Early Review – The Uninvited by Cat Winters (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: August 11, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-0062347336
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. Previous to reading this book I had read and really enjoyed Winters’ novel In the Shadow of Blackbirds. This was a well done adult historical fantasy with a twist.

Twenty five year old Ivy Rowan (who has the ability to see ghosts) has been struck down by the flu for days. When she finally recovers she finds out her father (who has always had a drinking problem and been cruel) and her younger brother have killed a German in town. Ivy is horrified by their cruelness and decides that this is the final straw. She leaves home and journeys to town only to find that the town is in panic over the increasingly deadly Spanish Flu.

Ivy seeks to build a life for herself in town; befriending the surviving brother of the German her father murdered and helping the stricken flu victims. However Ivy’s ability to see ghosts is causing her unease as she sees more and more of them roaming the streets. Now Ivy is fearing whatever dreadful revelation all these wandering spirits portent.

As with In the Shadow of Blackbirds, this book takes place during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. However this time the book takes place in the Midwest instead of on the coast. I really enjoy reading about this time period; it’s an interesting time in history. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the people of the United States could be so cruel and paranoid to each other.

This book is mostly a mystery with some paranormal elements and a lot of history. I enjoyed it; it’s an engaging story with an interesting twist. I found the twist to be fairly predictable but it was still well written and entertaining.

Ivy is an excellent heroine and I really loved her as a character. She is a perfect blend of a conservative woman who has both an adventurous and a compassionate personality.

Overall I really enjoyed this haunting historical fantasy. I loved reading about the time period and enjoyed the characters a lot. There is some haunting mystery in here as well as some romance. I would recommend to those who enjoy historical stories with ghosts in them. I will definitely be reading future books by Winters.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge