Dreaming Darkly by Caitlin Kittredge

Abstract

Reviewed by: Dreaming Darkly by Caitlin Kittredge Karen Coats Kittredge, Caitlin Dreaming Darkly. Tegen/HarperCollins, 2019 [368p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-266562-1 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-266564-5 $8.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 After her unstable mother commits suicide, sixteen-year-old Ivy goes to live with a wealthy uncle she’s never met on a windswept island off the coast of Maine, aptly named Darkhaven for its history of murder, missing persons, and ongoing family rivalries. Though a bit creepy, Uncle Simon seems nice enough, but Ivy has every reason to be wary given her upbringing and her mother’s refusal to return to her ancestral home. Immediately plagued by disturbing dreams with effects that don’t disappear in the light of day, Ivy begins to wonder if she has inherited the mental illness that claimed her mother as well as her long-deceased, murderous ancestor. [End Page 301] Of course there is a boy, Doyle, somewhat broody but most importantly forbidden to Ivy because of the bad blood between their families; he is at first capricious in his moods and attention but eventually helps Ivy sort out fact from fiction. From dark histories to gloomy mansions and rain-slicked cliffs, from a menacing housekeeper to a sinister uncle, from a case of stolen identity to unsolved murders and some serious gaslighting, this checks off all the gothic tropes in terms of setting, character, and plot—except for a fainting, vulnerable heroine. Ivy may be deceived at first, but she’s no shrinking violet or victim; her tenacity in tracking down the truth leads readers through this twisty thriller. Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois