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The Clairvoyants
Karen Brown’s most hypnotic novel to date--gothic-inflected psychological suspense that unmasks the secret desires of a young woman with a mystical gift
On the family homestead by the sea where she grew up, Martha Mary saw ghosts. As a young woman, she hopes to distance herself from those spirits by escaping to an inland college town. There, she is absorbed by a budding romance, relieved by separation from an unstable sister, and disinterested in the flyers seeking information about a young woman who’s disappeared—until one Indian summer afternoon when the missing woman appears beneath Martha’s apartment window, wearing a down coat, her hair coated with ice.
On the family homestead by the sea where she grew up, Martha Mary saw ghosts. As a young woman, she hopes to distance herself from those spirits by escaping to an inland college town. There, she is absorbed by a budding romance, relieved by separation from an unstable sister, and disinterested in the flyers seeking information about a young woman who’s disappeared—until one Indian summer afternoon when the missing woman appears beneath Martha’s apartment window, wearing a down coat, her hair coated with ice.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2017
35 people are currently reading
1720 people want to read
About the author
Karen Brown
8 books121 followersKaren Brown’s Little Sinners and Other Stories was named a Best Book of 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly; her previous collection, Pins and Needles received AWP’s Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction; and her first novel, The Longings of Wayward Girls, was published in 2013 by Washington Square Press. The Clairvoyants is forthcoming from Henry Holt in February 2017. Her work has been featured in The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, Best American Short Stories, The New York Times, and Good Housekeeping. She teaches creative writing and literature at the University of South Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
March 22, 2017
Actual Rating: 2.0
First of all, I was totally drawn in by the beautiful cover. It reminded me a bit of the covers for Mara Dyer, a series I absolutely loved. The blurb kind of reminded me of that too - both a little creepy and paranormal feeling, so I was excited to read this.
The Clairvoyants follows Martha Mary. She sees ghosts. When she tries to escape them, she ends up at a college far away from home, away from her sister, and away from her past. But then Mary Rae appears beneath her window. Mary Rae, a woman who's gone missing. Mary Rae, who may or may not be dead.
A lot of the reviews say that the writing for this was one of this book's strongest suits, and while it definitely did add to the eerie atmosphere at the start, it made the pacing seem slow. At the very start, I liked the tangential style, but after a while it got repetitive and tiring. I felt like the story had a leisurely pace throughout; I was waiting for the story to pick up, but it feels like it never did.
That brings me to the plot. The plot was definitely interesting, and the premise was set up very well. The issue I have is how we travelled through the plot. Because of the writing style, the storyline seemed tedious, and felt like I lost of sight of where the story was headed.
I felt like I had trouble with the characters as well. While I thought Martha's interactions with her sister were extremely interesting, I didn't quite feel the dynamic between her and the love interest, William. The relationship felt rushed and a little empty, and because I didn't quite get to know Will as a character, I didn't feel emotionally vested in his and Martha's relationship. For Martha, there was definitely character development by the end, and I liked that a lot, even if the road getting there was less than satisfactory.
Throughout all this, I actually did really want to know what the ending would be, and I wasn't disappointed at all. What did disappoint me was, like I said, how I got there, and I feel like I would've enjoyed the story more if a different style was used.
First of all, I was totally drawn in by the beautiful cover. It reminded me a bit of the covers for Mara Dyer, a series I absolutely loved. The blurb kind of reminded me of that too - both a little creepy and paranormal feeling, so I was excited to read this.
The Clairvoyants follows Martha Mary. She sees ghosts. When she tries to escape them, she ends up at a college far away from home, away from her sister, and away from her past. But then Mary Rae appears beneath her window. Mary Rae, a woman who's gone missing. Mary Rae, who may or may not be dead.
A lot of the reviews say that the writing for this was one of this book's strongest suits, and while it definitely did add to the eerie atmosphere at the start, it made the pacing seem slow. At the very start, I liked the tangential style, but after a while it got repetitive and tiring. I felt like the story had a leisurely pace throughout; I was waiting for the story to pick up, but it feels like it never did.
