Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Review: Dangerous Neighbors - Beth Kephart

Where I got it: Inter-library Library
Rating: 4 stars
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's certainly pretty and representative of the book. It does look like an adult novel to me though.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: August 24, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Page Count: 176 p.

In the 19th century, during the year of the Centennial, two sisters are bound tightly by the fact that they are twins. Katherine has made it her life to look after her frail sister Anna, who always seems aloof, and easily distracted into danger. When an ugly bout of fate rips them apart, Katherine no longer knows her place in the world. Who is she if she is not her sister's protector? Why should she go on living?

This story was very fascinating, and I loved the time period. The hustle and bustle of the new era dawning was an interesting contrast to Katherine's bleak outlook. Katherine had the only person she cared about and who cared about her abruptly torn from her life. It's always fascinating to read about people in the 19th century who are suicidal. It seems more common now, but I never really think of people from that time period like that. I mean there are the famous crazies who killed themselves(Virginia Woolf{though she technically offed herself in the 20th century}) but you never hear about the regular day to day people and how they were feeling and affected by things. The death of a twin and sister must be devastating. It was interesting that Katherine was so torn apart, but her parents were too busy with the new era to really grieve at all for their lost child. It was an interesting piece of historical fiction, and I look forward to reading Beth Kephart's other work now. This novel was very lyrically written, with the words just flowing so nicely and weaving you a scene of the excitement pulsing for the new age.

First Line of actual story:
"From up high, everything seems to spill from itself."

Favorite Line:
"Anna would say that she was a cat like Gemma, with nine lives to spend, all nine precious and delicious." 

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