read a story based in Texas that included the history of its land and local legends but wasn't completely stereotypical. Yes, there were cowboys and cattle but it but didn't bash you over the head with "yeehaws" and "y'alls".
Reviewed at Give a Hoot Read a Book!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5/5
Una historia juvenil paranormal original y algo diferente a lo que he leído de este genero.
Amy proviene de una familia de magia, personas a las que en el mejor de los casos se les llama excéntricas y en el peor locas. Ella siempre ha tratado de ser la normal de grupo, pero ciertos eventos en la granja de su tía le hace tomar un rumbo distinto.
Esta novela tiene su poco de misterio, romance y terror. La historia de los fantasmas es bien sin llegar a asustar mucho. En el aspecto romántico, me gusto mucho la relación odio/coqueteo entre Amy y Ben. Los personajes secundarios son también destacables, por ejemplo la hermana geek/bruja de Amy, Phin.
A pesar de todo esto el libro no me enamoro. Aun así lo recomendaría por su originalidad.
Una historia juvenil paranormal original y algo diferente a lo que he leído de este genero.
Amy proviene de una familia de magia, personas a las que en el mejor de los casos se les llama excéntricas y en el peor locas. Ella siempre ha tratado de ser la normal de grupo, pero ciertos eventos en la granja de su tía le hace tomar un rumbo distinto.
Esta novela tiene su poco de misterio, romance y terror. La historia de los fantasmas es bien sin llegar a asustar mucho. En el aspecto romántico, me gusto mucho la relación odio/coqueteo entre Amy y Ben. Los personajes secundarios son también destacables, por ejemplo la hermana geek/bruja de Amy, Phin.
A pesar de todo esto el libro no me enamoro. Aun así lo recomendaría por su originalidad.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was alright
I haven't read anything funny in quite some time and this one made me laugh a lot. It has witches, ghosts, some crazy farm animals, family secrets, a bit of romance and a cowboy. Great summer read.
One of my New Years Resolutions is to write at least some kind of review for all the books I read during the year.
Texas Gothic was pretty good. It's about sisters, Amy and Phin Goodnight, who are watching their aunt's farm while she is away for the summer. Their family is a family of witches, although Amy refuses to participate in that part of her family's lifestyle. The story then goes on to become a mystery/romance involving ghosts. I am not a huge fan of ghosts (they just seem kind of silly to me) so I could have lived without that part of the story. The romance was sweet, though, and the characters were good so I enjoyed the book anyway.
Texas Gothic was pretty good. It's about sisters, Amy and Phin Goodnight, who are watching their aunt's farm while she is away for the summer. Their family is a family of witches, although Amy refuses to participate in that part of her family's lifestyle. The story then goes on to become a mystery/romance involving ghosts. I am not a huge fan of ghosts (they just seem kind of silly to me) so I could have lived without that part of the story. The romance was sweet, though, and the characters were good so I enjoyed the book anyway.