That brings me to the plot. The plot was definitely interesting, and the premise was set up very well. The issue I have is how we travelled through the plot. Because of the writing style, the storyline seemed tedious, and felt like I lost of sight of where the story was headed.
I felt like I had trouble with the characters as well. While I thought Martha's interactions with her sister were extremely interesting, I didn't quite feel the dynamic between her and the love interest, William. The relationship felt rushed and a little empty, and because I didn't quite get to know Will as a character, I didn't feel emotionally vested in his and Martha's relationship. For Martha, there was definitely character development by the end, and I liked that a lot, even if the road getting there was less than satisfactory.
Throughout all this, I actually did really want to know what the ending would be, and I wasn't disappointed at all. What did disappoint me was, like I said, how I got there, and I feel like I would've enjoyed the story more if a different style was used.
November 29, 2016
Martha sees dead people. Usually it's not a problem, she ignores them and they go away. That is until she moves to Ithaca, New York to go to college and sees missing posters all over town for a girl named Mary Rae who then begins appearing under her window. Martha tries to push aside thoughts of Mary Rae as she begins a new chapter of her life by taking classes, beginning a love affair with William, a professor at her college, and reuniting with her sister Dell who leaves the mental hospital to come live with her. As busy as she is Martha still can't help but wonder about the connection Mary Rae has to her new life. Especially since Mary Rae was part of William's social circle before she met him. Is Mary Rae trying to tell Martha something or is she just a faded memory from the past? William's friends and especially his mentor Anne seem to know more than they let on. As more is revealed about the circumstances involving the disappearance of Mary Rae, the reader gets glimpses into the past when Martha and Dell had a fateful encounter with the young David Pinney that forges a surprising connection between Martha and her love William in the present.
Having not read this author previously I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book with it's complex layers. Based on the title I thought the book would be about Martha's interactions with the dead. Her psychic abilities seemed to be incidental to the story however as it was more about the complex relationships Martha had with the people in her life, especially her sister Dell and William. The story kept my attention until the end with it's myriad of twists along the way until it reached a very satisfying conclusion. This book is recommend to anyone who like a Gothic influenced mystery.
Having not read this author previously I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book with it's complex layers. Based on the title I thought the book would be about Martha's interactions with the dead. Her psychic abilities seemed to be incidental to the story however as it was more about the complex relationships Martha had with the people in her life, especially her sister Dell and William. The story kept my attention until the end with it's myriad of twists along the way until it reached a very satisfying conclusion. This book is recommend to anyone who like a Gothic influenced mystery.
February 10, 2017
Full review & giveaway on my blog: http://www.thebookwhisperer.org/2017/...
February 7, 2017
Study.com defines Gothic literature as “a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom as well as romantic elements, such as nature, individuality, and very high emotion. These emotions can include fear and suspense.”
In my own definition of Gothic literature I have to add the subtlety required to slowly build the story to the realization that all is not what it seems to be. Karen Brown has used subtlety to create a true Gothic story. You question every event, every person, every thing and slowly you feel the seeping in of fear. This is a well written Gothic story.
Martha and Del (Delores) are sisters. Both have been affected by an incident from the past and each deals with that event in a different way. They reunite at Martha’s college and then sinister things, disturbing things begin to happen. Is the past returning to haunt them or is it the future that will disturb their balance.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway.
In my own definition of Gothic literature I have to add the subtlety required to slowly build the story to the realization that all is not what it seems to be. Karen Brown has used subtlety to create a true Gothic story. You question every event, every person, every thing and slowly you feel the seeping in of fear. This is a well written Gothic story.
Martha and Del (Delores) are sisters. Both have been affected by an incident from the past and each deals with that event in a different way. They reunite at Martha’s college and then sinister things, disturbing things begin to happen. Is the past returning to haunt them or is it the future that will disturb their balance.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway.
July 4, 2017
Again I'm conflicted, this is supposed to be a " hypnotic psychological mystery"... ( sigh...) for someone so supposedly psychologically damaged, yet so paranormally gifted, Martha Mary is one of the dullest characters ever written about.
