Review: Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

Release Date: September 9th 2014
Publisher:  EgmontUSA
Format: eArc
Pages: 288
Genre: Young Adult – Historical Fiction, Horror, Retelling
Source: Edelweiss
Author: Website | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

A romantic, historical retelling of classic Gothic horror featuring Edgar Allan Poe and his character Annabel Lee, from a New York Times best-selling author.

Summoned to her father's home in 1820's Philadelphia, a girl finds herself in the midst of a rash of gruesome murders in which he might be implicated. She is torn romantically between her father's assistants-one kind and proper, one mysterious and brooding-who share a dark secret and may have more to do with the violent events than they're letting on.

*This book was provided by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Annabel Lee has just traveled half way across the world to Philadelphia, PA to live with her father, whom she has never met. Her mother has passed away and she is an only child so she is doing this all on her own. While walking to the carriage that will take her to her new home something happens and she is rescued from drowning by her father’s assistant Allan Poe. There is instant attraction between the two of them. She soon finds out that there is a murderer loose in Philadelphia but everyone insists that she has nothing to worry about as long as she stays by her house and doesn’t go out at night. There are many secrets floating around the large old house that she is now living in.

I did think the writing in this book flowed nicely, which is probably what kept me from DNFing it but nothing really happened for about 70% of the book. I would say more than half the book was character development. The plot is very slow and when I hit about 80% I was thinking to myself that there wasn’t much left in the book and I was wondering if or when anything was going to happen. I was waiting for the shocker. However, there isn’t really a shocker moment in this book. I pretty much figured out what was going on right away and I’m sure everyone else will be able to also. Oh and not to mention this book is part of a series, at least I hope that wasn’t how it was going to end. There is no indication, at least on Goodreads, that this was going to be a series.  

I really don’t have too much else to say on the book but not too much happened. Anything really worth talking about would only lead to a spoiler, which I try my hardest to avoid while writing reviews. Also, I am not completely familiar with Poe, I need to work on that, but I really thought there was going to be more. The names are obviously connected and some of his work is thrown in but that was really all I got out of it. This was more of a story of how Annabel Lee and Poe met and not a “retelling” of anything. I am not sure if I will be picking up the next book, if it is indeed a series. 

On a separate note, Jessica Verday's website is pretty neat.

(Closer to a 2.5)