The Dark Unwinding: A Panoramic Review

"A thrilling tale of spies, intrigue, and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his remote English estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of childlike rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London. Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she has grown to care for—a conflict made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a mysterious student, and fears for her own sanity. As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as they know it. With twists and turns and breathtaking romance at every corner, this thrilling adventure will captivate readers." (from Goodreads)

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

My reaction: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was very entertaining! I wasn't that into it for the first few chapters, as it was a little confusing trying to figure out what was going on and keeping track of all these characters. But then it started getting really good, the mystery becoming complicated with lots of red herrings, and me repeatedly questioning who was "good" and who was "bad."

It isn't exactly action-packed —there are certain scenes with a lot of action going on and others where not that much happens beyond Katharine picking up hints/clues — but there's usually a little push of momentum moving it forward. There are a couple intense, dramatic climactic scenes (spoilers, highlight to read: the scene with the flood! And the scene with Katharine getting opium poisoning and the bunny being shot!). The end is more drawn-out than some books in that there are a couple climactic scenes, and the last few chapters happen over a larger span of time than the rest of the book. I thought one of the villains was trumped a little too easily (spoilers: the aunt... I didn't actually follow all the ins and outs of the legal thing), although since she was a real piece of work I was glad she got some comeuppance.

I did find the whole politics-and-inventions storyline (involving Ben Aldridge) to be rather tenuous and far-fetched, requiring some suspension of disbelief. So too does the fact that there are that many mysterious things going on. But pretty much everything is accounted for in the end, and it makes sense that it isn't all explained away by a single storyline.

 
Best aspect: The characters. They have a lot of personality, and are each quite distinct. Moreover, they aren't split really evenly into "good guy"/"bad guy" camps. I like that Cameron gives many of her characters complexity and depth, making some of them not so easy to categorize one way or the other.

Katharine's not perfect, but her flaws aren't ones that really irritate me. She has a bit of a tendency to think she knows best, and not to be quite that open-minded to other people's ideas. It's like she just shuts everything else out, and sees only very stark, either/or black-and-white choices; she doesn't pause to consider that maybe there's a way for her to reach her objective without giving something else up. Also, she doesn't really like to make herself vulnerable, which means it's difficult for her and Lane to get together, because she keeps pushing him out. That said, I enjoyed the romance we do get (and would have liked more of it!). Lane is so frustating a character in some ways (he's not the most emotionally stable, for one thing), but if he's decided he can trust you, then he is very loyal. He can be fun at times, but he is predominantly serious, especially when it comes to Mr. Tully. It was sweet to see the romantic lead concerned not just about the protagonist, but also about secondary characters like her uncle, his aunt, and Davy. While Lane doesn't show affection that openly, in his own way he certainly demonstrates how he feels about others.

I found the uncle to be a fascinating character. Although it's never specifically stated, I believe he's supposed to be an autistic savant. I definitely think he falls somewhere on the autism spectrum, as there are several clear indicators that he has an autism spectrum disorder — his temper tantrums, his need for routine, his discomfort with social contact, the fact that being swaddled by a blanket soothes him... Then there's the "savant" aspect: his talent for mental math and invention. I would definitely be interested to know what kind of diagnosis he would receive nowadays.

Mary was so much fun. She's one of those talkative types that just leaps off the page — an unintentionally amusing chatterbox. Everything she says is sort of leading to a point in a roundabout way, but you're not really sure how she gets there. She looks out for Katharine in her way, trying to be the best ladies' maid she can. Really, Mary's one of those honest, open, good-hearted characters you can't help but like, even if she's not super clever.

 

If I could change something... I would up the romance factor. I can enjoy a slow-burn romance as much as the next person, but this was...crawling. I think Katharine and Lane complement each other quite well; the dislike-at-first-sight turning to trust, then turning to love is almost always an enjoyable storyline to read. But once we finally got there...it needed a little more heat! I don't think it's too much to ask for after sitting through such a long, slow build.

If you haven't read it: and you enjoy Gothic mysteries with a cast of distinctive characters, pick this one up! In particular, I'd recommend it for readers who liked Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin, Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey, or Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer.


If you have read it: who wants Katharine to go to Paris in the next book? Hands? If she took along her ladies' maid I bet Mary would die of happiness.

Just one more thing I want to mention: The Dark Unwinding has the Gothic feel down-pat. Some of the character's roles conform to stereotypes of Gothic novels, but not too terribly; it doesn't feel like this is a book I've read many times before. The steampunk element isn't heavy-handed or overwhelming, but fits in well with the character of the uncle.

Final verdict: 4.5 shooting stars. Overall I actually don't have that much to criticize (which is unusual for me!). I was very impressed, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Katharine's adventures continue in the next book.

Marcelo in the Real World: Guest Review

Najela from Brave New Adventure is back with a Psychtember guest review of Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork!

Summary: Marcelo is afflicted with an autism-like condition. He has been going to a special school named Paterson where he works with horses and helps other children with mental “disorders”. His father, Arturo, gives him the option to work at the law firm during the summer and if he succeeds, he stays at Paterson, if he fails, he goes to a public school. Marcelo meets Jasmine, the other mailroom worker, and with her help he discovers what it means to truly be in the real world and to feel compassion for others.