She has had visions but chooses to dismiss them, to the point where they are even bored with her presence. Until 'hark' she leaves home to attend college and murders start popping up like dandelions.
Even then she has found her self a boyfriend , also a clarvoient, but doesn't want to expose her gift for fear of( what? Losing him? Showing him up?)
It all gets muddled, drags on for over 200 more pages to the result I saw coming from page 103.... somebody please take a page from the Scandinavians and write something that we can not figure out within the first 100 pages....PLEASE!
She has had visions but chooses to dismiss them, to the point where they are even bored with her presence. Until 'hark' she leaves home to attend college and murders start popping up like dandelions.
Even then she has found her self a boyfriend , also a clarvoient, but doesn't want to expose her gift for fear of( what? Losing him? Showing him up?)
It all gets muddled, drags on for over 200 more pages to the result I saw coming from page 103.... somebody please take a page from the Scandinavians and write something that we can not figure out within the first 100 pages....PLEASE!
July 16, 2017
I'm not really sure why the title is The Clairvoyants plural, because it's really just the narrator Martha Mary who's all:
Perhaps the other clairvoyant is supposed to be her younger sister, Del (short for Delores), with whom she scammed the other neighborhood children (and at least one adult), but that was all before MM received her actual gift/curse and Del ended up spending her teen years in a mental institution. Something happened one summer that turned MM into a recluse and Del into a wild child who eventually had a psychotic break.
Now in their late teens, Martha Mary is moving to Ithaca, New York to attend Cornell and pursue her talent for photography. She feels as if she's being banished by her cold, perfectionist mother who always preferred Del. Too late registering to get a room in a dormitory, she rents a "bedsit" in an old house occupied mostly by professors. She finds herself unable to relate to her classmates and haunted by the ghost of a missing local girl, Mary Rae. When Del shows up, MM is pulled back into their odd sister dynamics: confidants and competitors, never quite able to trust each other. Through their landlord, they are drawn into Mary Rae's extended (and somewhat cult-like) social circle in a nearby small town, and MM embarks on her first real romantic relationship with an associate professor who may be connected to Mary Rae's disappearance.
Reading Karen Brown's prose is like eating a juicy peach on a hot summer day, while wearing a peasant top, with a pitcher of Long Island iced tea just waiting on the patio table. While her first novel, The Longings of Wayward Girls, was partially set in the 70s, this one just feels like it is. I did some math (based on a few dates from family history) and the main story takes place in at least the early 21st century. (People have cell phones, but they don't seem to be of the "smart" variety.) But it still has a 70s feel: the girls wear their hair long and have names like Alice, Jeanette, Lucie, and of course, Martha, Delores, and Mary Rae; the men have shaggy hair and wear worn corduroy pants. Layered in with that fairly recent vintage feel is a gothic atmosphere complete with ghosts and so many secrets. This may sound like too many different elements to work together, but for the most part, they all harmonize into one deliciously creepy novel.
Perhaps the other clairvoyant is supposed to be her younger sister, Del (short for Delores), with whom she scammed the other neighborhood children (and at least one adult), but that was all before MM received her actual gift/curse and Del ended up spending her teen years in a mental institution. Something happened one summer that turned MM into a recluse and Del into a wild child who eventually had a psychotic break.
Now in their late teens, Martha Mary is moving to Ithaca, New York to attend Cornell and pursue her talent for photography. She feels as if she's being banished by her cold, perfectionist mother who always preferred Del. Too late registering to get a room in a dormitory, she rents a "bedsit" in an old house occupied mostly by professors. She finds herself unable to relate to her classmates and haunted by the ghost of a missing local girl, Mary Rae. When Del shows up, MM is pulled back into their odd sister dynamics: confidants and competitors, never quite able to trust each other. Through their landlord, they are drawn into Mary Rae's extended (and somewhat cult-like) social circle in a nearby small town, and MM embarks on her first real romantic relationship with an associate professor who may be connected to Mary Rae's disappearance.
