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Summary: An Aquaintance With Darkness
Review: This book was an absolute joy to read. It immersed you into the characters. You felt totally attached to them. It let me in to a new aspect of the Civil War that I had never seen before...it was interesting and definitely not boring. This book is what I call a "people-y" book. She forms the characters so that they seem like real people, with real problems.
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Summary: This book was Phnomenal
Review: This was Ann's best book yet. The charatcters and the story were very well-written and woven into real history that I felt like i was relly there. The medical aspcet of it was interesting as well. I was also intrigued by all the body-snatchers and read more about them . The author presents a fair argument as to whether the bodies should have been left alone or used for mediacl science and I thought that her un-biased nature was commendable. This was a great book and I think this was definately the best yet.
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Summary: A Unique Historical Perspective
Review: As historical fiction lover, this well crafted, suspenseful story was a page-turner I had great difficulty putting down.Living in Washington D.C. during the final days of the Civil War is tumultuous, but with her mother dying of the wasting disease, fourteen year old Emily is embroiled in personal turmoil as well. She does not want to go live with Uncle Valentine, her mother's brother, after her mother dies. Family friends, the Surratts, have offered her a place to stay after her mother's death, but before Emily can move in with them, President Lincoln is assassinated and Mrs. Surratt and her daughter Annie are arrested and interrogated because they are suspected of being part of the assassination conspiracy. At this point, Emily has no choice but to move in with her Uncle Valentine. He is a noted and highly respected physician, but something very strange is going on at his house. With Emily, the reader is caught up in the tragedy of the Surratts and the mystery surrounding Uncle Valentine.
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Summary: The Madness of Life
Review: In this book Emily's world crumbles beneath her feet when her mother dies. She goes with her uncle instead of to her friend's (Annie) house like her mother and she had planned. After all of this she decides to stay in control of her life. By doing this she betrays her uncle's trust and loses her friend Annie. Annie, in Emily's eyes, has grown cold and heartless since they found evidence that her mother was involved with President Lincoln's assassnation. But since this is after the civil war they wouldn't hang a woman, would they? I thought this book was very discriptive and mysterious, so in my eyes it was a good book. I like it also because it was based on the truth and I like how the book ended, I guess you could say it was a different ending.
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Summary: Everything Expected from Ann Rinaldi!
Review: An Acquaintance with Darkness is a very well written novel. It's a novel of historical fiction and takes place right around Lincoln's assassination. The main character, Emily, tells the story. Emily's life is a mess, like most people during that time. Her dad just died in the Civil War. Her mother is dying, of 'failing' as they say. Her mother's death wish is for Emily's uncle, Uncle Valentine, to stay away from her once she dies. Emily's mother knows something about Uncle Valentine that she feels is not right, but Emily does not know what. After her mother passes away, Uncle Valentine, unknown to Emily, goes to court and gains full custody over her. Lincoln is assassinated and Washington is going insane. Anyone associated with Booth, Lincoln's killer, was arrested. Unfortunately Emily's best friend, Annie's, mother was of close association with Booth. Mrs. Mary, Annie's mother is arrested, in prison, and condemned to be hung. this only gives Emily more confusion, not to mention the fact that her secret crush, Annie's brother Johnny, has run away and has not been heard from, plus Emily is living with her uncle. At first this seemed a fine arrangement until Emily learns that there is more to her uncle's profession as a doctor. With the city in an uproar, Emily doesn't know what to do, where to go, who to talk to, or even who she can trust. Emily is left alone and confused. This is such a great, involved novel. Some of it is fictional, but much of the basis for the story is factual. The book is so good that you would have never known that it wasn't entirely true if you didn't read the Author's note.
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Summary: My review
Review: I think this is probably the best book I have ever read. Ann Rinaldi really gets into the eyes of the people after Abe's death. The book is very suspenseful and you won't want to put it down. You should read it!
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Summary: Such an interesting topic to read about!
Review: It's the end of Civil War, 1865 in Washington D.C. and Emily is just recently an orphan. When President Linclon is assasinated, tensions run high, and people are scared out of their minds. Even more so for Emily when her best friend's mother Mrs. Surrat is arrested in the conspiracy. Emily is even more confused when she has to go live with her Uncle Valentine, and finds out he's not typical doctor, and likes to play around with things you would find very odd. I loved this book and I think you will too.
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Summary: Dark is right!
Review: A fan of Rinaldi, I was looking forward to reading this book. The original plot was set up well, but as I read on it became more gruesome and frightening with every page. Its title says it all: the book is just plain dark. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone not in for a horror story. Dead bodies, detailed accounts of hangings, nightmares, and assasinations are not what I look forward to in Ann Rinaldi's books.
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Summary: May Make you reconsider Body Snatching
Review: You've heard about the body snatching. Gross right? While I still consider it gross and wrong, I have a new appretiation for the cause in which doctors dug up graves. Dont get me wrong, the purpose of this book isn't to convince you that doctors should dig up dead people, it is merely to inform you of the history of medicine and briefly discuss Lincoln's assassination. Give this book a try, I think you'll like it.
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Summary: Diffrent.
Review: When I first picked up An Aquaintance With Darkness I thought it was going to be just another girl comming of age type historical novel. An Aquaintance With Darkness was so much more. This novel not only vividly described the turmoil in Washington surrounding the end of the American Civil War and the assasination of President Lincoln, but also brought up a pressing moral issue of that time: is it wrong to snatch bodies for medical research? It was interesting to read Emily's veiw point and see her inner struggle to sort out right from wrong. It was exciting to see the focus of the story change from a story of a girl growing up as an orphan to a story of a girl who must choose between what she beleives is right and being loyal to her family and friends. Over all I would say the book was a pleasent surprise.
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