Book Review: The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

The Vespertine

Saundra Mitchell

Publication Date: March 7th 2011

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Pages: 293

Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult

It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

I have to admit, there is something about the synopsis for this book that doesn't quite do it justice. The Vespertine is a magical, mystical book that wraps you up in the late 1800s and a touch of magic. After reading so much present day books, it took a bit for my head to wrap itself around the prose style and historical setting, but once I did the perfect word to describe it is charming. The characters were light as was the plot for the most part.

I really liked the use of the medium boom in the time period and the way Amelia's powers work.

The other thing I really enjoy is the romance. It is a very well written, seductive romance. The seduction is much like that of knights and their ladies in medieval times where it was more the subtlety and idea that made it seductive, rather than seductive acts.

Amelia's powers are of fire while Nathaniel's is of air. There is something about their powers being based in elements that I really enjoyed.

As for the problems being alluded to in the points of view from Broken Tooth it did feel overhyped. Of course what happened was still terrible and she was ruined, I was for sure she had destroyed the town or had been hunted in some kind of witch hunt, when really no one talked about her being the one at fault, but just had the thought and maybe alluded, mob mentality. I did however like how the vision about Sarah still came true, and that the belief that the first time the arrow exploded was the true vision was very nice. It pulled Amelia away from the fate she should truly be frightened of, and in the end was the cause of the fate of Thomas.

I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and the mentalist boom that happened around that time. I also recommend it to people who enjoy forbidden love stories that have your toes curling for almost nothing at all.

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