Reading Karen Brown's prose is like eating a juicy peach on a hot summer day, while wearing a peasant top, with a pitcher of Long Island iced tea just waiting on the patio table. While her first novel, The Longings of Wayward Girls, was partially set in the 70s, this one just feels like it is. I did some math (based on a few dates from family history) and the main story takes place in at least the early 21st century. (People have cell phones, but they don't seem to be of the "smart" variety.) But it still has a 70s feel: the girls wear their hair long and have names like Alice, Jeanette, Lucie, and of course, Martha, Delores, and Mary Rae; the men have shaggy hair and wear worn corduroy pants. Layered in with that fairly recent vintage feel is a gothic atmosphere complete with ghosts and so many secrets. This may sound like too many different elements to work together, but for the most part, they all harmonize into one deliciously creepy novel.
January 14, 2020
The Clairvoyants by Karen Brown is billed as a gothic ghost story set in modern times. The main character sees ghosts (!!), and ultimately finds herself down the path of trying to determine the mystery of a murdered girl, running into some murky waters along the way. The story ultimately ended up reading like a lowkey thriller combined with a ghost story, and it was a ton of fun to read.What I liked:
1. Karen Brown's writing! She did such a fantastic job. It perfectly set the mood and always adequately crafted the scene. The entire time I read the book I felt slightly unsettled, although nothing explicitly unsettling was happening, and I know that this was a result of her effective writing.
2. The lowkey thriller aspect of this story. If you injected this book with tons of action and threw in some weapons, you'd create the perfect thriller. I'm not a fan of thrillers, because I find them boring (obviously this is not true for every thriller, but I tend to avoid the genre for this reason). This book, however, had just enough mystery/thriller to it to keep you turning the pages, but not enough to become a predictable thriller novel.
3. The SUSPENSE! OMG I live for suspense in novels, and this is a novel of suspense. Sort of like the first point, it just results in a really creepy feeling while reading the novel, even though nothing creepy is actually happening. And then when you finally get to the twists and plot reveals your face suddenly is stuck resembling a gaping fish.
4. The ghosts!!!!! GAH!! I loved that our main character could see ghosts. I loved it even more that this wasn't the main focus of the story. It was a peripheral point - important to the story, but everything didn't hang on this. It was so well done .
Would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys thrillers, ghost stories, or likes the idea of a modern gothic novel!
I haven't read a lot of gothic novels, but every one I read I really enjoy. Do you have some good recommendations?
December 25, 2016
It almost feels like cheating to call this fantasy (which is I think the auspices under which I reviewed it); it's really just more of a literary novel with a slight supernatural edge. That's not a complaint, though; Brown's grasp on her narrator's voice and the tone and timbre of the whole story is an extremely sure one, and it's as compelling as it is occasionally unreliable. Although the rough outlines of some of the sharper revelations aren't hard to see coming from a ways off, they still have a kind of queasy power when our heroine or the narrative fully admits to them. This is a rather dark and despairing little book, and it's the better for it.
February 7, 2017
Great read about a girl who sees dead people, but it freaks her out and wants nothing to do with them. So tho she has the power to help others and ease their worries and fears, she does not. She also has a past. I really enjoyed this. Thank you to those who have gifts and share them with others.
February 3, 2017
I came across a review of this book and the reviewer stated that this is not a ghost story. I disagree. Ghosts play a dominant role in this story of a young woman who leaves her home for college and a more independent lifestyle only to be accosted by the specter of a local missing woman. Throw in a new love, a younger sister with a fierce free-spiritness, undisclosed family secrets and you have the mixture for a titillating plot.
I thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book that comes out this month.
Enjoy!
I thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book that comes out this month.
Enjoy!
March 4, 2017
I have long been a fan of Karen Brown's lush, descriptive prose. In my opinion, The Clairvoyants is her best work to date. The story of two sisters--one emotionally disturbed, the other clairvoyant--takes many mysterious twists and turns. Readers who expect a traditional ghost story or paranormal novel should be aware that this is more of a literary exploration of those forms--less action-driven, and more atmospheric and moody. The descriptions of place are sublime.
