I received this for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Compulsion by Martina Boone Published by Simon and Schuster on October 28th 2014
Pages: 448
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.
Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn't what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.
My Thoughts:
There is just 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 these categories. Liza kept telling me that I needed to read it so I knew it’d be good. Still, I was blown away with just how much I enjoyed it.
I love how important the setting is in books like Compulsion. It basically becomes like a character. The physical makeup of the place, the weather, the history, the lore… it permeates the story. The elements of the setting work together to set the tone. As I read the book I could feel the tension building! I even found myself holding my breath. I loved it!
Barrie was a great character. She knew nothing about Watson Island or the people there until she gies to live there. The reader learns the history and the local gossip along with her. As she unravels the secrets about her personal history and that of her family the reader is piecing together the mystery as well. Such an effective way to keep me engrossed!
And the other characters! I loved learning more about them. There are so many quirky and interesting secondary characters. I want them all to get their own books. I especially want a book set when Barrie’s grandfather was a young man. Can we get a prequel?!?
Compulsion is a beautiful, captivating read. I cannot wait to see what happens next in Persuasion!
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[…] by Martina Boone: I read and loved Compulsion earlier this year. I can’t wait to dive back into this Southern gothic […]