Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females — an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia becomes trapped. And … And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.Ghost girls wander the hallways in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia learns that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, too, harbors shocking truths within its walls — truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free. And she’ll need to act quickly — before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.Katie Alender brings heart-pounding suspense, gorgeous writing, and a feminist twist to this tale of memories and madness.
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Since the time I wanted to read this book, I did.
We find Delia who does not live in a simple house but in an old asylum: The Piven Institute where there were women with problems, in short an institute where they made care and corrections for these women. Nicknamed: “Hysteria Hall”. These famous women were not crazy at all, far from there, they were defiant and full of will, like Delia.
Except that Delia is going to learn that her house is haunted by the ghosts of this institute who walk the corridors in period costume. A handsome guy named Theo, a ghost wanders around her house. She will discover that the spirits are all troubled and have many secrets. Delia will have to learn more about what happened in this institute if she wants to get out of it before she gets trapped.
A book read in one sitting, I was so hooked on the story that it was gripping, captivating, addictive, full of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns with very engaging characters. I love the author’s writing, which makes me want to read all her books.
Everything about this book made me scream YES! From the feminist angle on Victorian attitudes toward “hysterical women” to the flawed MC to the dynamic, multi-layered world-building and intriguing mysteries, twists, and turns pulling me along every page, I was completely entranced by this book from sentence 1. I found The Dead Girls… by googling “YA ghost novels” when I was in the mood for a good ghost story. But what I got from this was SO much more than that. It’s a novel with heart, with emotional resonance, and protagonist who learns and changes–even after she dies.
The intricate afterlife world-building and the physics of how being a ghost works in the time/space continuum had me fascinated. Every detail the author wrote, every passage, contained some further meaning, a purpose, a clue that comes into play later on. It all culminated into a multi-climaxed, beautiful message about life, love, redemption, and our place in the mysterious plan of it all. Characters aren’t always who we expect them to be, surprises lurk around every corner, and the MC, Delia, is always driven by some goal or another that kept me hooked. Yes, the paranormal goings-on were creepy, and so were the ghosts, but they were also people. Souls, with their own personalities and backstories. I grew to care about all of them.
Despite the cover’s bloodied appearance, this is not a gross or gory book, nor is it gratuitously violent. It is, rather, a poignant interpretation of life after death and a soul’s purpose. The end moved me to tears and gave me hope. I think this novel is perfectly brilliant and I gladly add it to my hall-of-fame of all-time favorites.
This was an amazing book. I ran the gamut of emotions with this book. I laughed, cried and it really made me think about life, love and death. Great read!
can’t express how much I love this book