February 7, 2017
Martha has had an interesting childhood and upbringing. As a young girl, she saw the ghost of her aunt, a nun, in her grandfather's barn. As a teen, the dead frequently appeared to Martha, though she rarely knew what to do with these apparitions. Also in her teen years, Martha's younger sister, Del, wound up sent to an institution. Incredibly close as children, Del's slow decent into some sort of madness also haunted Martha. So she decides to depart her family's farm and move inland to college. Once in Ithaca, Martha falls in love, is reunited with Del, and frequently sees the ghost of Mary Rae, a missing woman from a neighboring town, who stands beneath Martha's window for hours, wearing her coat and with her hair covered in ice. Martha had hoped to escape the dead in Ithaca, but it seems like somehow everything is going to converge on her nonetheless.
This book was not at all what I had expected; it's less a supernatural thriller and more a literary treatise as we watch Martha deal with the events in her life. The chapters switch between present-day in Ithaca and flashbacks to Martha's life growing up. Sometimes it's a little confusing, but also quite interesting. I had expected the book to be more of a mystery as we try to figure out what happened to Mary Rae, but honestly, it's pretty apparent from the beginning who is responsible for her disappearance, even if the "how" is unknown. Still, the book is incredibly suspenseful and very compelling; I found myself trying to read it every chance as I had.
The psychological/mystical aspect isn't really as much at play here as you'd think from the summary, but that's okay. I didn't find it as creepy as some of the other reviews, but as I stated, still very spellbinding. There's an "aha moment" when you're reading and things come together that is masterfully done. While I wasn't in love with the character of Martha, I was intrigued by both she and Del, and I found all of the characters to be fascinating and intricate in their own way. The ending was a little quick for me, but somewhat redeemed by one particular portion (don't want to give away a spoiler). Overall, this was a different book--unlike ones I typically read--and while I didn't find it amazing, it was an engrossing and suspenseful novel. 3.5 stars.
This book was not at all what I had expected; it's less a supernatural thriller and more a literary treatise as we watch Martha deal with the events in her life. The chapters switch between present-day in Ithaca and flashbacks to Martha's life growing up. Sometimes it's a little confusing, but also quite interesting. I had expected the book to be more of a mystery as we try to figure out what happened to Mary Rae, but honestly, it's pretty apparent from the beginning who is responsible for her disappearance, even if the "how" is unknown. Still, the book is incredibly suspenseful and very compelling; I found myself trying to read it every chance as I had.
The psychological/mystical aspect isn't really as much at play here as you'd think from the summary, but that's okay. I didn't find it as creepy as some of the other reviews, but as I stated, still very spellbinding. There's an "aha moment" when you're reading and things come together that is masterfully done. While I wasn't in love with the character of Martha, I was intrigued by both she and Del, and I found all of the characters to be fascinating and intricate in their own way. The ending was a little quick for me, but somewhat redeemed by one particular portion (don't want to give away a spoiler). Overall, this was a different book--unlike ones I typically read--and while I didn't find it amazing, it was an engrossing and suspenseful novel. 3.5 stars.
April 7, 2017
Martha can see ghosts. When she decides to go away to college, she's hoping she can leave all that behind, but on the first day in her new home, she sees the ghost of a missing local woman (Mary Rae) and she becomes way more involved than she ever wanted to be.
Martha ends up meeting Mary Rae's friends and starts dating William, who also used to date Mary Rae. Martha and William get married just months after meeting, but from the start, their relationship has major problems. Martha's sister Del also plays a large role in the story. Close as kids, Del and Martha drifted apart when Del was committed to an institution, but she checks herself out and moves in with Martha. The two share a complicated history that includes the death of a local boy when they were teenagers, and I sometimes wondered if Del shared her sister's gift and just couldn't handle it.
