Review: High Spirits...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 26, 2013
Objectively, this was probably a 3.75-4.15 star book. It just happens to be one from which I derived a 5+++ star enjoyment. :) It's uniquely joyful, witty, energetic fun, but just when you think it's so light that it's about to float away, you're happily surprised by jolts of touching poignancy. The characters aren't going to win any awards for depth, but they're just so eminently likable and root-worthy that I found myself enjoying every minute in their company. Even the villains are amusingly 'love to hate' types.Be prepared to suspend more than the usual amount of disbelief---after all, the spirit of a deceased relative is a major character, and some implausible (albeit highly humorous) zaniness ensues. But if you're craving frothy fun, I can't recommend this one highly enough. It's got gothic elements while also gently mocking gothics. We gets tons of exclamation points and too many flowery adjectives and adverbs, and yet it's a stylistic choice that feels deliberate---and it works. What truly elevates this above similar fare isn't what's written, but HOW it's written. Those who have bravely suffered through my reviews know that writing style factors very, very heavily (perhaps too heavily?!) into my overall opinion of a book, and this author turns a phrase in a way that fills my fangirl-y heart with joy and exhausts my Kindle's highlight button.I'm off to seek out other books by this author. I have a sneaking suspicion that even her version of the phone book might fill me with glee :)