Book Synopsis:
Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.
My Review:
4.25/5 stars. This was a fun and lovely story about two sisters who are so different yet have to work together to solve a mystery. I loved the characterization of both of them. The plot was very engaging and fast-paced, but I felt like some parts of the mystery were a little contrived towards the end. I’ve wanted to a little bit but have never read a Brontë novel. This book made me want to read them more.
I loved the two sisters, Charlotte and Emily. I feel like they were characterized well. I don't know enough about them in real life to say if it felt like an accurate portrayal, but I enjoyed them as fictional characters. The book did a great job of showing their flaws while also highlighting their good qualities. Neither one was shown as the "worse" sister. They were also so different yet were able to work together in the end.
Another aspect I liked was how, at first, the sisters were involved in separate sides of the same connected mystery. They were both discovering different information, but it was all still part of the same main plot. It was interesting to see how they became connected and came together eventually.
Speaking of the plot, though, I felt like some parts of the mystery were a little contrived or seemed to fall into place too easily. Things got figured out quickly and solutions were thought up right away. While there definitely were some intense moments with consequences, the characters got away with other things too easily. For example, the sisters were able to trail someone for a few miles, out in the open, and never get noticed.
Despite the contrived feeling at times, the plot was very engaging. I found myself hooked right away, and the story was pretty fast-paced so I never lost interest. I wanted to keep reading to see how the story progressed and what the characters got up to.
One other element I liked was that the quotes from Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre related to the events happening in the story, as if the sisters were putting their real life actions into their writing. The author probably took certain parts of the classic novels and built this book's narrative around them. Writing in general was also a theme of this book, as that is the shared love of the two Brontës. I loved the quote: "Writing is what makes life sweet to the tongue."
Content:
Language: One use of bas--rd; God's name taken in vain a few times (For G-d's sake)
Violence/Gore: In the introduction chapter, the family is mourning their children/siblings who died as kids; injury and sickness, but nothing in detail; characters get guns pointed at them
Sexual Content: A character central to the mystery got pregnant out of wedlock; semi-passionate kissing
Drugs/Alcohol: A character was drugged to make them seem insane; mentions of someone being an alcoholic
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