The supernatural elements are atmospheric, never cheesy. The story is more about Martha's reluctance to use her gift, so we only get snippets of it. This isn't a fantasy novel; the mystical features felt very real to me, like this could actually be how mediums and clairvoyants experience things (I think it helped that I'm a believer!).
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I'll just say it - it was haunting. Martha is a bit of an unreliable narrator, but not in the normal way. She's very indecisive, constantly changing her mind about things she believes to be true (like, are Del and William having an affair, or not?). Her observations made me question everyone and everything right alongside her. At the same time, the general direction of the story was pretty obvious, particularly when the author includes some "hindsight is 20/20" observations from Martha. Almost right from the start, we know there are things about William that are just off. However, even though I could kind of guess the outcome of the mystery of Mary Rae's death, the route it took to get there was not something I saw coming. There's more to the mystery than there appears to be. Everyone here has secrets, including Martha.
Martha ends up meeting Mary Rae's friends and starts dating William, who also used to date Mary Rae. Martha and William get married just months after meeting, but from the start, their relationship has major problems. Martha's sister Del also plays a large role in the story. Close as kids, Del and Martha drifted apart when Del was committed to an institution, but she checks herself out and moves in with Martha. The two share a complicated history that includes the death of a local boy when they were teenagers, and I sometimes wondered if Del shared her sister's gift and just couldn't handle it.
The supernatural elements are atmospheric, never cheesy. The story is more about Martha's reluctance to use her gift, so we only get snippets of it. This isn't a fantasy novel; the mystical features felt very real to me, like this could actually be how mediums and clairvoyants experience things (I think it helped that I'm a believer!).
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I'll just say it - it was haunting. Martha is a bit of an unreliable narrator, but not in the normal way. She's very indecisive, constantly changing her mind about things she believes to be true (like, are Del and William having an affair, or not?). Her observations made me question everyone and everything right alongside her. At the same time, the general direction of the story was pretty obvious, particularly when the author includes some "hindsight is 20/20" observations from Martha. Almost right from the start, we know there are things about William that are just off. However, even though I could kind of guess the outcome of the mystery of Mary Rae's death, the route it took to get there was not something I saw coming. There's more to the mystery than there appears to be. Everyone here has secrets, including Martha.
February 13, 2017
This is the best book I've read in months. It's extremely well-written. At a little over 300 pages, the author doesn't waste your time with pages of filler that aren't relevant to the story. The story line keeps you interested. I almost didn't read the book because of the title but it's more of a study of family relationships that are strained or completely broken. There could have been a little more clarification at the end but it didn't completely go off the rails, like some books.
May 25, 2017
The Clairvoyants by Karen Brown
3.5 Stars
From The Book:
On the family homestead by the sea where she grew up, Martha Mary saw ghosts. As a young woman, she hopes to distance herself from those spirits by escaping to an inland college town. There, she is absorbed by a budding romance, relieved by separation from an unstable sister, and disinterested in the flyers seeking information about a young woman who’s disappeared―until one Indian summer afternoon when the missing woman appears beneath Martha’s apartment window, wearing a down coat, her hair coated with ice.
My Views:
This was my first book by this author and I'm still on the fence as to if I just liked it or really liked it. It was a little slow going at times, but it picks up towards the end. In the mean time you have to wade through a lot of atmospheric scenes to get to the plot. Once there the author does a great job of setting the mood and adequately crafting the scene. It gives you that slightly unsettled feeling of knowing you are not alone and you really don't want to look behind you. This is one of the aspects a well told ghost story needs and that is what the books is billed as..."a Gothic ghost story set in modern times." I think I may have expected more to happen sooner than it did. It was the peculiarities and the anticipation in this tale which kept me reading. I do have to say that none of the characters were particularly likable...so if that is a major selling point for you as the reader...this one may not be for you.
3.5 Stars
From The Book:
On the family homestead by the sea where she grew up, Martha Mary saw ghosts. As a young woman, she hopes to distance herself from those spirits by escaping to an inland college town. There, she is absorbed by a budding romance, relieved by separation from an unstable sister, and disinterested in the flyers seeking information about a young woman who’s disappeared―until one Indian summer afternoon when the missing woman appears beneath Martha’s apartment window, wearing a down coat, her hair coated with ice.
