The Uninvited Guests (2012)

I'll admit to being initially drawn to The Uninvited Guests by the cover. Shallow, I know, but there you have it. When positive reviews began appearing around the blogosphere, I added my name to the library hold list and reached the top in just a few weeks. At home, I was delighted to discover the novel has gorgeous endpapers, too. This is a very visually appealing book!

The Edwardian Era setting helped satisfy my Downton Abbey withdrawal syndrome, and I immediately enjoyed the author's use of language - so smart and witty. Several laugh-out-loud moments had my family raising eyebrows and glancing in my direction. The novel was a quick read and I finished the final half in a single afternoon, an unusual occurrence for me.

My verdict? Enjoyable overall, yet it fell short of my expectations. The story seemed a little flat and the macabre plot elements just seemed weird. I was expecting more to be made of Smudge's drawings, especially since they adorn the endpapers. The characters, in general, weren't especially likable and I never really cared about any of them.

I found myself thinking about the book for several days after finishing. My appreciation may have increased slightly, yet I still can't muster more than a 'good' rating. ( )

It is the day of Emerald Torrington’s twentieth birthday and things do not go exactly as planned. She and her brother Clovis await the arrival of Patience and her mother, neither of which are entirely wanted at the affair. Their step-father is off to Manchester to try and save Sterne, the house they live in.

Everything is surprisingly alright until Patience and her mother are to be met at the train and they are asked to allow passengers from a different train which has gone off of it’s tracks.

So, between trying to remain some bit of decorum to their lifestyle and house upwards of fifty displaced persons, not to mention a mother who absents herself whenever she can, a maid who happens to be sick and various other inconveniences. (One of which Smudge, Emerald’s younger sister, who goes on a Great Undertaking.) Emerald (with help from some others) manages it all.

This book was an absolute delight to read from beginning to end. I honestly could not put it down and myself gasping at the surprises and shaking with laughter at each new thing. It is full of English humor and wit. I cannot describe how sad I was to finish it is so short a period of time. It was marvelous and I plan on picking up some the author’s other work soon. With much anticipation of her new books in the future. ( )

the novel started out well, got a bit weird, and then a pat and (cliched) happy ending. this book could definitely be lumped into 'downton abbey' reading lists - the people, setting and time are all very similar. there is mischief and just a bit of raunch. tastefully, britishfully done, of course. that my favourite characters from this story are a young girl, nicknamed Smudge, and a pony named Lady, well...that might possibly sum it all up. ( )

Not bad, not great. I can understand why some may recommend it to fans of Downton Abbey and usually I'd really be into a British family story...but this one just wasn't what I wanted to read at the moment. ( )

This novel reminded me of those ornamental, over-the-top architectural follies that you find perched in the gardens of old British manor houses. It is wildly excessive, completely frothy, and goofily amusing. It is a very quick read, but like other overly-rich confections I have gobbled down, I felt slightly nauseous before I reached the end. I am not entirely sure why others have given the novel rave reviews. It is not badly written; it is a fleeting, ominous ghost story in which nothing much actually happens, but which contains a great deal of atmosphere. Its tongue-in-cheek capturing of a certain kind of moody novel is slightly reminiscent of the wonderful [b:Cold Comfort Farm|92780|Cold Comfort Farm |Stella Gibbons|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309288096s/92780.jpg|847348], but it was not nearly as fun to read and I have no lingering memory of anything of substance now (only hours after finishing) except the singular haunting image of a little girl tracing a horse's outline against her bedroom wall in charcoal. That may actually be enough to recommend the novel. ( )