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megales's review against another edition
5.0
Still one of my all time favorite books hands down. I read it as a kid and it still hold up years later. It's got everything, history, mystery, romance, drama, it's fabulous!!
reading_rachel's review against another edition
4.0
I am fascinated with all that happened surrounding Lincoln's assassination, and this YA novel gave a fresh perspective on the whole thing. Ann Rinaldi is one of the best historical fiction writers out there for young adults.
Side note: I feel like my copy of the book is more authentic in some way because I bought it in the gift shop across from Ford's Theater in D.C. Best souvenir ever.
Side note: I feel like my copy of the book is more authentic in some way because I bought it in the gift shop across from Ford's Theater in D.C. Best souvenir ever.
affyfe's review against another edition
4.0
Good, quick read. This book is a combination of actual events and a fictional story. The interesting part of it is that some of the historical facts are little known (for example, some of John WIlkes Booth's friends and their families) so you come out of the book actually learning something new about US history. I'd recommend this book to any high schooler (maybe middle schooler) who is currently studying US hisory Civil War era as well as anyone else who wants a quick, clever, historical fiction book.
kitandkat's review against another edition
4.0
This review is based on a reread as an adult. I adored this book as a preteen/young teen. I loved that it got pretty dark and wasn’t afraid to shy away from taboo topics. At the time, this was hard to find in middle grade fiction. Now, I am able to see some flaws. The writing tends toward the simplistic. I absolutely hate the way the book treats the Black characters. Specifically, the “dialect” is just unnecessary, it is hard to do without seeming racist. The main character’s attitude towards Black people is understandable for her time period and upbringing but this is a modern book and she doesn’t exhibit much growth in this area. And the characters themselves are mostly stereotypes, with this weird hint of... voodoo? that again is unnecessary and comes off as racist to a modern audience. I can forgive the main character’s actions and attitudes given her age though I think I enjoyed her more at that age! Now I’m just sitting there like, whyyyyyy. It’s still an engaging story and has really interesting (white) characters. Edit: Gave this 4.5 as a kid, now I'd probably give it like 2.5 for the racism... so I stuck with the 4 with the review.
kathykekmrs's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent story about growing up and facing one's fears. Emily Pigbush goes to live with her maternal Uncle Valentine Bransby after her mother's death. She had wanted to live with her neighbor and daughter Mary and Annie Surratt, but this was not to be. The Surratt's were known acquaintances of John Wilkes Booth and would go one to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The Surrattes were real people, but the Bransby-Pigbush characters were invented by the author to tell a story about body snatching and friendship in 1865. The end of the Civil War was a tumultuous time in United States History. There were disenfranchised southerners still fighting for a world that had just ended. There were free slaves living in hovels in Washington, DC because they could not read or write to take jobs to support themselves. There were also many bodies being buried at what would become Arlington National Cemetery on Robert E. Lee's property as this was part of the terms of surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. In the midst of all of this turmoil Abraham Lincoln is shot and justice is swift and brutal.
bitchburgerbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
After all these years I still enjoy me some Ann Rinaldi.
prairiedances's review against another edition
5.0
great book still the second time around. I love the interjection of fairytales along with the dark storyline. I recommend reading this in conjunction with a viewing of "The Conspirator".
colleencocobongo's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really interesting book. My boyfriend recommended it to me, and although I doubted it because of the cover, it turned out to be really good. I read it in less than 24 hours!
colleencocobongo's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really interesting book. My boyfriend recommended it to me, and although I doubted it because of the cover, it turned out to be really good. I read it in less than 24 hours!
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
The American Civil War has been inspiration for a number of ghost stories, romances and mysteries but until An Acquaintance with Darkness, I can't recall reading a Gothic horror set in this era, especially one set in Washington D.C. Gothic horrors usually takes place in New England, the birthplace of the American version of the genre. Even Stephen King keeps up the tradition by setting most of his novels in or near Maine. When reading this political thriller about the assassination of Lincoln, I was a little put off by the inclusion of various Gothic elements (body snatching, night flowers, strange servants, etc.) into the story. In fact it was this waffling between genres (thriller and horror) that ultimately put me off the book completely. It could never settle on which genre it was and the two were never properly woven together into a coherent story.
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