My Views:
This was my first book by this author and I'm still on the fence as to if I just liked it or really liked it. It was a little slow going at times, but it picks up towards the end. In the mean time you have to wade through a lot of atmospheric scenes to get to the plot. Once there the author does a great job of setting the mood and adequately crafting the scene. It gives you that slightly unsettled feeling of knowing you are not alone and you really don't want to look behind you. This is one of the aspects a well told ghost story needs and that is what the books is billed as..."a Gothic ghost story set in modern times." I think I may have expected more to happen sooner than it did. It was the peculiarities and the anticipation in this tale which kept me reading. I do have to say that none of the characters were particularly likable...so if that is a major selling point for you as the reader...this one may not be for you.
February 13, 2017
A mesmerizing, at times disturbing novel, with lush, dreamlike prose and vivid imagery. This is a book I know will stay with me. Also, loved the fact that one of my favorite buildings in Buffalo, the Buff State Psych Center, plays a role in the novel!
March 21, 2017
Karen Brown's new novel, The Clairvoyants, is a suspenseful, modern-day ghost story with tantalizing characters. Martha Mary and her mentally unstable sister, Dell, wander through the snowy world of Ithaca, NY in the dead of winter in search of ghosts. Their quest leads them to unsavory partners and parties, and eventually to a search that uncovers the mystery that has been haunting them since they came to town. Little do they realize as they stumble from one clue to the next just how deep this mystery goes. Karen Brown's prose is flawless, perfectly in tune with the rich atmosphere, and the poetic plights of her characters. This novel had me squirming on the edge of my seat. If you're looking for a great, scary read, this one is bound to thrill you!
November 21, 2016
I received this book free from Goodreads. Excellent book. One of the best books I have read this year. Right from the start "The Clairvoyants" has you at the end of your seat. I could not read this book fast enough. Each page is full of twists and turns that has the reader full of anticipation of what is to come.
I would definitely recommend this book to all my reader friends.
I would definitely recommend this book to all my reader friends.
December 13, 2016
In elegant prose, Brown tells an icy ghost(s) story, deftly creating an intricate world where the past and the present, the dead and the living, is irrevocably interlaced. It’s an atmospheric, sprawling and spooky tale that grows rich in detail and complication, and rewards with striking revelations, indelible imagery, and a plot that moves like your bowels after four cups of coffee.
February 10, 2017
A wonderfully relaxing spooky read! Well written and kept me guessing! I am so glad I started my yearly reading off with this! It was creepy with out the bloody gore. I truly enjoyed reading a book that was not a chore and made me want to pick it up again when I had to stop. So glad to have had the luck to receive this book as a give away! Now I have the task to find one I enjoy as much!
March 5, 2017
It's been a while since I picked up a book and didn't set it down until I finished it. I really loved everything about the book. The writing was beautiful. The relationship between the sisters was complicated and interesting. It wasn't a predictable "ghost story". Highly recommend.
July 29, 2016
Wonderfully written. Gothic elements that don't smack you in the face. This book creeps up on you. Serious chills and thoroughly enjoyable.
April 10, 2017
3.5 stars
Martha Mary is a girl who can see the dead. In an attempt to start a new life free from her past, she goes away to college in another state. Here she rents her first apartment, and begins her first love affair. But the past is not so easy to escape. Her unstable sister leaves the institution she has been staying at for the last three years, and comes to stay with Martha. And a local missing girl named Mary Rae (read: a ghost) begins appearing to Martha as well.
I was pretty excited about this one because, while it takes place in the present, it was described as "an old-fashioned, Gothic ghost story" with shades of Rebecca and the works of Shirley Jackson. It also sort of sounded like The Turn of the Screw, which is one of my favorites. And I definitely see where those comparisons come from. It is a highly atmospheric character study, where things are not quite as they seem, and everyone has a secret. While I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, they were all complex and intriguing. Martha Mary is an unreliable narrator if there ever was one. (Really big spoilers under the tag!)
