Title: The Uninvited
Author: Cat Winters
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (HarperCollins)
Release Date: August 11, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours
Twenty-five-year-old Ivy Rowan rises from her sickbed after being struck by the great influenza epidemic of 1918, only to discover that the world has been torn apart in just a few short days.
But Ivy's lifelong gift—or curse—remains. She sees the uninvited ones—ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked for and unwelcomed, for they always herald impending death. On that October evening in 1918, Ivy sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother's chair. An hour later, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a young German out of retaliation for the death in the Great War of Ivy's other brother, Billy.
Horrified, she leaves home and soon realizes that the flu has caused utter panic and the rules governing society have broken down. Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion, and freedom, where people live for today, because they could be stricken by nightfall. She even enters into a relationship with the murdered German man's brother, Daniel Schendel. But as her "uninvited guests" begin to appear to her more often, she knows her life will be torn apart once again, and terrifying secrets will unfold.
My Review
I know I've said before that I tend to avoid American historical fiction when I'm choosing my reading materials, but I had no problem with picking up The Uninvited by Cat Winters because I enjoyed her writing in her debut, In the Shadow of Blackbirds. The writing in The Uninvited was just as good, if not better, because putting the book down and doing other things (like work) made me pretty angry.
The Uninvited is a very character-driven novel, as it follows Ivy Rowan adjusting to her new life away from her family in Buchanan, Illinois. Everything is in an upheaval from World War I and the flu epidemic, so nothing is easy for her. Since Ivy feels so enormously guilty about the murder her father and brother committed, she keeps going back to the Schendel furniture in hopes of making amends with Daniel. The development of that relationship was slow, but worth it in the end.
When I saw that The Uninvited was about ghosts, I expected them to be a lot more present throughout the novel. It is not at all what I would necessarily consider a ghost story. Ivy caught glances of various dead friends and relatives, and she knew that foretold some death in the coming days.
I do want to bring it up, though I cannot say much about it, but there are certain turns of the plot that I did not see coming from a mile away. I had an idea in my mind of what The Uninvited was going to be about, and it was not THAT at all. Having said that, it made the experience of reading the book so much better.
If you're a reader of historical fiction or a fan of Winters' YA, you need to go out and find you a copy of The Uninvited. Being as it was released in trade paperback, it shouldn't be too expensive. I can almost guarantee that it'll be a reread, or you'll at least be sharing it with friends.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
About the Author
Cat Winters's debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, was released to widespread critical acclaim. The novel has been named a finalist for the 2014 Morris Award, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013, and a Booklist 2013 Top 10 Horror Fiction for Youth. Winters lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads
Follow the Tour
The Uninvited Tour Schedule
Tuesday, August 4th
100 Pages a Day … Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Thursday, August 6th
No More Grumpy Bookseller
Friday, August 7th
Bibliotica
Monday, August 10th
Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, August 12th
Jenn’s Booshelves
Thursday, August 13th
Bookshelf Fantasies
Tuesday, August 18th
Bibliophilia, Please
Wednesday, August 19th
Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, August 20th
Raven Haired Girl
Thursday, August 20th
From the TBR Pile
Friday, August 21st
A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, August 27th
Sidewalk Shoes
Friday, August 28th
The Reader’s Hollow
Giveaway
Thanks to our friends at HarperCollins, I have an extra ARC of The Uninvited by Cat Winters up for grabs for one lucky winner.
US Only
Ends at 12:01am CST on September 1st
a Rafflecopter giveaway
To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the novel from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an unbiased review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All expressed opinions are awesome, honest, and courtesy of me.
Thanks for this fascinating feature and giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteOoh I hate it when I have to put a great book down to do other things (like work!), and this sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.