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Blythewood

(Blythewood #1)

Carol Goodman (Goodreads Author)

3.86 · Rating details · 3,526 ratings · 565 reviews

Welcome to Blythewood.

At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she’s on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York’s mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended—and was expelled from. Though she’s afraid her high society classmates won’t accept a fac ...more

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Hardcover, 489 pages

Published October 8th 2013 by Viking

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Lists with This Book

The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare

YA Books - Publishing October 2013

122 books — 351 voters

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YA Paranormal Historical Fiction

113 books — 83 voters

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Average rating 3.86 ·

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· 3,526 ratings · 565 reviews

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Dec 08, 2013 Dschaper54 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-2014

I'm sorry but I feel that the people who are reading YA literature are too harsh. I am a librarian in a middle school and the students would love this book .. I think those who are critical are not looking at the writing as entertaining to young adults but looking for literary merit. Not every book has to be written like a classic. This book was entertaining, PERIOD!!! Maybe more people need to start reading for pleasure again instead of trying to be a critic. Just saying ...more

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Oct 13, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: boarding-school, fantasy, high-school, mary-sue, try-hard, angels, boring-main-character, fairies, magic, mental-illness

I appreciate the use of imagery, but the key to using it as a literary device is subtlety. In this book, imagery doesn't gently tap you on the shoulders from behind, it doesn't touch you with a gentle lover's caress. The imagery within this book comes running at you in a Pennywise mask wielding a chainsaw while screaming bloody murder. The writing is overwrought, leaning heavily towards purple prose. It tries too hard to be "gothic." It has all the subtlety of a purple plaid-patterned penguin.

Yo ...more

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Apr 01, 2013 B marked it as to-read

I think we all know why I added this.

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Apr 02, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it it was amazing

Shelves: penguin, pn-demons, 2013-publication, pn-faeries, read-2013, fantasy, crush-worthy-boys, october, gothic, food-porn

4.5 stars I love this so, so, so, so, much. PLEASE let there be a sequel soon!

Full review is on the blog:
http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2013... ...more

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Nov 03, 2020 Amber J rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars-of-2020, 2020-reading-challenge

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.

After her mother dies and she survives a fire at the factory where she works. Ava is attending Blythewood. Afraid she won't be able to fit in with all the rich people and worried about her own sanity. She begins to make friendships, but Blythewood is more than just ...more

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Oct 24, 2013 Rhonda rated it really liked it

Why on earth this isn't marketed as YA I don't know. It falls right in line with the I'm secretly from faerie and only I can (fill in the blank) because I have special powers. There are competing love interests, all romance, no sex, and a parent/family mystery that needs to be sorted before the protagonist can discover herself. Midway through, it starting feeling like a 1 of 3 and I was getting prepared to be very annoyed (I hate it when books don't announce that they're the start of a series). ...more

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Sep 20, 2015 meghann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved the Fairwick Chronicles series that this author wrote under the pseudonym Juliet Dark. The first book in that trilogy is one of my favorites. So I was interested in giving her YA series a try. I was not disappointed. I am such a slore for books set in boarding schools. Throw in a bit of the supernatural, and I'm in.

Who doesn't want to go to a school where you learn to use magic and train to kick some ass and save the world?

I loved how the teachers at Blythewood were just as in ...more

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Jun 26, 2013 Sarah added it

Carol Goodman's Blythewood is absolutely marvelous. Thoroughly researched, she creates a truly believable setting. You can feel Blythewood's real and fictional locations under your feet. From the physical details (shirts are only called shirtwaists &c.) to the pronounced issues of class, Goodman captures both the physicality and emotionality of the times. I was especially impressed that while the main 3 characters grew closer together, their class conflicts never completely died — or were left f ...more

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Jun 07, 2018 Melenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-book

I enjoyed this audio book. The audio was well done and so was the story.

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Aug 30, 2013 Lauren rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars

Set-up (adapted from Goodreads)
Avaline Hall is not having a good year. When Blythewood begins, she is a poor factory girl that has recently lost her mother. Things get steadily worse for Ava for a while - a tragic fire and a mental institution among other set backs - but then Ava meets her grandmother and learns more about her mother and the girls' boarding school that her mom attended - and was expelled from. Now heading to Blythewood herself, Ava is not sure how her wealthy classmates ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Sarah marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, historical-fiction, paranormal-uf

Sadly this is another book I have zero interest in finishing. I'm just feeling very detached from the story at 16%. The writing is overly descriptive when it doesn't have to be, barely anything has happened and it reminds me too much of A Great and Terrible Beauty.

