The Uninvited by Cat Winters #blogtour with review and #giveaway @catwinters @bookslapped
The Uninvited by Cat Winters
Historical fiction
Paperback/eBook, 368 pages
Published August 11th 2015 by William Morrow
Set in a Chicago suburb in 1918, THE UNINVITED is equal parts gothic ghost-story and psychological thriller. It immerses readers in the vibrant, detailed world of a young woman during the influenza pandemic and the Great War.
Twenty-five year old Ivy Rowan rises from her bed after being struck by the flu, only to discover the world has been torn apart in just a few short days. But Ivy’s life-long gift—or curse—remains unchanged; she sees the uninvited ones, ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked, unwelcomed, and always as the harbinger of impending death.
On that October evening in 1918 when she rose from her bed, she sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother’s chair. Later that same night, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a German immigrant out of retaliation for the death of Ivy’s older brother Billy, a fallen soldier in the Great War.
Horrified, she leaves home, only to discover the flu epidemic has caused utter panic in her small town home, and the rules governing society have broken down. Confused and untethered from her home and family, Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion and freedom where people live for the present… because they could be stricken down by war or illness at any moment.
But, as her “uninvited guests” begin to appear more often, Ivy knows one thing for sure: something terrible is coming. What she doesn’t know is how exactly those otherworldly revelations will change everything about not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.
Purchase: Amazon
Read an excerpt from USA Today here
Cover comment: Intriguing
Book source: Edelweiss
Just when I think I need a break from my blog tour reading list comes along something different to make me change my mind. The Uninvited is author Cat Winters' first foray into writing adult fiction and this novel, while historical, also offers some paranormal and a romance. I won't mention the incredible twist.
Cat Winters’s critically acclaimed debut novel, IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, was named a 2014 Morris Award Finalist, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013, a 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, and a 2013 Bram Stoker Award Nominee. Her second novel, THE CURE FOR DREAMING, was named to the American Library Association’s 2015 Amelia Bloomer Project, the 2014 Tiptree Award Longlist, and VOYA’s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror of 2014. Her upcoming books include THE UNINVITED (William Morrow/August 2015), THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY (Amulet Books/March 2016), and YESTERNIGHT (William Morrow/Summer 2016), and she’s a contributor to the 2015 YA horror anthology SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS. Winters lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids.
Praise for The Uninvited:
“Dark and romantic…[The protagonist’s] compelling voice carries this gothic coming-of-age story, at once horrifying and tender, toward a revelatory yet hopeful conclusion.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A wonderfully atmospheric and intriguing novel. Cat Winters portrays a fascinating period in American history with clever writing and a delicious plot twist. A novel that is sure to keep readers hooked to the end.”
— Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author
“Evocative and lushly written, THE UNINVITED also features a twist I never saw coming.”
— April Henry, New York Times bestselling author
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Incredibly atmospheric, I felt like one of the title's 'unexpected' visitors, a ghost, as I went page by page. The author's style is fluid, her language sprawling, her descriptions immediate as they draw the reader in, the words placing them in every moment so the reader can easily visualize every sight, sound and smell. It did take me some time to connect with Ivy Rowan, to actually like her, and I believe that might have been intentional since I discovered what she did, grew as she did, understood as comprehension dawned on her as it happened. Reading this novel became more than just an experience and I'm afraid words don't necessarily convey my meaning adequately (perhaps I should say reading was more like 'living' this story). Being caught up in Ivy's family dynamics and her strange fixation on the remaining brother of the furniture store owner, I didn't mind having to travel the distance with her--the trip was well worth it. Winters' world was so stark, dark and mysterious, coupled with Ivy's ability to see ghosts, I needed to continue on. In a sense, The Uninvited became an addiction.
I will say The Uninvited is the type of book one must not rush through. Reading this is pure enjoyment while also being a study of a historical period, an epidemic, a mystery, a romance, and a class in writing because that twist--I did suspect 'something' was coming, along with Ivy--surprised me when it happened. Ivy is an intriguing character and often times she frustrated me or made me smile. Like the time period, she was fully realized in my eyes. At twenty-five she is considered 'reclusive' since many don't see her leave her Illinois farm. She doesn't think so and on the day she does leave, her life truly begins. Fleeing her abusive father, she walks to town, still recuperating from the flu which has immobilized many around the country while increasing the death tolls.
Ivy begins to get her footing in society during the lingering days of World War I the longer she is immersed in it, meeting a bunch of interesting characters. Her draw to Daniel intrigued me and I rather enjoyed their encounters and subsequent romance. The Uninvited is beautifully written and its images and characters linger long after the last page is devoured. I'm always thrilled to discover new authors to add to my 'must read' list and Cat Winters is now a part of that list.
About the author
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Praise for The Uninvited:
“Dark and romantic…[The protagonist’s] compelling voice carries this gothic coming-of-age story, at once horrifying and tender, toward a revelatory yet hopeful conclusion.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A wonderfully atmospheric and intriguing novel. Cat Winters portrays a fascinating period in American history with clever writing and a delicious plot twist. A novel that is sure to keep readers hooked to the end.”
— Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author
“Evocative and lushly written, THE UNINVITED also features a twist I never saw coming.”
— April Henry, New York Times bestselling author
Giveaway
There is a tour-wide giveaway of 2 print copies of The Uninvited.
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