But I also felt there were some places that could have been developed more. I'm not saying that the book had to go in the direction that I wanted for it to, but there were several things that I didn't really understand in the context of the story. More big spoilers.
So while I did like the overall mood and theme of the book, and I appreciated the uncertainty of events, it also wasn't quite what I was hoping it would be. I supposed that's not too surprising, since I had such high expectations.
Martha Mary is a girl who can see the dead. In an attempt to start a new life free from her past, she goes away to college in another state. Here she rents her first apartment, and begins her first love affair. But the past is not so easy to escape. Her unstable sister leaves the institution she has been staying at for the last three years, and comes to stay with Martha. And a local missing girl named Mary Rae (read: a ghost) begins appearing to Martha as well.
I was pretty excited about this one because, while it takes place in the present, it was described as "an old-fashioned, Gothic ghost story" with shades of Rebecca and the works of Shirley Jackson. It also sort of sounded like The Turn of the Screw, which is one of my favorites. And I definitely see where those comparisons come from. It is a highly atmospheric character study, where things are not quite as they seem, and everyone has a secret. While I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, they were all complex and intriguing. Martha Mary is an unreliable narrator if there ever was one. (Really big spoilers under the tag!)
But I also felt there were some places that could have been developed more. I'm not saying that the book had to go in the direction that I wanted for it to, but there were several things that I didn't really understand in the context of the story. More big spoilers.
So while I did like the overall mood and theme of the book, and I appreciated the uncertainty of events, it also wasn't quite what I was hoping it would be. I supposed that's not too surprising, since I had such high expectations.
March 19, 2017
This was a good read. I love this type of books where someone see's dead people. This had that and more. It had murders and mysteries. Took a little while for the action to start but once it did it did not disappoint.
July 16, 2017
The cover is very attractive, but I only made it through chapter 5 before I gave up. I really, really wanted this to be intriguing and insightful, since I make my living as an intuitive, and love all things metaphysical, but I was bored and disappointed. There is too much needless detail, a very slow-moving style, and the use of the past perfect verb tense instead of just a simple past tense removed me from the immediacy of the "action"—what there was of it. Brown seemed to think she had to explain her character's ability to see dead people by introducing the mechanism of a spiritualist community next to her character's home growing up—a sort of flimsy excuse, as though no one understands this kind of heightened ability these days. I'm surprised her editor at Holt didn't catch this stuff.
January 12, 2022
2.5 ⭐
March 27, 2017
It took me a bit to get into the book but once I did I couldn't put it down. Really enjoyed it!
March 17, 2017
This book was not at all what I expected. It was oddly intriguing. I can't say I liked any of the characters, and it bounced around a little too much for my taste, but I couldn't put it down! In other words, it was a good story with some interesting twists.
February 28, 2017
4 1/2
After reading the blurb and having a fascination with paranormal stories, I was definitely coming to The Clairvoyants expecting something different from what I received, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, does it?
There is something dreamlike about the way in which Karen Brown has conveyed this story, a feeling of timelessness. As I was reading, I felt an old-fashioned quality rise, from the use of “old” names like Martha and Delores to the gatherings at Anne’s, where artists and intellectuals met for drinks, and even the drinks were “old” drinks for young people in their late teens and early twenties, martinis, g&ts.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2017/02/2...
After reading the blurb and having a fascination with paranormal stories, I was definitely coming to The Clairvoyants expecting something different from what I received, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, does it?
There is something dreamlike about the way in which Karen Brown has conveyed this story, a feeling of timelessness. As I was reading, I felt an old-fashioned quality rise, from the use of “old” names like Martha and Delores to the gatherings at Anne’s, where artists and intellectuals met for drinks, and even the drinks were “old” drinks for young people in their late teens and early twenties, martinis, g&ts.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2017/02/2...
March 8, 2017
I really loved the beautiful writing in this mystery/ghost story. One of my favorite books of the year and I have read a lot of books this year!
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