The trees beside the station were thrashing in a sudden gust, the rain spitting like an angry cat, and the air smelled like singed wires. I had the feeling that if we stood here a moment longer, we'd all be blown away into the river.
W ...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gothic, ya-fiction, tales-of-fae-and-faery-tales, historical-fiction, hf-america, retellings-and-reinterpretations, i-love-you-for-your-words, owned-copy, supernatural-fiction, creeeeepy

As a proud Blythian, Blytheus would approve of my reading this.

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Oct 10, 2013 Heidi rated it really liked it

Four Stars: A delightful boarding school book with a pinch of magic and a dash of mystery!

Avaline Hall at sixteen is alone since her mother passed away. Ava, though, bravely found employment at the Triangle Waist factory. She spends endless hours sewing seams on sleeves. On this particular day, Ava is madly sewing to meet her monthly quota to make rent. Right before the final bell of the day rings, Ava looks up and sees a strange man in an Inverness Cape talking to her foreman. Warning bells go ...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Jen (The Starry-Eyed Revue) rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, faeries-fey, paranormal-other, angels, magic-time-travel, audiobooks, gothic, 2013

I haven't had the best of luck with boarding school novels lately. So many of them are flat and contain the same old, same old: magic, mystery, and secrets, and they're all very blasé about it. So, it was with some trepidation that I began this audiobook, despite knowing that several of my friends had already loved the story.

I don't know if it's the combination of a truly worthy protagonist and a brilliant audiobook narrator, but I can safely say that I am back on the boarding school bandwago I haven't had the best of luck with boarding school novels lately. So many of them are flat and contain the same old, same old: magic, mystery, and secrets, and they're all very blasé about it. So, it was with some trepidation that I began this audiobook, despite knowing that several of my friends had already loved the story.

I don't know if it's the combination of a truly worthy protagonist and a brilliant audiobook narrator, but I can safely say that I am back on the boarding school bandwagon. I loved Leslie Bellair's narration in Tarnish, so I was fairly certain she'd do Blythewood justice. Bellair beautifully portrayed Ava as a girl who's not quite sure of her sanity and also not certain of her place in the world. I'd say she far-exceeded my expectations when it comes to the narration.

My first instinct is to compare this story to Harry Potter because there are quite a few similarities, but that would be doing this book a great injustice because as far as writing and story go, the two books couldn't be more different. Historical fiction and fantasy combine in this story to create a magical world shrouded in mystery. Blythewood is magical realism at its best, as far as I'm concerned, and setting the story in the early 20th century made it that much more enjoyable for me, especially when other events from history coincide and intertwine with the story. This book is far from light, and including real-life tragic events from history gave the book a more realistic feel, making it all the more engaging.

These events also play an important role in Ava's life...Ava who's already suffered a tragic loss of her own. It's all a bit much and has Ava questioning her sanity, but she's a survivor. She's not perfect and she doesn't have the ability to magic herself out of a jam; she's just a girl who's trying to make the best out of a bad situation. And along the way, she makes some friends, both among her peers at school and among her teachers and their acquaintances, but she also makes a truly menacing enemy, one who may know Ava's story better than she does.

Another aspect of this story that I found particularly intriguing was the balance between light and dark, between good and evil. I think when it comes to magic in a story, it's always important to highlight the differences but also to stress that there are gray areas, even if the opinion is not popular. The Darklings, the fae, and the other inhabitants of the Blythe Wood are just such a gray area, and I can't wait to delve further into that magic in future installments.

I also need more of the romance from the next book. The relationship that develops in Blythewood is forbidden in nature and very slow-burning, so much so that I wondered if anything would even become of it in this book. Especially when the author seemed to be pushing another love interest into the mix. Though nothing develops with that young man, there are indications that his presence is important and that even if Ava doesn't have feelings for him, he clearly does for her. I'd buy into that romantic aspect more if I had been shown his feelings rather than having been told about them by another character. Either way, it's going to be interesting to see how this all develops, especially after certain revelations at the end of this book. Ava is going to have to overcome some prejudices and come to terms with who she really is before anything can really happen, though.

