We Hear the Dead by Dianne K. Salerni Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction and Romance

Age: Young Adult

Pages: 422

Gender: Female

Publication Year: 2007/2010

Plot: 9/10

Description: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Pacing: 10/10

Writing: 9/10

Interest: 10/10

Other: 10/10

Cover: 4/5

Memorable: +2

Total: 71/75

Percent: 95%

Grade: A

   Sorry for the temporary break. But I'm back with a review about a book I read while I was in England. I must say, I'm impressed with it. It totally drew me in.

   The plot was very interesting. The story is about the Fox sisters, who are said to have created Spiritualism. The story started with Maggie and Kate Fox playing a prank on their family to get their neice (who was way older then them) to leave. Their prank starts becoming very serious and before long the sisters become entwined in it. Eventually, they end up practically making a new religious. The story mostly followed Maggie. For the first half of the book it described how they became stuck in a hoax. In the last half it describes Maggie's love for Dr. Elisha Kane and how she thinks of quiting her Spiritualism business. It is really quite a great plot. (Though I think my description is a little lacking.)

   I don't remember anything quite exceptional about the description, but it was not bad. I remember thinking that they should of described the characters appearences. So I gave it a 8.

   The character were really well done. In other books with real people as main characters, I find that the characters are as flat a cardboard. But not with this. The characters had depth. I loved reading the story from Maggie's eyes. I also liked the few chapters where Kate talked. They were just so insightful. Even though I loved Maggie's character, I think if they made the book from Kate's point of view it might of even been more interesting. The character Dr. Kane was also very good, but sometimes he was quite annoying, his family just seemed to be controling him way to much.
  
   The pacing was great. The story just flowed perfectly, absolutely sucked you in. Nothing else you can say about it.

   The writing was good as well. I don't remember much about it, but I don't remember having any complains about it.

   My interest level was very high. 1800s, spiritualism, those two just go so well together. Since I have already heard of the Fox sisters it was even more interesting. I recommend this for people who like Historical Fiction and romance, but also like their stories to have a dark twist.

  There was nothing else that really bothered me about this book. So I gave the other section a 10.

  The cover is really nice, but I really don't think it fits the book. I think it fits more with a book about a circus, not one about spiritualism. It was also not really accurate, since the real Maggie Fox doesn't really have red hair. The first edition of the cover first this book it really good though.

  The book is semi-memorable. I will remember it since it was a great interpretation of a true story.

   In all this book was an outstanding piece of Young Adult literature and a definite read for people who like young adult books with Spiritualism in it.