Reviews for Mary Rose

Publishers Weekly
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Girard (Project Cain) undertakes a spooky modern reimagining of J.M. Barrie's ghostly 1920 play, using a continuous string of scares and questions to propel his story. Philadelphia lawyer Simon Blake is worried about his eccentric artist fiancée, Mary Rose Morland, who often wanders away to stare into windows and mirrors. On a trip to her native England, Simon learns from Mary's attentive father and frosty mother that, when she was six, Mary Rose disappeared for a month while vacationing on an uninhabited Scottish island known for its druidic rituals, Satanists, and hoodlum teenagers. The girl reappeared with no memory of the incident, but since then she has drawn pictures of a faceless child accompanied by a large doglike figure. Obsessed with learning the truth, Simon uncovers a haunted house, scrying mirror, and somber druids who claim the island is a portal to another world. Jubilant and childlike, Mary Rose wants to return to the island for her honeymoon; of course this goes badly. Girard's eerie descriptions exploit the fear of the unknown and the unnatural, and secretive characters, including the enigmatic island, hide their intentions. This is a nightmarish tale of repressed memories and misdirection. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*Starred Review* One of Alfred Hitchcock's biggest regrets is that he never adapted J. M. Barrie's ghost story Mary Rose, but, thankfully, Girard (Cain's Blood, 2013) took up the cause. Simon, a Philadelphia lawyer, and Mary Rose, a talented graphic designer, are in love, but a trip back to Mary Rose's parents' home, in England, yields a startling revelation: two decades ago, while on a remote island in Scotland, Mary Rose disappeared into thin air for 33 days! She reappeared unharmed with no memory of the event, but it has haunted her since. Simon, determined to figure out what happened, returns with Mary Rose to the island only to find it has a dark, magical hold on his fiancée. Alternating between Simon's and Mary Rose's points of view, Girard's claustrophobic and terrifying tale is populated with horrors both real and imaginary. Beginning with intense dread and ratcheting up from there, it offers satisfying twists and a chilling but beautiful ending. With its perfect blend of a domestic psychological-suspense frame and a compelling, supernatural-horror plot, Mary Rose is a ghost story that should be suggested to a wide range of readers, including those who love David Mitchell's Slade House (2015), Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes (2017), or even classic Straub.--Spratford, Becky Copyright 2017 Booklist


School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This classic ghost story is based on a J.M. Barrie play. When lawyer Simon Blake meets graphic designer Mary Rose Morland, it seems their fates are sealed. In a nod to old-fashioned courtship, Simon accompanies Mary Rose to England to ask her parents' permission to propose. Anticipating his intentions, her father cautions Simon, telling him a secret from Mary Rose's past-of which even she is unaware. As a child vacationing on a Scottish island, Mary Rose vanished, only to reappear in the exact same spot 33 days later but with no memory of her disappearance. Simon is determined to uncover the truth, and as Mary Rose's behavior becomes increasingly erratic after the visit to England, Simon's obsession deepens. In a satisfying and eerie conclusion, a Sixth Sense-esque revelation is uncovered only after the wedding, during a honeymoon trip to the island. VERDICT This spine-tingling novel is recommended for horror fans.--Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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