Thursday, February 2, 2012

Midnight in Austenland

If you've never read a Shannon Hale book you are seriously missing out. I like to joke with a good friend that all we want to do in this life is play miniature golf with her, she just seems like such a fun person to be around. I got the chance to read an advanced copy of her newest book Midnight in Austenland. I wasn't the biggest fan of the previous book, Austenland, but I was very excited for this one nonetheless.
This book didn't disappoint, it was sweet take on Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen). Never having read Northanger Abbey I had a few ideas of what to expect but this surpassed all expectations. Charlotte leaves behind her cheating ex-husband and kids to escape to the land of Austen to be transported to a different time of courting gentlemen and corsets. What Charlotte finds instead is a terrifying (in her mind) ghost story and what she thinks is a real life murder. While everyone is pretending to go along with the story, Charlotte is trying to figure out if there really was a murder or if it was just part of the story they're acting out. Amidst all of this, Charlotte finds herself falling in love and becoming a stronger woman than she ever thought she could be.
The story moves well and leaves you not only wanting more but rooting for Charlotte. If you're a Jane Austen fan, you will most certainly enjoy this read!

1 comment:

Aubrey Norby said...

Thanks for the tip! I love Shannon Hale's other books.