So, my beautiful daughter has her second book review in the works here. Today she is reviewing Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper. This is a book I was given a couple of years ago (so...sorry...) and she took on with her hungry and fierce love of writing and reading (wonder where she gets that from...hehehe).
Check out the book, enjoy the review and hopefully your summer has been more restful than mine. <3
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A review of Newes from the Dead
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of
historical fiction. I think this has to do with the many, many novel studies I
had to do for social studies classes. We are usually given poorly-written fast
reads that I just can’t get into, no matter how hard I try. But, after reading
the true story Newes from the Dead by popular English author Mary
Hooper, I definitely regretted filling up with abhorrence at the sight of
historical fiction titles.
Newes from the Dead centers around the servant Anne Green, a murderess
found guilty of infantile and hung in 1650. But, there’s a catch. Anne can’t
move, can’t scream, and is locked in darkness with her racing thoughts. But,
despite all this, she is alive. Her newly found time might be limited, however.
Anne lays on a dissection table, surrounded by doctors. The suspense will
surely keep the reader on hook as the novel switches between perspectives of
the real world and the possible purgatory state Anne is in. The story
develops through Anne’s flashbacks and haunting thoughts of the crime she
didn’t actually commit. Robert, a shy, stuttering doctor gives you the
information on what’s happening outside Anne’s trapped soul. He also may or may
not have noticed the corpse’s eye flutter...
Hooper’s 60+ books targeted towards
youth have a huge fanbase tied to them. Newes from the Dead proves
there’s a reason why young adults flock to her novels. The characters feel
real; The first person narration of Anne Green sounded like a primary source diary
from the seventeenth century. Hooper exceeded my expeditions with that fact,
since a lot of historical fiction characters are dull, twenty first
century-like individuals trapped in the past. As for the gruesome atmosphere
and tension the author wants her audience to feel, it’s carried out
phenomenally. The hellish realities of this period of time will send shivers
down your spine.
This book is also a cup of tea for those not completely dedicated to horror and mystery genres. The perfect ingredients to a great novel include elements of romance, relatable material, drama, and family. Newes from the Dead makes sure to make these elements present in her writing. I can assure anybody now interested in this book will finish reading curious to find out more about the legendary Anne Green, just like I did. If that’s that case, or you’re just wanting to get some juicy spoilers on what happens to this young women, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a good source.
Excellent book review. I'll recommend this to our children.
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