Katherine Harbour's Blog - Posts Tagged "southern-gothic"

Servants of the Storm
A hurricane rips away teenage Dovey's best friend. After a year of taking pills against the mental trauma, Dovey decides to stop. That's when she begins seeing things again, but, this time, the visions include her friend Carly. Assisted by Baker, another friend and an attractive boy, Dovey soon finds herself wading deeper into a dark world in Savannah. Then she meets the alluring and dangerous Isaac and gets her finger bitten off by a fox-eared girl named Kitty--who is a demon. In fact, there are a lot of demons in Savannah, and the queen is the hurricane itself, Josephine, who later manifests in a terrifying form. Dovey makes her way though this hidden world with the assistance of tricky Isaac, determined to free Carly's soul. The dark fantasy elements and the demon world are fascinating and the trio of Dovey, Baker, and Isaac is an interesting love triangle. I'm hoping for sequels. Please let there be sequels.

Compulsion
Barrie is a girl who has lost everything. She's sent to South Carolina and her aunt and ancestral home wearing a diamond necklace and a gold watch. Her Aunt Pru is the sister of Barrie's recently deceased mother Lula. And Lula's transgender friend, Mark, is dying, so Pru is all Barrie has.
Barrie is fascinated by the old plantation house and the family history of tragedy and magic. She meets Eight, a handsome rich boy, and her wild, contrary cousin Cassie. She also encounters sinister, fairy-like creatures living in the garden, and a haunting that might be connected to a long-ago tragedy.
Compulsion is a Southern Gothic mystery with fantasy elements, perfect for the summer. Barrie is a resourceful and determined heroine and it's her determined voice that rules this mystery that reminded me of Nancy Drew.