Set in Stone (2006)

I did not like this book. I finished it because I have this almost constitutional inability to not finish books when I start them, but I felt like it was a watered-down version of The Thirteenth Tale, though actually I’ve no idea which came first. (March 2008) ( )

This book started well, to the point I didnt realise that it was a Young Adult book. It is a story much in the vein of Jane Eyre, Northhanger Abbey and Wilkie Collins - young peniless artist joins a family as a teacher, only to find mysteries abound and it is the governess and art teacher (neither family or housefold staff) that end up investigating.

However, I got bored halfway through (any sense fo the dramatic is too laboured) and I skipped ahead, only to find topics never to be approached in even the most racy Wilkie Collins book - incest, suicide, homosexuality, murder, adultery, children out of wedlock.....on one hand it's too subtle, on the other hand the book is covering stories never covered in the very stories it's attempting to emulate, so fails on both counts.

Gave up halfway through, so disappointing

From Fantastic Fiction

When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at their majestic home, little does he expect to come across a place containing such secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as can be--younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, sensible and controlled. Helped by their governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly why Marianne is so emotionally fragile, and in doing so uncovers a web of intrigue. But his discoveries lead to revenge and betrayal--and lives all around are turned upside down.

Typical tale of a rambling old house with a family who have secrets. Samuel Goodwin soon finds himself wrapped up in the house and its secrets. It wasn’t rocket science to figure out the secret especially with there being a child involved.

The book was full of lovely descriptions which I really enjoyed, especially the descriptions of the three winds and the missing fourth. The story is told in turn by Samuel and Charlotte both giving their own points of view.

A sweet read but I felt that the ending was very sugary and was pulled together nice and neat. A book with no swearing and no sex scenes so for a change a nice cosy read on a winters afternoon.

Would I recommend this book, yes I would although there won’t be no surprises and you will probably will have read other books very similar. ( )

I think I expected a bit more art and fewer skeletons in the family closet in this novel that sees a young artist hired by a rich man as a tutor to his daughters who are implied to be emotionally unstable. Of course, nothing is quite that straightforward. ( )

A halfway-decent YA Gothic; sadly, the plot only works if you have never read a book before in your life (well, it IS YA) – if you have, you'll know exactly what the Dark Secret is as soon as you've met half the characters. ( )