Honestly, I don't think any review I write can effectively convey the awesomeness of this story. It's slow-going at first but well worth the build-up. It's such a unique take on faerie lore intermixed with that of angels and demons and everything in between. I was disappointed to learn that it wasn't a stand-alone as I'd originally thought, but I'm also elated to know that there's more of this story to be told. I haven't had my fill of this magical world yet, and I am ever so intrigued by those Darklings and whatever else lurks in the shadows of the Blythe Wood.

This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue. ...more

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Nov 10, 2013 Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult

"Darkling I listen; and for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death...."

Avaline Hall has had just about enough of heartbreak and misfortune. Her mother has died of a laudanum overdose, her best friend perished in a factory fire, and she has just escaped from a mental institution where she was admitted under suspicious circumstances. But all that is about to change. The grandmother she never knew existed has stepped forward to take her under her wing. And she has been admitted into ...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Natasha (books_n_dreams) rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

So this book is really hard for me to get into which really sucks because I am intrigued, but this is the first book I've read in a long time that I just can't push through it the rest of the way. Really sucks, but oh well. I am glad though Penguin sent this book to me cause I wanted to read it, but it looks like right now after only making it about 100 pages into it that I might just have to set it down and hopefully give it ago some other time.

But I'm not saying this book sucks, the writing i ...more

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Jan 01, 2018 Amber rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-romance, did-not-finish-or-lost-interest, sweater-weather, gothic

DNF @ 20%. So boring.

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May 08, 2019 Coral rated it liked it

Shelves: reading-challange-2

I found this book very confusing at the beginning but once I understood it, it was okay. I found it confusing because I thought it was hard to tell what was real and what was just in Ava’s head.
I really enjoyed the writing style though. I enjoyed it because it made me feel like I was right there with Ava. I might read the next two books because of the writing style.

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Dec 04, 2014 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: on-my-shelves, owned-print-copy, finishedreviewcopy

For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Embarking on Blythewood, I was hesitant. I read the first few pages on Amazon preview before I accepted the review copy, mostly because of an ambivalence to paranormal stories, particularly those about angels. I really liked the writing and the sample and decided it was worth a try. I should probably make use of this sampling technique more often, since I often DNF within the first twenty pages. My i For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Embarking on Blythewood, I was hesitant. I read the first few pages on Amazon preview before I accepted the review copy, mostly because of an ambivalence to paranormal stories, particularly those about angels. I really liked the writing and the sample and decided it was worth a try. I should probably make use of this sampling technique more often, since I often DNF within the first twenty pages. My instincts on Blythewood were correct: the writing is beautiful, the world building compelling, and it was indeed worth my time.

Carol Goodman, Goodreads informs me, has written adult fiction with much success for years. Blythewood is her debut young adult novel. Though I’ve not read any of her adult novels, I suspect that the writing is similar. Personally, I think it’s beautiful. However, Blythewood‘s got a slower, more measured pace than most young adult novels. I suspect Blythewood will have the most appeal for YA readers who also enjoy adult fiction and aren’t as driven by action and quick pacing. I realize it sounds like I’m saying this is a flaw, but I honestly don’t think it is; I just want you guys to know what to expect.

The setting of Blythewood delighted me. Set in the 1910s, Goodman blends history with the paranormal. There are paranormal explanations for big events of the time and I just love the way that she did that. The history nerd in me was overjoyed at these moments when the historical elements came to the surface. On top of the actual events, there’s some great stuff about votes for women and unions. Plus, there’s a brief foray into Bellevue.

Added to the historical elements is a complex and fascinating fantasy world. There’s a lot going on in the world building, but I think it all comes together pretty well. At the end, I was still left with some questions, but it feels like Goodman has a plan. There are a bunch of creatures, most of whom I’ve met before in lore and some which I have not. It took me a while to stop rolling my eyes at the Darklings, because, hey, you’re supposed to be singular and in Leigh Bardugo’s novels, but I came around.

