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Book Review : The Silent Companions

BOOK DETAILS:
Book Title : The Silent Companions
Author : Laura Purcell
ISBN : 9781408888100
Publisher : Bloomsbury
Genre : Gothic Ghost Story
Publication : 2017
Pages : 384
Format : Paperback

BOOK BLURB:
Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge.
With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...

RATING: 4.5 ☆'s

REVIEW:
I love reading scary ghost stories, but I am never really scared easy. So I keep looking for spooky reads and that's how I came across this book.
It was definitely a good read as is obvious from my rating though sadly, it didn't give me the chills I was expecting - but on that front, I guess the fault lies with me.
It's silly really, when I am watching a scary movie or reading something scary, when a certain event is elaborated or stressed upon, I know something scary is about to happen and then because I am already prepared for it or expecting it, I don't end up getting scared - it's so meh - but that's how I am.
So let's get down to break the book apart -

WHAT I LOVED:
  1. The Unexpectedness--- okay besides the point that I sort of expect the scary part, the book was full of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader glued from start to end
  2. Fast and Intriguing Plot --- the author is inspired by Shirley Jackson and I have only read one book by her but I found it a slow and repetitive read, but this one here was a total page turner and intriguing enough to stop the reader from putting the book aside - a totally un-putdown-able book
  3. A Justified Genre --- the book is spooky alright, me being meh is a different issue altogether - having said that, even though the book didn't send the chills down my spine nor did I feel as if someone was watching me in the dark, it did leave me with goosebumps on my arms every now and then; so if you are scared enough easily and have an amazing imagination, pick it up and you won't be disappointed
  4. Clarity of the Plot --- despite the fact that the book follows three different narratives, surprisingly the clarity of the Plot is maintained and things don't get muddled up at all


WHAT I DISLIKED:

  1. A Fitting Flat End --- though the end is conclusive and what the silent companions had been wanting to do, they managed to do, but in comparison to the rest of the book, the end was quiet flat, underplayed if you want and that costed the book a 0.5 star


THE VERDICT:

The book is spooky and clearly meant for those long cold winter nights. Its fast paced and intriguing plot, will keep you glued to itself and on the edge of your seat and if you are scared easily and have a wild imagination - read it during the daytime - BUT, DO READ IT, for its a really well written, wonderful book. I am looking out for her next goth themed spooky read coming out later this year.

READ, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR:

  • A Fast Paced Book
  • A Spooky Read
  • A Book Set in Victorian Era
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