Customer Reviews

Wildthorn

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove thinks she's been sent to be a companion. Instead, she's in an asylum, but who's to blame for signing her in? And why does the staff insist her name is Lucy Childs?

Usually I'm not one for historical fiction, but I'm easily swayed by promises of asylums and/or opium. Thus WILDTHORN is my kind of historical, with mysterious fellow inmates, medical treatments, and social commentary. 'Twould be more interesting if Louisa really was insane, and if breaking out wasn't so easy. But still, a wonderful escapist romp of a read.

Lousia is not your typical girl. She does not conform to the standards of women of her time, aspiring to be a doctor instead of a wife and a mother. And then there is the issue of her love life. While Louisa's father supported her dreams, upon his passing, no one else would hear of it. So when Louisa finds herself locked in an insane asylum, with the administrators insisting she is someone named Lucy Childs, she is not sure if it is a case of mistaken identity, or something far more nefarious.

This book does a respectable job of being a modern gothic novel. While it is no Jane Eyre, it certainly does have gothic appeal, and could very easily attract new, young readers to classic gothic literature. I greatly enjoyed the historical aspect of the novel, reading about mental health approaches of the past. It reminded me a but of the movie The Snake Pit. Not a topic often written about in young adult literature, the plot was definitely unique and left you wondering what was reality and what was insanity.

I greatly enjoyed Louisa's character, and while her sexuality is never explicitly addressed, it is hinted that she is a lesbian, something I found at once intriguing and disappointing. I am intrigued at this choice, for it must have been quite accurate that many women who did not fit the conventional standards may have been bisexual or lesbian, but I am also disappointed in that the conclusion is drawn that only a lesbian would be so unconventional, or such an unconventional woman, wanting to be a doctor, would have to be a woman not sexually attracted to men. In fact, the hidden theme seemed to be that Louisa wanted to be a man, though this is never really explored in depth. Why could she not just be an assertive woman. And why could a married woman, with children, not be a lesbian? Just something to ponder.

While I did greatly enjoy this book, I felt it a bit mature for the intended audience of grades 9-12. I think it would be more appropriate for readers at the older end of that spectrum. It is certainly dark, with fairly mature themes.

"Excessive study, especially in one of the fair sex, often leads to insanity..."

The Dangers of Excessive Learning: (girls who studied too much would become) "dogmatic and presumptuous, self-willed and arrogant, eccentric in dress and disagreeable in manner."

Can you imagine living in times when this was the norm? When you could be deemed insane because you didn't want to be a housewife and mommy? Sounds crazy to us and we are lucky to live in the age that we do.

This book was one hell of a ride! From page one I was grabbed by the throat and carried along. The writing was so alive that I felt like I was in Louise's body feeling the fear, the anger, the confusion that she was. I was in that asylum with her and it was as horrible to read as it had to be to live it. The fact that this book is based on true stories turns my stomach even more.

I accused everyone in her family but was floored by the events that came out as the book went along. (Can't go into detail, read the book!!!) I loved the relationship between Louisa and Grace but at the same time I wanted to shake some sense into Grace!

Eliza was a godsend. From the moment she entered the story to the end, she was an angel in disguise. I am not sure that I liked the ending but I did understand why it ended as it did.

That's all you are getting from me. Find this book and read it. It says Young Adult but I wouldn't have called it that.

Recommended to anyone, females especially and yes, young adults so they can appreciate what they have and what people had to endure do they could have it.

While the premise was wonderful, the actual execution, and the unnecessary twist within, left me unaffected. If this book had simply been about a Victorian girl's struggle within an asylum and her road to escaping, I think I could have loved it. As it was, Lou's plight left me feeling cold and a bit unmoved.

Wildthorn has been a compelling read from start to finish. I haven't read any reviews before I picked up this book though I noticed that it gathered mixed rating from fellow book reviewers. Enough to pique my curiosity.

I was always fascinated by the Victorian era. Plus having a lovely cover of a girl wearing a corset made me more intrigued with the book. The story goes as Lucy (Louisa or Lou) of having trouble with how society thinks of her; the troubles she encounters in people, with her unconventional way, and the fact that she was locked up at an asylum in spite the fact of not being insane.

The book is indeed dark and creepy, contains a lot of twist and turns (I even suspected every person in the story) and would definitely keep you clueless until you read the final chapters. i had expected a better ending though, I feel that the ending was a little flat and the characters of each story wasn't build enough to hold the book together. I was certainly drawn to the book because of the character's will to be herself and her defiance from the norm of society.

Wildthorn is a book suited for Victorian era lovers, a lover of lesbian fiction (that's a bit of a spoiler), and someone who wants to read about a strong female character.

Louisa Cosgrove thinks she's headed towards a position as a companion to a sister of her brother's friend; she finds herself instead forced into insane asylum Wildthorn Hall under the name Lucy Childs. To her horror, she learns it wasn't a case of mistaken identity that landed her there.

After a rocky start, I enjoyed this quite a bit, but when I was done, I confess I had the overall feeling that I didn't know which theme in particular the book was going for. This was equal measures societal commentary, mystery/horror and a historical study of 19th century asylums.

Seventeen year old Louisa is a great YA (or any) heroine; smart, resourceful and unwilling to let societal or familial influences tell her what she can and can't do or be. I generally am not fond of telling a story in flashbacks, but in this case it works, setting up a myriad of possible clues and suspects for her incarceration and giving a nice look at her unconventional upbringing without taking up a lot of space.

The author's handling of the subject matter of the asylum was very good; I think it struck a good balance between giving enough of a glimpse into the practices of the time and not taking up an inordinate amount of space. While an extended look at the awful conditions of those places would have been fascinating, as I said earlier, I think this book divided the themes up too much and there simply wasn't room to do it. What was of it was graphic, moving and undoubtedly well-researched, given the author's credentials.

