Book Review: The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen
3:45 PM
Age Appropriate For:
Ages 12 + (for reading level, romance, and some mild scary scenes)
Best for Ages: Ages
18 and up
Description: Emma Smallwood, determined to help her
widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with
him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his
four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys,
mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing
the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty? Who sneaks into her room at
night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling
illustration?
The baronet's older
sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They
both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had
been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly
drawn to her.
When the suspicious
acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to
blame... and which brother to trust with her heart?
I had heard mixed reviews about Julie Klassen’s books.
Although every one of my friends said they were well written, one of my friends
had told me that she often throws one or two scenes in that diminished the
enjoyment of the book. When I was offered a copy of The Tutor’s Daughter to
review, I decided to check her out for myself.
It didn’t take me long to realize that my friends were
right; this woman knows how to write. Her style is excellent and she know how
to weave historical details seamlessly into her stories. She also is just a
solid story teller. I was captivated.
Klassen also is very good at making you feel the mood. She made
me feel listless, happiness, joy, sorrow, and uncomfortable. She had several
points in the book where she gave it just the right creep factor; enough to
make you feel uncomfortable, without making you scared to go to sleep.
The characters themselves were well developed and very believable.
I don’t think there was one flat character in the whole bunch. That is saying a
lot about her talent. Not many authors, no matter how good, can pull that off.
There was only one point where she really disappointed me,
and that was her faith message. I felt like she built up to a great spiritual
moment in her book but that moment never happened. It made me feel as if I was
missing a page or two from the book.
I highly recommend this to those who like period dramas,
Jane Austen, historical fiction, or even just incredibly well written stories.
Did you find this review helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon!
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my
honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The
opinions in this review are entirely my own.
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