Review: The Wrong Girl by C.J. Archer

What: The Wrong Girl (Freak House #1) by C.J. Archer

Who: Patchwork Press

When: 2013

How: A copy of this novel was provided on behalf of Patchwork Press via Net Galley.

It’s customary for Gothic romance novels to include a mysterious girl locked in the attic. Hannah Smith just wishes she wasn’t that girl. As a narcoleptic and the companion to an earl’s daughter with a strange affliction of her own, Hannah knows she’s lucky to have a roof over her head and food in her belly when so many orphans starve on the streets. Yet freedom is something Hannah longs for. She did not, however, want her freedom to arrive in the form of kidnapping.

Taken by handsome Jack Langley to a place known as Freak House, she finds herself under the same roof as a mad scientist, his niece, a mute servant and Jack, a fire starter with a mysterious past. They assure Hannah she is not a prisoner and that they want to help her. The problem is, they think she’s the earl’s daughter. What will they do when they discover they took the wrong girl?

Eighteen year old Hannah Smith has known nothing besides her life in the attic of an Earl, as the companion to his daughter. Hannah has always longed for the freedom of the world that is just out of her reach. She never thought that freedom would come at a price. Her kidnapping.

You’re so excited to read this book, now, aren’t you? I can just tell. And if you do decide to read it, you are in for a sweet gothic treat.

First off, the cover. I am IN LOVE with this beautiful cover. I want to own a hard copy of this book, so I can display the cover to all my friends (what friends?). But anyway.

From the moment I picked up The Wrong Girl, I was entranced. I spent the entire day, on the couch, with my cats, reading The Wrong Girl. It was raining, I was eating cookies, The Wrong Girl was perfect. I loved that day.

The writing in The Wrong Girl was beautiful. There were so many quotes that I wanted to write down, and keep. One that particularly stood out to me was this:

Indeed, he reminded me of an automaton awaiting his key to be turned.

I love that quote. It’s perfect.

Hannah was a really likeable character, and I was drawn to her immediately. I loved the way she protected Violet when she thought she was in danger, and her naivete about the outside world (which is completely understandable with her being locked in an attic for 15 years, and all). I loved Hannah’s voice in this novel, and her descriptions of people, and places – they were so unique.

I really liked the romance aspect of this novel, as it was not the typical insta-love that is trending in YA books. Sure, Hannah’s crush on Jack escalated pretty quickly, but the girl has never even been close to a boy before, so I could understand why her attraction to him was so fast-coming.

Onto Jack. I liked Jack. He’s not my favourite YA boy, but he isn’t my least favourite, either. I thought he was a likeable boy, and I can understand why Hannah developed feelings for him, but I think there could have been a little more substance to his character, and a little more interaction between Hannah and Jack to warrant the attraction between the two.

I was a big fan of the not-so-big characters in this book, like Bollard. I think there’s more to that man, and I sincerely hope we find out more about him in Playing With Fire.

There were some questions left unanswered in The Wrong Girl, but I suppose that is why it is a series. Which I am pretty happy about!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The world building, and the plot drew me in from the get go, and didn’t falter until the last sentence. Bring on Playing With Fire!

© 2013, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.