Book Review: Set in Stone by Linda Newbery

Recommended for grade 8 and up

Set in Stone is a mysterious, creepy and very thrilling modern-day take on the Victorian Gothic novel. Set in a beautiful mansion in rural England, the story begins with a young artist arriving late, walking through a lonely wood and getting to his destination only to find a young girl running out in the dark hysterically ranting about the North wind. Exciting, yes?

The artist is Samuel Godwin, hired by the owner of the mansion called Four Winds to teach his daughters Juliana and the wild Marianne. It was the beauteous Marianne whom he finds the night of his arrival.

Samuel quickly becomes entrenched in the family. He feels nothing but the highest admiration for Ernest Farrow, his employer, whose appreciation for the most beautiful art appeals to Samuel’s nature. He grows fond of the girls and their plain governess, Charlotte, but soon becomes quite obsessed with Marianne.

He finds out soon enough that everything is not what it seems and discovers that the house has its share of dark secrets of the nastiest sort.

The book is narrated alternately by Charlotte and Samuel and is done in such as way as to build the mystery while providing more and more clues. The story gets darker and darker, revealing a web of deceit, lies, suicide, incest, cover-ups, a secret baby and murder.

Set in Stone is a thrilling and unconventional story that is completely gripping. I couldn’t put it down.

Article Author: Gina Ruiz

Gina MarySol Ruiz is a freelance writer, poet and book reviewer. Gina has maintained several blogs over the years. Gina is also a columnist with Blogcritics.org. She has also been a panelist for the Cybils awards two years running in the Graphic Novel category.
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