Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
54th out of 97 books
—
391 voters
Montacute House
by
Lucy Jago
At first a boy’s body is discovered, then John, Cess’s best friend, disappears . . . What is the mystery behind these sinister events?
Cess works caring for the chickens at Montacute House but on her thirteenth birthday everything changes. She finds a precious locket hidden in the chicken coop and is convinced someone has placed it there for her to find. But the day is over...more
Cess works caring for the chickens at Montacute House but on her thirteenth birthday everything changes. She finds a precious locket hidden in the chicken coop and is convinced someone has placed it there for her to find. But the day is over...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 1st 2011
by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(first published May 3rd 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
690)
Not good. At all. The odd thing was that the book was set a few years before Montacute House was completed, which seems a strange way to fictionalise a real place which had a real family living there. Very anachronistic presentation of religious beliefs for the Elizabethan period, and very odd indeed in its grafting of New Age Wiccan ideology onto old witch stock (which puzzled me less when I saw in the author's acknowledgements at the end that the only book mentioned was Wicca: The Old Religion...more
When I started reading this novel I really felt for Cess. She was poor, fatherless, and almost friendless, except for William the other town outcast. Throughout the story she develops into a strong and fierce young women. I am proud of her defiance against the ignorance of others. She stood up for her beliefs in a time when that was not done and for that is a hero in my book.
During her quest to find William, she meets Jasper. I really like Jasper and Cess's relationship. It is cute and natural....more
During her quest to find William, she meets Jasper. I really like Jasper and Cess's relationship. It is cute and natural....more
Poultry Girl, Cecily Perryn, might be one of the lowliest workers at Montacute House but she knows she is lucky to have her job. Without it, she and her mother wouldn't survive. An illegitimate child in the Elizabethan era, Cess is at best ignored in the village of Montacute and at worst thought to be a witch.
Cess's thirteenth birthday is an eventful one to say the least. First she finds a locket in the chicken coop and then there's the case of the missing boys. When her only friend, William, la...more
Cess's thirteenth birthday is an eventful one to say the least. First she finds a locket in the chicken coop and then there's the case of the missing boys. When her only friend, William, la...more
Cecily Perryn is an illegitimate child and as such is very lucky to hold the position of poultry girl at the estate house of Montacute. A position she is very proud to have and happy with too as she enjoys the company of the hens, they were much more accepting of her then those folk in the village, even those of her own relation.
For three years Cess had worked for Sir Edward Mortain, the Earl and master of Montacute, but it was only recently that she had know his son to be at residence. However...more
For three years Cess had worked for Sir Edward Mortain, the Earl and master of Montacute, but it was only recently that she had know his son to be at residence. However...more
This book is set at the last part of the 16th century during the reign of Elizabeth the 1st, in a place called Montacute in Somerset. I was born and raised in Somerset so you can imagine how excited I was to read this, and rightly so; it was really good! The protagonist, Cecily, is a poultry girl who was born out of wedlock so she is looked down upon by the rest of the village. Cecily finds a jewel which was hidden in the chicken coop, and then her best friend William goes missing after the body...more
www.booksforcompany.com
When l was sent this l was really unsure as to whether it would be able to grab my attention. The main and only reason l thought l may not enjoy this book is because l don’t read historical books. The last historical book l tried l sadly wasn't interested in as too much detail was being put about the period in which the book is based. Montacute House was a nice surprise and is an example of why l try to give every book a go, even different sorts of books or books l wouldn’...more
When l was sent this l was really unsure as to whether it would be able to grab my attention. The main and only reason l thought l may not enjoy this book is because l don’t read historical books. The last historical book l tried l sadly wasn't interested in as too much detail was being put about the period in which the book is based. Montacute House was a nice surprise and is an example of why l try to give every book a go, even different sorts of books or books l wouldn’...more
I LOVED the cover of this book, and the synopsis was so intriguing that I knew I would love this book. Unfortunately, neither the cover nor the synopsis really captured what this story was about. Some might like this book, but it just wasn't for me.
Montacute House opens with a most shocking discovery. The corpse of an unknown boy is found by the river. There are whisperings among the villagers of Montacute. Did the boy die of the Sweat? How did his body come to be so far from home? The mystery wraps around the folks and the Parson is excited by the possibility that Witchcraft is involved. The Parson has a thirst for hunting witches and a mission to constantly remind the villagers that they are all sinners. Our heroine is Cecily. She is an...more
I've never been a massive fan of historical fiction, but after reading books like Montacute House by Lucy Jago, I'm never quite sure why that is because this book was fun and different and very exciting to read. The historical detail is present but never over-bearing and I was drawn into the plot and the characters quickly and was really pleasantly surprised by this book.
Montacute House introduces us to Cess, a thirteen year old servant girl who works on this big estate house in Somerset during...more
Montacute House introduces us to Cess, a thirteen year old servant girl who works on this big estate house in Somerset during...more
Jun 08, 2011
Amanda
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical,
supernatural
3.4 stars. This would have warranted a higher rating if not for the ending. Most of the time The Coven's Daughter reads as a historical fiction with dark mischief in kidnapping and murder, and these elements are done well. Cess is an illegitimate child of thirteen and lives as an outcast. Her station in life is reflected in the villagers' prejudice as well as the prose (there are subtle references to pigs and other farm animals). Her only friend, also an outcast dubbed by his club foot, is missi...more
Cess is the oultry girl at the grand estate, Montacute House. All hell breaks loose when she turns 13. She finds out that she is a witch. The woman who heals people is a witch and part of a coven. The queen is coming to Montacute House. There is a plot against the queen that involves monks kidnapping boys and trying to infect them with the plague. Her father is the son of the lord of the house. The depiction of the beliefs of witches is well done. And the mystery, politics and intrigue make this...more
Summary: Cecily has lived her whole life as the poultry girl for the powerful Montacue House. When local boys begin to go missing (and later gruesomely turn up dead), her town is convinced that witchcraft is to blame. But when Cecily herself is captured, she discovers a horrible secret and makes a formidable enemy.
