Hartslove by K.M. Grant
Hartslove is a novel based around one family and their home; the DeGranvilles of Hartslove castle, set in 1861. With an estranged mother and a father scarred by the horrors of the Crimean war, a group of siblings are forced to save their family home.
Synopsis
Daisy is the most prominent character, followed by her siblings, Garth, Rose, Lily and the indistinguishable twins Clover and Columbine. When their father spends the last of their money on an unruly horse he calls ‘The One’ they are furious. Soon they change their minds and do all they can to assist the horse in winning the Derby and saving the family home.
Their house is put up for sale and they attempt to train the animal with the help of the stableman; or so they think! Not such an easy task when most of the siblings are too young to ride, Daisy is crippled from a previous riding accident and Garth is paralysed by fear at the thought of riding.
During the time spent training the horse, potential buyers often frequent the castle. This forces the children to invent ways to ensure they never make an offer for their home; knowing full well their drunken father would accept almost any offer made. The children are used to the ghost known as ‘The Dead Girl’ that innocently haunts the castle but are inspired by her presence to fake their own hauntings to scare away any potential buyers.
Can ‘The One’ really win The Derby? Would it make their mother return? Will a rich family buy the castle before they have a chance to save it? Or will the castle be snatched from underneath their noses by someone much closer to home?
Hartslove by K. M. Grant review
First of all, I must admit this is not the normal kind of book I read. I usually read sci-fi and horror fiction, so this was a slight change from the norm for me. Saying that, I can completely appreciate that this book is beautifully written. The characters are well described, both visually and in personality to create a great mental image. This is also true for the horse (strangely enough this description hasn’t been adhered to for the cover of the book which is a shame).
Reading Hartslove reminds me of classic children’s stories such as Black Beauty and The Secret Garden. But is there a place for this kind of novel when teenagers are reading far more grown-up material? The style of writing makes it feel as if it is aimed at younger teenagers but the content itself feels suitable for a far younger reader. This leaves me slightly confused at who it’s really aimed at.
The ghostly touches to this novel saved it for me. The occasional occurrence of ‘The Dead Girl’, an unidentified priest, strange statues and the made-up hauntings by the children themselves stop this book from becoming too quaint and add a touch of dark humour that is needed. That being said, I would not say it’s enough to make this book appeal to boys or men.
Final thoughts
There are a few twists and turns along the way, which makes this book enjoyable but I am afraid this story didn’t really grip me at any point. I occasionally found my mind wandering while reading it. I feel it was slightly padded and if the book was shorter, I would have found it a far more enjoyable read.
This is a romantically written, YA book with a slightly old-fashioned fairytale feel. If I had a well-read, twelve-year-old little sister, I think this might be for them.
If you like Hartslove by K. M. Grant you’ll love The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson.
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