I think the author also handled the subject of Louisa's burgeoning sexual attraction first to her cousin Grace and then to the nurse Eliza very matter-of-factly, which ends up being the most appropriate way possible. I'm not sure how historically accurate it may have been, but for contemporary readers, I applaud the author for it. It's never graphic, but near the ending, there is some suggestive romantic language, for readers who may be sensitive to it.

Taken as a whole, this is definitely enjoyable read and I think a very appropriate one for the targeted age group.

Imagine growing up in Victorian times with a brother who loathed you, a mother who wished you were more girly, and a father who dotes on you and leaves you verily unprepared for life after he is gone. We meet Lousia Cosgrove on her way to a position as a companion for a rich young lady. Her family hopes this will teach Louisa to give up on her thoughts of becoming a doctor like her late father and become more of a lady. In essence to become marriageable.

Instead of arriving at a mansion Louisa is admitted to a mental hospital called Wildthorn Hall. Louisa is told she is mad, that her name isn't even Louisa Cosgrove. Her name is Lucy Childs. That her family sent her to Wildthorn to heal. To remember who she truly is so she can go home.

Louisa is rocked mentally and abused physically by the brutish matrons in Wildthorn, save for one. Elisa is generally nice to Louisa even though she still calls her "Miss Childs".

Wildthorn is a creepy Gothic Victorian tale of forbidden love, lesbian themes and the hope as a woman to be more than a tea stirrer. To be more than a breeding tool that supervises how much sugar the household has used in the past month. Louisa dares to love, dares to have a dream and for that she is committed to an institution as mad.

The question remains, is Louisa mad or is this all a conspiracy so vile from her family that she herself cannot fathom the motives.

If you like Jane Eyre, or Wuthering Heights I do so believe you will love Wildthorn Hall.

Wildthorn is a story about Louisa Cosgrove, a girl living in late 19th or early 20th century England. Louisa doesn't want to conform to society's expectations of her. Louisa is in love with her cousin Grace and wants to follow in her father's footsteps and train to become a doctor. When Grace's family fear that Louisa's behavior may threaten Grace's impending marriage, the conspire to have her taken where she won't cause any problems. Louisa believes she is leaving home to stay with family friends and finds herself instead in an insane asylum. Louisa makes it through truly awful conditions and even worse treatment and finally manages to escape with the help and support of a new love.
Wildthorn has an interesting enough plot and the writing is fine but it was difficult for me to make myself continue reading it past the first few chapters. I'm sure there are plenty of people that will find it fascinating and hard to put down but I am not one of them.

Wildthorn follows Louisa, a girl who is locked up in an asylum because she is not feminine enough. The book goes back and forth from her life at the hospital to her memories of her life before. She meets a worker and develops a relationship with her that leads to her escape.

I enjoyed reading the novel but it was not a fast read. While the romance was unexpected the ending of the book was fairly predictable and the story wrapped up a little to perfectly. The descriptions of the asylum felt real but weren't excessively graphic. The lesbian plot was well done (surprisingly to me) and very accessible even to those who are uncomfortable with the topic as the relationship is sweet and does not take up a huge part of the plot.

Appropriateness: The book has scenes of drug abuse and gambling and talk of sexual abuse shown in all age appropriate manner which works as a teachable moment. There is a fleeting sex scene at the end which is not excessively descriptive. I found the book appropriate for middle school and above. The story will interest a middle school and high school audience.

Louisa Cosgrove is in for a surprise when she finds herself at the doors of Wildthorn Hall (an institution for the mentally ill) instead of at the home of the Woodvilles, who are friends of the family. Not only is she at a loss as to why she is there but she is also told that due to her madness she does not even know her true name. For she is not Louisa Cosgrove but a Lucy Childs. No matter how hard she tries to convince them that they are mistaken and have the wrong person, the more convinced they become that she has lost her senses.

Through flashbacks we get a look at Louisa's life. She is a strong, stubborn and independent young woman who will not conform to what is expected of a young lady of her station. Instead she wants to follow in her father's footsteps even though being a female doctor is not proper. The mystery as to why she ends up in the asylum is slowly unraveled throughout the story. We get intimate details of her life growing up, her family, and her trials and tribulations. When you aren't reading about her past, you are in her present and that is locked up within Wildthorn's walls. Imagine being locked up in a Victorian era mental asylum - can only be described as horrendous and/or atrocious.

I truly liked the suspense - at first you don't even know whether she is Louisa or Lucy. Although she seems to be perfectly sane from her thoughts, you can't help but wonder. The poor circumstances in which she finds herself in (which I'm sure were very true for many women in that time) were bleak and at more than one point I find myself frustrated and at the brink of tears over how exasperating it all was. To not be able to defend or explain yourself for the sheer fact that they thought you were even crazier than anticipated and placed under even more strict and dire straits... it gave me the chills. I found the descriptions we get of the asylum to be very credible - although I'm sure they were far worse in real life.

Call me wishy-washy, but my favorite part was the love story. It was unexpected and quite lovely. I do want to forewarn, there is a romance between two young women. It was not detailed nor disturbing in any way, but I did want to mention it since it is a YA book. In fact, her homosexuality is so vaguely described, that it might even be overlooked by younger readers.

I really enjoyed reading Wildthorn. I liked learning more about the time frame and it gave a credible (and sad) look into what some young women had to go through back then. Overall, I was very happy with it, it kept me at the edge of my seat with its twists and turns and dark subject. My only complaint would be that the ending felt a bit rushed, but definitely not something that should deter you from reading it. A solid 4 stars.