The Splendor Falls

February 7, 2011 Uncategorized 3

The Splendor Falls
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: September 2009
Pages: 513


About the Book: Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship. 

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand. 

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well?


My Thoughts: This is a beautiful, beautiful book. I mean, just look at that new cover! Gorgeous, right? Thankfully the story lives up to it! 
I love the way Carrie Ryan (author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Dark and Hollow Places)described it in a blurb, “Haunting and unforgettable.” She also mentioned the lush southern setting (I can’t remember exactly what she said and I only have the hardcover in front of me so I can’t check it!) I so totally agree. As a Wisconsin girl born and bred the only exposure I’ve had to the Southern US has come in the form of brief trips to visit family in Houston, Texas. While Houston is undoubtedly “southern” it’s not quite the same! I loved the descriptions and atmosphere created in this story. I felt like I was a part of the setting. It was lovely. 
I also really enjoyed the mystery and supernatural elements of the story. They were subtle and well developed. The story just seemed to build naturally and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for whatever came next. 
The Splendor Falls is a book you don’t want to miss. You’ll be thinking about it long after you put it down! 

Original cover (in case you go looking at your library):

3 Responses to “The Splendor Falls”

  1. Compulsion - YA BibliophileYA Bibliophile

    […] something about a great Southern gothic novel that gets to me. Think Beautiful Creatures. Think The Splendor Falls. Think gorgeous, haunting, lush, atmospheric. Compulsion by Martina Boone fits perfectly into […]

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