What I like best about Goodman’s world is that it’s not black and white. Initially, it appears like there’s good and evil, as taught at Blythewood, the boarding school Ava goes to where girls are taught to fight faerie creatures. Ultimately, nobody’s really entirely evil, at least not always. I like that the villains have pasts and motivations, and the parallels between racism and the treatment of the faerie creatures are strong. The struggles inside Blythewood, though fantastical in nature, mirror the struggles taking place outside in ordinary human lives.

The characters are not perhaps the most lively and lifelike, but I do think they’re interesting. I’m not emotionally attached, but I’m enjoying their arcs thus far. Much like the creatures, the humans initially seem easy to categorize, but Ava keeps learning that there’s much more to her classmates and teachers. Sometimes I’m ready to dismiss someone and write them off as one thing and then they would develop in new unexpected ways. For this reason, I have hope that I’ll come to care for these characters along their journey.

The weakest part of Blythewood by far is the romance, which follows the traditional paranormal romance tropes. If those work for you, then obviously the romance here will, but they don’t work for me. Ava is entranced by visions of the boy who saved her from the Triangle Shirt Waist fire. He’s compelling and magical. They instalove all over each other. Though they don’t actually declare their feelings, there’s a bit of world building that explains that they two are in love. On the plus side, though, there’s not really that much time spent on the romance, so it wasn’t a huge detraction.

I’ve got Ravencliffe coming up next on my reading list and I’m looking forward to more of Ava’s journey. There’s a lot more that I want to know. I only hope that Goodman can convince me to care about this romance in the next book. ...more

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Dec 30, 2013 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Where, oh where can I begin with this book?

Blythewood had me back and forth, and constantly debating with myself, about my opinion on this book. Before beginning I was bouncing of the walls with excitement, within the first few chapters I found myself to be a bit disappointed, then when things started to take off I couldn’t get enough, afterwards I was confused, and finally I fell in love with the ending.

Blythewood starts with a poor girl named Avaline Hall, Ava for short, who is working in a cl ...more

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Jul 12, 2013 Meghan rated it liked it

I've read several of Carol Goodman's adult books previously and always enjoyed them so I was intrigued to read Blythewood – her foray into the young adult paranormal realm.

The book opens quite bleakly, and without any paranormal shades which I found quite refreshing. The story is allowed to build slowly atop the back of its main character, a 16-year old girl who has lost her mother and working in a factory to avoid starvation. At this point I wasn’t quite clear on the setting and time of the sto I've read several of Carol Goodman's adult books previously and always enjoyed them so I was intrigued to read Blythewood – her foray into the young adult paranormal realm.

The book opens quite bleakly, and without any paranormal shades which I found quite refreshing. The story is allowed to build slowly atop the back of its main character, a 16-year old girl who has lost her mother and working in a factory to avoid starvation. At this point I wasn’t quite clear on the setting and time of the story, but the details for both slowly build unobtrusively over the course of the story and a fairly well known historical event is used as a slightly gimmicky but also slightly brilliant vehicle for the story. Other less obvious events and historical figures are thrown in here and there as well proving that Goodman does know how to pepper a tale with details to enhance the overall feel.

From the factory setting we move to a boarding school, very familiar to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts in many details, including a great hall and flying birds. There is even a loner caretaker and ‘evil’ teacher. In fact, the similarities are so obvious that a certain plot twist was telegraphed long before it was revealed. There are also similarities to another young adult series, the House of Night by P.C. Cast. So much so, that by the end of the book I was convinced that a subsequent book to continue the story will probably have a certain teacher aligned more with the side opposing our young heroine. I might also add the main protagonist is also clearly a ’chosen one’ with powerful and rare abilities.

All that said, in spite of the aforementioned tropes and similarities, I enjoyed the book. There are fantastic creatures, messages of tolerance, and wonderfully creative objects in this world (i.e. the candelabellum). I think the series has a lot of potential if it can veer away from what’s been done before and focus on the original concepts. I’d be willing to read the next in the series just to see where else the girls of Blythewood go next.

I received an ARC of this book at Comic Con 2013.
...more

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Dec 10, 2014 Marcie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I could kick myself for waiting so long to read this book. I haven't enjoyed a book so much since Harry Potter. I was completely taken in by the Blythwood Academy and all its residents. Especially Avaline Hall.

