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Ghost Cat: 05/10/08
Ghost Cat by Beverly Butler takes its inspiration from "Annabel Lee", Edgar Allan Poe's last poem. The young protagonist is named for the ill fated girl in Poe's poem and while staying with relatives she barely knows, Annabel Lee dredges up memories of a 40 year old feud. While Poe may have been the starting point for this mystery, the book reminds me most of Be Buried in the Rain by Barbara Michaels but aimed at a younger audience. Although I enjoyed the 40 year old mystery and the ghost story bits, the family tension at the farm dragged the pacing of the book down. The biggest problem with the book is Annabel herself. She's not a well defined character. Her only point seems to be to dredge up the past to bring closure for her family. Since she is mostly a plot device, she doesn't make an interesting enough character to tell the story. Her grandfather who actually knows what is going on is a far more fascinating character but he can't be the narrator since he knows too much. Butler's set up started with the plot painted into a corner. Comments (0)
1997-2023 Sarah Sammis |