My thoughts: Just a quick disclaimer before I begin—I read this book while trying to combat the flu, so my memory may be a bit fuzzy (sorry if certain points I make are vague!). The fa...more
My thoughts: Just a quick disclaimer before I begin—I read this book while trying to combat the flu, so my memory may be a bit fuzzy (sorry if certain points I make are vague!). The fa...more
Originally posted on IceyBooks
Because of what happened in Father of Lies, I was afraid The Coven's Daughter would be pretty much the same. But this gorgeous young-adult debut did not disappoint.
The story begins with Cecily Perynn, a poor poultry girl, beginning her day collecting eggs from under the many hens in Montacute House. When she sticks her hand under a hen, she pulls out a small box. Unsure of what to do with it at first, she quickly opens it to find a beautiful pendant. What a gift fo...more
Because of what happened in Father of Lies, I was afraid The Coven's Daughter would be pretty much the same. But this gorgeous young-adult debut did not disappoint.
The story begins with Cecily Perynn, a poor poultry girl, beginning her day collecting eggs from under the many hens in Montacute House. When she sticks her hand under a hen, she pulls out a small box. Unsure of what to do with it at first, she quickly opens it to find a beautiful pendant. What a gift fo...more
Cecily Perryn, called Cess, is an outcast in her village of Montacute during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. She was born out of wedlock and her mother has never revealed the identity of her father. After her grandparents died, she and her mother were forced to leave the family home and live in poverty. Their only income is Cess's wages working as a poultry girl at the grand Montacute House. Being poor and illegitimate makes Cess an easy target of the villagers' scorn. The only person who accept...more
I've wanted this book for a while, so I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. At points I had to physically force myself to read this book. The plot kinda felt like it was all over the place and the characters felt very clichéd. The plot was fairly basic with some uniqueness but not enough to make me want to keep reading.
Read the rest of the review at ComaCalm's Corner!
Read the rest of the review at ComaCalm's Corner!
I stopped reading at 53 pages in. Nothing is really wrong but I just don't feel like reading more. And the book is literally giving me a headache because the pages smell dusty. I just wasn't captured in the story and nothing really made me want to stay. I'm really sad about that but these days I really don't have the time for a story i don't want to read. I may revisit it in the future though that's not likely. Just not for me. :(
This was a book I picked up quickly from the library and had completely misunderstood what it was about. I was expecting a modern day story with a historical mystery, but actually the whole book is set in Elizabethan England.
I enjoyed the book, but was slightly disappointed with the end. It didn't feel rushed, but the author was interested in the children in the book instead of going into detail about the adult story lines.
I enjoyed the book, but was slightly disappointed with the end. It didn't feel rushed, but the author was interested in the children in the book instead of going into detail about the adult story lines.
MOntacute House was a book filled with tension and wonder. It was a bit slow at the start, getting into the story and letting everything sink in - quite a few times I would ahve to flip back a few pages to see who was who, which was which, who's side they were on etc. But overall, it was a good book to read... With a big surprise towards the end... I tell you, I didn't expect that at all.
What can I say? I love this book! The author keeps up a fast paced plot, but still gives you time to know the character. Set in Somerset in the 1500's, this is a lovely story for fans of The Gemma Doyle series, a melting pot of witchcraft, coming of age, politics, and society, MUST READ!
Lately I've been lucky enough to be continually finding good books; The Coven's Daughter is an example of this. I love Cess and Jasper, and Edith was great. The plot was really good and fast-paced. I literally couldn't put it down.
This book was a fun read - an interesting portrayal of witches as both healers and believers in the supernatural. Jago is working on a version of the story for adult readers, but I found this one fun and not patronizing at all.
I really loved this book from the moment I picked it up. It was fast paced and had an interesting plot. The characters feel like real people. I would recommend this book to teen girls who like historical fiction.
I do not recommed this book. Not because it addictive or seriously good or I am trying to use my extremely-cheesy jokes. It is not a good book for children or adults. Kaput.
Cecily Perryn is a fatherless, lowly servant girl in the Montacute House and has only one friend. Days after her 13th birthday, Cess is accused of witchcraft. The only way to prove her innocence is by finding her best friend, William, and finding the real culprit of the recent kidnappings.
I was intrigued by the plot, but in the end the story really fell flat for me. There were some elements of the story that were too forced and others that were too unbelievable. The characters were well develop...more
I was intrigued by the plot, but in the end the story really fell flat for me. There were some elements of the story that were too forced and others that were too unbelievable. The characters were well develop...more
Someday Ill learn to stop picking up historical fictions since I really cant stand them.
Light little read that is at my local library as "The Coven's Daughter."
I loved this book sooooo much !!! cant get better than this!
excellent story, with a great climactic battle! middle school level, i think.
It's been done better.
One of the reasons I liked this book was because in the beginning it started of with a murder so it was interesting but towards the ending it got boring.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
May 04, 2011 11:26am