Likes: I loved this book. I actually hugged it when I was done. All of the characters were  well-rounded and I loved Marcelo’s character. The narrative was soft and gentle with a very contemplative nature, I loved being in Marcelo’s head and getting his opinions about the world around him. I enjoyed reading about Marcelo’s journey into the real world and the difficulties he had to overcome in a world where people lower their expectations of childen with special needs. Marcelo was one of the smartest people in the entire law firm and had a good sense of justice. Marcelo’s interest is religion gives the story a very strong moral aspect, without being preachy. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Marcelo stands up to his father and realizes that he can do even more than he originally thought possible. It's rewarding to see a characters reach their full potential and realize they have talents and passions to offer the world.

Psychological Aspect: There is a deep psychologial component concerning children with special needs that not only affects the child, but the whole family as well. Marcelo's family often struggle with doing what's right or doing what's practical. Is it right to ask a child to do something they might not be ready for? Is it practical or right to push him? When it comes to children with special needs, sometimes it's easier for caretakers to do the tasks that make life easier on themselves rather than their children. In this case, Marcelo's parents had to determine what was best for their son, even if it was something that was hard for him in the beginnings.  

Writing Tip: There is a severe lack of representation in YA novels about children with special needs. I understand, it's had to write from the perspective of some with a disability, but the easy thing to remember is that a character should not be defined by their disability. Do your research and choose a few symptoms for your character to have, then write them as you would write any other character. Make their voice engaging and fresh, but don't make the disability a character flaw. A character with autism could be stubborn whether they had autism or not, that's just a part of his character.

Another Book To Read: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon



Najela is a graduate from UC Riverside with a dual degree in Psychology and Creative Writing and finally making the most of both degrees. She works with kids and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Exceptional Student Education. She is also working on several writing projects including a Beauty and the Beast retelling webcomic coming in late October 2012. You can follow her at her website or her tumblr.

I'm glad to hear you loved this one so much, Najela!

Mockingbird: Guest Review

I'm happy to welcome Ashley from Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing back to the blog, for another Psychtember guest review! She's sharing her reaction to Mockingbird.

The young protagonist of Kathryn Erskine's Mockingbird is Caitlin, an 11 year old girl with Asperger's Syndrome. Caitlin views the world in a strong dichotomy of yes or no, black and white and her world view really allows for no grey area. She has always relied on her older brother to help her understand the world. When he suddenly dies Caitlin is left feeling adrift. She's lost her compass and has no idea what to do or how to feel. After reading about closure in her dictionary, she tries to find some. 

Disorders on the Autism Spectrum (including Asperger's) are incredibly complex, unique and varied and they are also something that, try as we might, we don't have much understanding of. We can try to learn more about the individuals who have a disorder, but really, our knowledge and understanding is always going to be limited. And it's going to be different for every single person. 

Because of that, I always have a hard time judging whether or not a book that has an character or narrator on the Autism Spectrum is realistic or accurate. Because I can't know for sure. All I can say is whether or not I found it to be authentic or believable. And in this book, I found myself fully inside Caitlin's mind, struggling with her as she tried to relearn how to be when her whole world has ruptured and she's lost the one person who used to be able to reach her. She was so lost and so confused through much of the book and my heart really went out to her. Especially because she doesn't understand things in the same way that everyone else does and she doesn't really know how to communicate or relate to people on a the same level as someone with a 'normal' development pattern. 

I'll admit that it's been a while since I read this book and some of the specifics and details aren't as clear as they would have been if I'd read it more recently, but what I do still have are the impressions and feelings I got reading the book. And the emotional memories tell me, that no matter the flaws this book may have, it is a book worth reading, especially if you are interested in reading books that deal with mental illness. I think it's an important addition and I love that it's written for a middle grade audience. That's an age group I think it's really important to teach empathy to, and empathy is a huge part of Caitlin's learning process. 

I will say that the book had a tendency to get on the preachy side. There's an entire part of the story that is devoted to the tragic way her brother was killed. And the book is really short. It's a quick read, and I just thought that having an entire portion of the book devoted to the tragedy as a whole was too much when we were also supposed to be focusing on Caitlin and I couldn't quite decide if Erskine wanted to write a 'tragedy' book or a 'mental health' book. If the book had been longer, it could have worked. But trying to give proper attention to both things doesn't work as well in a novel of this size and complexity. 

However, I don't think that should deter anyone from reading this book. It's definitely a book I would recommend to people wanting another perspective in trying to understand the Autism Spectrum and you might be surprised by how much a little girl who doesn't really understand much about feelings can make you feel.

Ashley has been fascinated by the mind since before she can remember and decided long before college that Psychology would be her field of study. She received a BS in Psychology and is currently deciding where it should take her next. Ashley would like it to be made clear that she is not an expert in the field, and that the thoughts and feelings expressed are hers derived from both academic and personal study and experience.  

Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts on Mockingbird, Ashley! 

Readers — have you read this one? What did you think of how it portrays Asperger's Syndrome?