Author: Katherine Howe
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 15th 2015
Summary from Goodreads:
It’s summertime in New York City, and aspiring filmmaker Wes Auckerman has just arrived to start his summer term at NYU. While shooting a séance at a psychic’s in the East Village, he meets a mysterious, intoxicatingly beautiful girl named Annie.
As they start spending time together, Wes finds himself falling for her, drawn to her rose-petal lips and her entrancing glow. There’s just something about her that he can’t put his finger on, something faraway and otherworldly that compels him to fall even deeper. Annie’s from the city, and yet she seems just as out of place as Wes feels. Lost in the chaos of the busy city streets, she’s been searching for something—a missing ring. And now Annie is running out of time and needs Wes’s help. As they search together, Annie and Wes uncover secrets lurking around every corner, secrets that will reveal the truth of Annie’s dark past.
As they start spending time together, Wes finds himself falling for her, drawn to her rose-petal lips and her entrancing glow. There’s just something about her that he can’t put his finger on, something faraway and otherworldly that compels him to fall even deeper. Annie’s from the city, and yet she seems just as out of place as Wes feels. Lost in the chaos of the busy city streets, she’s been searching for something—a missing ring. And now Annie is running out of time and needs Wes’s help. As they search together, Annie and Wes uncover secrets lurking around every corner, secrets that will reveal the truth of Annie’s dark past.
Review
The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen was unlike most books I have read lately. It is told through two point-of-views, Wes and Annie; it is not exactly alternating but instead the story is split into parts based on the POVs. The reader is introduced to Annie early on when Wes sees her for the first time at a psychic visit.
The pacing slows at times but the eerie storyline still kept my attention. The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen is a slow moving, slow building haunting story. Katherine Howe weaved a unique character driven ghost story all without explicitly coming out and saying it.
Parts of the romance are not my favorite, it took some interesting turns which in the end comes together but at times I felt like Wes was all over the place with his feelings. Aside from the romance, I really enjoyed the development and personal growth seen in Wes, as well as the underlying mystery throughout. The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen reminded me of a favorite of mine, Anna Dressed in Blood just without the horror/creepier supernatural aspects. I enjoyed this subtle but mysterious ghost story!
The pacing slows at times but the eerie storyline still kept my attention. The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen is a slow moving, slow building haunting story. Katherine Howe weaved a unique character driven ghost story all without explicitly coming out and saying it.
Parts of the romance are not my favorite, it took some interesting turns which in the end comes together but at times I felt like Wes was all over the place with his feelings. Aside from the romance, I really enjoyed the development and personal growth seen in Wes, as well as the underlying mystery throughout. The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen reminded me of a favorite of mine, Anna Dressed in Blood just without the horror/creepier supernatural aspects. I enjoyed this subtle but mysterious ghost story!
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