Avaline Hall really isn't like the other girls. She's lived apart from most of the society girls, even though she's a legacy. Her mother attended the famous Blythwood Academy but was dismissed for mysterious reasons. After Avaline's mother dies, she's sent to her Grandmother, who immediate ...more

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Nov 14, 2018 Jacquelyn Rose rated it liked it

Shelves: boarding-schools

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 20, 2017 Meredith rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasty-science-fiction, young-adult

I liked the setting and the world that was created, but the execution was all over the place. The main character seemed a bit obtuse about things. Some parts dragged while others went to fast. And in all, things just seemed kind of predictable.

I will probably read the next in the series because I want to see what happens to some of the other characters and to see the world fleshed out a bit more, but in all, this was kind of disappointing.

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Jan 10, 2014 Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, series-finished

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was a paperback I got from the publisher for review.

Once upon a time, I acquired an ARC of an intriguing little book called Blythewood in a swap with another blogger. It languished on my TBR for over a year and a half, but I fully intended to read it someday. Cut to recently, when a publicist at Penguin emailed me to offer review copies of both Blythewood and its sequel Ravencliffe. I accepted, of course, and I honestly can’t believe I put off rea See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was a paperback I got from the publisher for review.

Once upon a time, I acquired an ARC of an intriguing little book called Blythewood in a swap with another blogger. It languished on my TBR for over a year and a half, but I fully intended to read it someday. Cut to recently, when a publicist at Penguin emailed me to offer review copies of both Blythewood and its sequel Ravencliffe. I accepted, of course, and I honestly can’t believe I put off reading Blythewood for so long! The pacing may be slow at times, but the strength of Ava’s character, the lore Goodman weaves with careful hands, and its flat-out perfect use of historical events to tie into the events of the story put this book on my all-time favorites list.

The first fifty pages alone are an amazing hook and the reason why I’ve kept it on my TBR for so long. Ava’s descriptions of the fire (a very real historical event important to both feminism and workers’ rights) are chilling and what she goes through thanks to the man in the Iverness cape is horrible. It’s a bit surprising some of that trauma from the fire and being in the asylum for five months doesn’t linger with Ava, but everyone is affected differently by an event and all that. Whatever the case, it shows Ava is a survivor and has a good reason for throwing herself into the secrets of Blythewood. That characterization detail escaped me until it came time to write this review, which is actually pretty cool because it’s such good writing you don’t think about it.

(Speaking of historical events, +10000000 for how the sinking of the Titanic is used within the novel. My mouth was really, truly gaping and I made a few history-nerd squeals.)

Admittedly, I expected Blythewood to be straight Gothic with the usual “is it/is it not paranormal” that goes with such novels. NOPE. This novel honestly surprised me because I didn’t think it would be paranormal and that makes it even better. Goodman has clearly done her research not just on the time period but also on mythology and lore from various parts of the world; everything blends together seamlessly and is never just what we’re originally told it is. Even if some of the higher-ups at Blythewood don’t want to see it, everything is beyond the dichotomy they teach their students.

Along with all that, the prose is smooth as butter. With the combination of that, Ava’s strength of character, and her developing relationships with roommates Helen and Daisy as well as sole-guy-in-a-girl’s-school Nathan, you’re going to coast through this novel even though it’s more character-driven than plot-driven. That doesn’t mean there’s no plot, though. Bits of mysteries are sprinkled throughout. Some are easily solved, which makes the red herrings for the other mysteries like the Iverness man’s spy inside Blythewood that much more surprising.

The one part of the novel I don’t care for is the central romance between Ava and the Darkling named Raven, but even that’s forgivable. It’s way back on the backburner as the novel focuses on the world Ava is now immersed in and it somewhat works within the context of this particular paranormal novel. It’s not developed very thoroughly, but it’s not a story-killer that throws you out of the book either. Maybe it will get more in future novels if Ava doesn’t get occupied with Nathan…

Thank goodness Blythewood came with a copy of its sequel Ravencliffe because as soon as I finish reading my other obligated books, I’ll be on Ravencliffe like a mosquito on me when I go outside (and unfortunately, mosquitos love me). If you want some brilliant Gothic paranormal YA, you need this book. Maybe it slipped under the radar at first, but this is me putting it back on your radar. I don’t have the time anymore to reread books as much as I’d like to, but this is one novel I’d love to reread if I could. ...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Karissa rated it liked it

I have had this book on my shelf for quite a while to read. I really enjoyed Goodman’s adult Demon Lover series, written under the name Juliet Dark, and was excited to read a YA novel by her. While there were parts of the book I really enjoyed, mostly the book just felt really long and slow moving.

