Review: The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle
Hardcover, 146 pages
Published September 14th 2010 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
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Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. The ghost of the last maid will not leave Tabby in peace, yet this spirit is only one of many. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave?

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. He is determined to keep Seldom House as his own. Though Tabby tries to befriend the uncouth urchin, her kindness cannot alter his fate. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him.

 

My Review:           

Well since I try not to know really anything about books going into them this book came as a surprise. All I had heard about it was that it was a creepy story and I had heard a couple people say that it was a good story. So I saw it for cheap on Bookcloseouts.com and decided to give it a go. I was completely oblivious that this was a prelude to Wuthering Heights even though it says right on the front I just never noticed it. Needless to say I was surprised when I first heard the narrator, who was the main character; mention the young Bronte sisters and Heathcliff.

Tabby Aykroyd is an orphan that is taken to Seldom House to be a nursemaid for a young master. She doesn’t know anything of her past and knows nothing of the dreaded house she has been taken too. She keeps seeing creepy dead people walking around and appearing to her throughout the house. The master that she has to keep company has no name. They call him “Heathen Git,” which is obviously not an appropriate name for a child. This is the boy that is to become Heathcliff. He is a very mean spoiled little boy. Some might even call him a little evil. Tabby does all she can to try and protect the boy.

I have never read Wuthering Heights so I can’t say yay or nay on whether it is actually a good prelude or not. The story by itself was pretty interesting though. It involves a lot of Christianity talk and some pagan rituals. Something I wasn’t expecting.  There were also pictures at the start of each chapter that went along with the rather creepy nature of the book.

Do I Recommend this Book/Series?

Yes! This was a very quick and easy read and I think this would be a good book to read around Halloween time.

Will I Read the Next Book?

I haven’t decided if I will pick up Wuthering Heights or not. I’m not the biggest fan of classic books because I feel that I can’t really relate much to them. I might one day though.

My Rating: