Goodreads Summary
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss. . . .When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Byers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don't know is that their aunt's life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries -- before it's too late for little Mimi. Riveting and intensely atmospheric, this stunning debut will hold readers in its spell long after the last page is turned.
Title: Long Lankin
Author: Lindsey Barraclough
Pages: 448
Genre: horror
Audience: young adult
Source: bought! (Randi)
Rating: 4 I'd make this book cheese on toast, but only if we could lock all the windows and bolt all the doors (Randi)
4 I'd stick this book in my closet because it's too creepy to be on the shelf. (Becky)
Auntie Ida seems like a total fun-killer at first. I loved her, haha. I always love a grumpy older woman. If this was a movie she'd be played by Maggie Smith. (The Dowager! YAY!) But you come to realize why she is the way she is; there is SO much sadness in this book. I agree, and I think that genuine sadness really took the book from a three star fluff read to a four star story with emotional depth. True that. I really enjoyed the historical aspects. There are three points of view: Cora, Roger, and Auntie Ida. I'm not quite sure how much I gained from getting Roger's point of view...I wonder how different the book would've been without it. I think it would have been better, with a cleaner plot line. Touche, ma'am. Touche.
I wanted to shake Cora from time to time and say "LISTEN TO YOUR AUNT. SHE'S TRYING TO KEEP MIMI SAFE, DURNIT!!" Haha. I'd be all up in that churchyard too. I really did enjoy all of the characters. I don't feel like I got much of a sense of Cora's age (did it mention her age? I thought maybe nine or ten?), but Mimi is four and seems to fit her age very well. I was thinking Cora was 10-12 but I can't remember if it said exactly. Some of the secondary characters are creepy in their own right (creepy cat lady is totally in this book). Omg, I though she was going to eat Roger haha. Not that I think cat people are weird...oh wait, yes I do. All this book would have needed to be aimed at adults is an expansion of the secondary characters and more directness about the morbid aspects. You're just hatin' 'cuz you're a dog person! Hahaha. I totally think it has some awesome adult crossover appeal though. Or is it crossunder? Anyway, this book appeals to adults, too!
Overall, I thought this was a very unique take on a young adult horror story. I would definitely not introduce this in my middle school classroom,(hells to the no) but I bet high schoolers would love it (I would have read it and regretted it at night). Right! It makes you wish there had been more YA horror in our days. Thanks for the nightmares, Stephen King... It is gruesome at times, so if you don't like the crunching of bones or images of needles in skin, perhaps consider that when you think about reading this book. Total Gothic elements with the creepy house & I LOVED it! Sorry for saying "creepy" so much...but if you read it, you would understand why! It's the perfect word to describe this book! Even though I read it quickly, I ultimately gave it four stars instead of five because I did feel in some places it could have been a bit shorter. With a heartless and rigorous editor (yes I'm imagining myself in this position) to streamline the language and plot-line it would be five stars. However, still an excellent read and definitely a great choice for October!
ps-we have never agreed on a rating or every comment before. It's a little...creepy. Oh, snap! ;)
4 I'd stick this book in my closet because it's too creepy to be on the shelf. (Becky)
Our Thoughts
This book was deliciously creepy. And I could not put it down. I shrugged off an important paper because I couldn't stop reading. It's one of those books where time passes, you look at the clock, and realize you've been reading for hours. You also realize that the windows to your house are all open and you're going to die. I want my mommy! I was so excited to get my hands on this book, and while it was different from what I pictured based on the premise, I was not disappointed! This is the kind of tale that will make a grown woman jump at shadows. With a baseball bat! (I obviously need to get one of those. This is what happens when you're unathletic...you get murdered by creepers because you can't defend yourself. I'm doomed.) I know this because that grown woman is me. Okay, so maybe I'm naturally jumpy when it comes to creepy things but still! This book has plenty of creep factor. It's climbin in your windows, snatchin your people up... Auntie Ida seems like a total fun-killer at first. I loved her, haha. I always love a grumpy older woman. If this was a movie she'd be played by Maggie Smith. (The Dowager! YAY!) But you come to realize why she is the way she is; there is SO much sadness in this book. I agree, and I think that genuine sadness really took the book from a three star fluff read to a four star story with emotional depth. True that. I really enjoyed the historical aspects. There are three points of view: Cora, Roger, and Auntie Ida. I'm not quite sure how much I gained from getting Roger's point of view...I wonder how different the book would've been without it. I think it would have been better, with a cleaner plot line. Touche, ma'am. Touche.
I wanted to shake Cora from time to time and say "LISTEN TO YOUR AUNT. SHE'S TRYING TO KEEP MIMI SAFE, DURNIT!!" Haha. I'd be all up in that churchyard too. I really did enjoy all of the characters. I don't feel like I got much of a sense of Cora's age (did it mention her age? I thought maybe nine or ten?), but Mimi is four and seems to fit her age very well. I was thinking Cora was 10-12 but I can't remember if it said exactly. Some of the secondary characters are creepy in their own right (creepy cat lady is totally in this book). Omg, I though she was going to eat Roger haha. Not that I think cat people are weird...oh wait, yes I do. All this book would have needed to be aimed at adults is an expansion of the secondary characters and more directness about the morbid aspects. You're just hatin' 'cuz you're a dog person! Hahaha. I totally think it has some awesome adult crossover appeal though. Or is it crossunder? Anyway, this book appeals to adults, too!
Overall, I thought this was a very unique take on a young adult horror story. I would definitely not introduce this in my middle school classroom,(hells to the no) but I bet high schoolers would love it (I would have read it and regretted it at night). Right! It makes you wish there had been more YA horror in our days. Thanks for the nightmares, Stephen King... It is gruesome at times, so if you don't like the crunching of bones or images of needles in skin, perhaps consider that when you think about reading this book. Total Gothic elements with the creepy house & I LOVED it! Sorry for saying "creepy" so much...but if you read it, you would understand why! It's the perfect word to describe this book! Even though I read it quickly, I ultimately gave it four stars instead of five because I did feel in some places it could have been a bit shorter. With a heartless and rigorous editor (yes I'm imagining myself in this position) to streamline the language and plot-line it would be five stars. However, still an excellent read and definitely a great choice for October!
ps-we have never agreed on a rating or every comment before. It's a little...creepy. Oh, snap! ;)
O.o this sounds creepy good!
ReplyDeleteIt was WAY creepier than I expected!
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