Avaline (Ava) Hall has had a rough life. Her mother is dead and she’s been forced to work in a clothing factory to make ends meet. When the factory catches on fire, Avaline is saved by a winged boy and
I have had this book on my shelf for quite a while to read. I really enjoyed Goodman’s adult Demon Lover series, written under the name Juliet Dark, and was excited to read a YA novel by her. While there were parts of the book I really enjoyed, mostly the book just felt really long and slow moving.

Avaline (Ava) Hall has had a rough life. Her mother is dead and she’s been forced to work in a clothing factory to make ends meet. When the factory catches on fire, Avaline is saved by a winged boy and put into an asylum because of her ravings. Things take a turn for the better when Avaline’s mysterious grandmother rescues her from the asylum and Avaline ends up attending the mysterious boarding school that her mother went to, Blythewood. Blythewood is not even close to being a normal girls’ school. It has many dark secrets of its own and its students are trained in dark arts that aid them in a war Avaline (and the rest of humanity) didn’t even know was happening.

This is mostly a historical fantasy/paranormal read, the story is set in the early 1900’s. There were a lot of things I liked about this story. I enjoyed reading about Avaline’s struggles as a working girl in that time period and about the horrible working conditions the girls faced. This is something that is still going on in parts of the world and it was good to read about it and get some insight into it.

I also enjoyed the mysterious Blythewood school and the creepy woods that surrounded it. I love the mixture of mythology and faerie throughout the story.

Ava is an interesting character. She is definitely a survivor and seems much older than her classmates because of everything she has gone through. She makes a couple very good friends at Blythewood and as the book progresses she really starts to enjoy and depend on her friends. Ava doesn’t know a lot about her mother’s past or her father, she spends the majority of the book trying to unravel these mysteries.

There are a lot of important side characters in this book. Helen and Daisy are Ava’s roommates and they play a large role in the story. Nathan is the son of the headmistress and his younger sister was lost to the woods. Nathan drives a lot of the story in his search for his sister. Lastly there is Raven, the mysterious not-so-human boy who saved Ava during the factory fire.

Of course woven into all the above is a battle between light and dark that is threatening all of humanity. As Ava learns more about this she finds that things are not as black and white as they first seem.

Unfortunately despite my excitement to read this book there were a number of things I didn’t like about the story. The largest one is the pacing. There are vast portions of the book that just move very slowly, where our characters seem to be biding their time and just waiting for the next shoe to drop. These parts felt very long. I really think that this book could have been much more engaging if it had been tightened up some.

I also felt that while some parts of the story were very creative (the era it was set in, Ava’s background as a factory worker) some of it was very predictable and typical of YA paranormal literature. I was looking forward to something as beautiful and magical as Goodman’s Demon Lover series; and there is some of that here...but again there were parts that were very slow and very predictable.

Overall this ended up being an okay historical paranormal read. I wanted to love it but I didn’t, the book was just too cumbersome and moved too slow at parts. That being said I did love the era the story was set in and enjoyed some of the mythology and elements of faerie throughout. The characters were fairly engaging and fun to read about. I would tentatively recommend if you enjoy historical paranormal reads that focus on fae mythology. ...more

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Nov 01, 2013 Heather rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-summer-2015

I really, really enjoyed this book! I just wish that it didn't take me so long to finish it! Nothing against the writing, I've just been very busy with my summer internship (which is a shame because I usually read the most books during the summer months).

But, onto the book itself...

Firstly, I could not have been more thrilled with the historical setting the author chose of early 1900s New York. There are few things I love more than a good piece of historical fiction, and this book did everything I really, really enjoyed this book! I just wish that it didn't take me so long to finish it! Nothing against the writing, I've just been very busy with my summer internship (which is a shame because I usually read the most books during the summer months).

But, onto the book itself...

Firstly, I could not have been more thrilled with the historical setting the author chose of early 1900s New York. There are few things I love more than a good piece of historical fiction, and this book did everything right. The story unfolded beautifully smack in the middle of a real historical period. The details of the era were everywhere making the reading a very rich experience. Furthermore, Ava was a delightful and strong willed heroine who I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying on this journey.

The story begins with Ava working at a the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, until it tragically catches fire (a nice historical tie-in). She's just struggling to stay on her feet after her mother passed away leaving more questions than answers. However, Ava isn't just an average working girl. Ava hears bells and chimes in her head, especially when there is danger. She is also being followed by a mysterious man and begins to see some very strange things. This includes being rescued by a very handsome young man who she swears has a set of wings. These instances intrigue the reader and draw them deeper and deeper into the mystery surrounding Ava and her late mother. As it turns out, most of these mysteries lead back to a place called Blythewood Academy.

Blythewood Academy is a mysterious school where young women of distinction are sent to be educated. Ava knew her mother longed for her school days there, but Ava always assumed it was because of the typical boarding school pastimes young women shared and enjoyed. However, their education is about more than just learning to be good hostesses or good mannered young wives. These women serve a much greater purpose that involves defending our world against mysterious, otherworldly threats.

I greatly enjoyed watching the mysterious unfold as I progressed through this book. No one is who you think they are and Ava must learn quickly what is truth and what are lies at her new school. There is romance, mystery, fantasy, and historical details abound.

Honestly, I am quite eager to start the next book soon! I apologize it took me so long to review! But this book definitely falls around 4 to 4.5 stars. I would have given it 5 if the romance was a little less insta-love. However, don't let that deter you! This book was really a great pleasure to read! ...more

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Oct 27, 2013 Tegan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: female-lead, ghosts, young-adult, historical, favorites, fairies, drool-worthy-boys, escapist, witches, myths-legends

Title: Blythewood

Author: Carol Goodman

Type: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Tea: Strawberry Rose Champagne Oolong from Teavana. Has hints of other teas that you love, but brings its own twist entirely.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Oh Carol Goodman, you are a genius. I always thought so, but you solidified this opinion with Blythewood. Having been an avid Carol Goodman fan for years I couldn't wait to get my hands on Blythewood, and I was not disappointed!

Blythewood has aspects of two of my favorite series, Harry ...more

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Jun 19, 2013 Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for-review, favorites, ya-fantasy

Avaline Hall is now an orphan. Her mother committed suicide and she never knew her father. Now she must find a way to support herself. The year is 1911, which means there really is only one respectable way to earn money, which is to work in a factory. Avaline takes a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and she is there when the building catches fire and kills hundreds of workers. It doesn't help that she keeps spotting a strange man wearing a cape before the fire and she saw him before her mo ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Jennybeast rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, adventure, fairy, witches_magic

I alternately couldn't put it down and wanted to savor every minute of this richly portrayed world.

Avaline Hall survives. I was going to say what she survives, but there are so many things: grief, the mystery of her mother's past, hard work and humiliation and the terrors of the Triangle Factory fire. By the time I got to that point in the book, I already admired her strong spirit and intelligence, and the story had barely begun. Blythewood is a wonder; the school, the book, the new mythologies ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Fiction/Fantasy Romance - Main character is a girl who lives in New York but moves to a magic boarding school with a magic forbidden forest next to it after the disappearance of her mother and a tragic factory fire [s]	5	453	Aug 13, 2019 07:58PM
YA/Paranormal Rom...: April/May 2015	6	10	Apr 29, 2015 06:45PM
Crazy for Young A...: Blythewood (Blythewood #1) by Carol Goodman → Start Date: March 28, 2015	16	59	Apr 08, 2015 12:40PM
Shut Up & Read: "Something Wicked Returns" Giveaway!	1	14	Oct 12, 2013 12:24AM

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About Carol Goodman

Carol Goodman

2,168 followers

Carol Goodman is the author of The Lake of Dead Languages, The Seduction of Water, which won the Hammett Prize, and The Widow's House, which won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also the co-author, with her husband Lee Slonimsky, of the Watchtower fantasy trilogy. Her work has appeared in such journals as The Greensboro Review, Literal Latte, The Midwest Quarterly, and Other Voices. After grad ...more