Blackthorn Winter (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [Library Binding]

Kathryn Reiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. With her parents on a trial separation, the last thing 15-year-old Juliana wants is to be dragged by her mother to an artists' colony in England. Halfway across the world, Juliana misses her father terribly. Soon she has bigger worries. The sleepy town of Blackthorn is set on its heels by the murder of one of its own. Can she figure out who the murderer is before anyone else--herself included--gets hurt?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Broken into its components, this book promises a great mystery: a teenaged heroine with tragic buried memories beginning to resurface; a cold, windswept winter in a colorless English seaside town; a pushy, witchlike busybody mysteriously murdered; a cute guy next door; and two warmly lovable younger siblings for comic relief. Unfortunately, the author has difficulty balancing the plot, the necessary explanations of background, a mysterious tone, and her narrators character. I have a memory problem, Juliana confesses, but it takes another 58 pages of meeting new characters and having strange, weird feelings before she finally tells readers what the problem is and muses upon why she has it. The wonderfully visceral setting and intriguing cast of characters almost make up for the baffling narrator, but ultimately the link between the two simultaneous mysteries proves tenuous, and the identity of the murderer no mystery at all.–Rhona Campbell, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

KATHRYN REISS is the author of Time Windows, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; The Glass House People; Dreadful Sorry; Pale Phoenix and PaperQuake: A Puzzle, both finalists for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery; and most recently, Paint by Magic and Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge. She lives in Northern California.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 335 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141779593X
• ISBN-13: 978-1417795932
• Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting Coming-of-Age Mystery, February 1, 2006

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blackthorn Winter (Hardcover)

Juliana Martin-Drake has enough on her mind. Her mother has dragged her and her brother and sister halfway around the world in an effort to "find herself" as an artist. Not only does Juliana miss her dad, she worries that her parents will be getting a divorce. Then there's trying to fit into the artist's colony at Blackthorn.

Everything is different in England. Juliana misses the California sunshine, along with her private American bathroom and her gregarious friends. She doesn't know anyone in England; when she speaks to them, she only understands about half of what they're saying. And of course there's the tiny matter of her memory. Juliana can't remember anything from the time before she was adopted, at age 5. It has always bothered her, but --- somehow here in England, separated from almost everything familiar --- it seems even worse.

So the last thing she needs is to be involved in a murder mystery. But when someone bashes neighboring artist Liza Pethering on the back of the head and then leaves her in a river to drown, Juliana finds herself caught up in the drama. Everyone else seems relieved and almost happy when the police arrest the ne'er-do-well of the neighborhood, Simon Jukes. But to Juliana, things just don't add up. There are so many other people with better motives: Liza's henpecked husband; the local patron of the arts who's enraged by the cruel portrait Liza painted of her; the girl Liza recently fired, whose response was to wish Liza dead; and maybe even Juliana's own mother.

Despite mysterious warnings to back off, Juliana continues to investigate. The closer she gets to a solution, the more difficult she finds it to shake the feeling that this is all tied up with her own mysterious past. Will she succeed in unraveling the mystery before the murderer decides to make her the next victim?

BLACKTHORN WINTER is an exciting combination of a novel about coming-of-age angst and a mystery. Kathryn Reiss does a good job of devoting equal time to each aspect, and of integrating the two themes into a great read. With believable characters, a fascinating setting and a compulsively readable mystery, BLACKTHORN WINTER is a wonderful addition to anyone's library.

--- Reviewed by Paula Jolin

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blackthorn Winter reveiw by Julie D., March 19, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Blackthorn Winter (Hardcover)

In one of her latest novels, Blackthorn Winter, Kathryn Reiss puts everything you would think of in a mystery, and more into the plot. This book wasn't just your average "who done it" mystery; it included drama, suspense, and more. I have to say, I have read a lot of mysteries in my life, and this one definitely is on the top of my list. Some mysteries are a little unrealistic, but this one I could understand how she was feeling, and it all seemed real to me.
When Juliana Martin-Drake's parents split, her mom drags her and her two other siblings off to a small artist's town in England, called Blackthorn Village. Juliana is adopted, and can't remember anything from before she was five years old. When she arrives in Blackthorn, she starts to have strange dreams, and gets a sense of insecurity. Just when the Martin-Drake family starts to get settled in to their small cottage, one of their close friends is murdered. A prime suspect was immediately arrested, but Juliana was sure that he was innocent. When Juliana started looking into the murder more, she makes a shocking discovery. While all of that was going on, there was more drama; new friends, and even a boy named Duncan. Kathryn Reiss does a great job of making the dialog of the people interesting. For example, a very uneducated person, had very poor speech, and she wrote it like that. All of those little details made the story more realistic. Sometimes I felt like I was inside the book; when Juliana felt someone watching her, I would actually look around the room.
If I was asked what the main tone, or feeling of this book was, I would have to say suspense. I know I say it a lot, but that's what the book mainly was; full of suspense. There were many moments when I felt my own heart pounding. I have to say, the ending of this novel was only average. It wasn't great, but on the other hand, it wasn't totally horrible. It was basically the typical mystery ending; the criminal is arrested, and everyone is happy. There were a few more little details, such as Juliana finding out who her dead mother's parents are. I just wish that the author had extended the ending a little farther. I would have liked to see what Juliana's grandparents were like.
Overall, Blackthorn Winter was a great book. It included all of the great key things that need to be in a mystery. It can be a little scary at times, but that's what makes you never want to put it down. Trust me, I know; I spent a couple hours at a time reading this book. I would recommend this great book to a person who enjoys mysteries and suspense. You won't be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such a good book -- a review by Nina, March 4, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Blackthorn Winter (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best books I've ever read. Its about a girl named Juliana whose family goes to live in England. A friend of the family mysteriously gets murdered and Juliana must find out who has done it.
A very exciting book indeed - I recommend every one of Kathryn Reiss' books - all are terrific.