Review of Hattie Vavaseur

[Kanika Tandon]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hattie Vavaseur" by M. Rebecca Wildsmith.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Hattie Vavaseur is a paranormal fiction that falls under genres of suspense, romance, and horror. This story is set in the 1920s and follows the exploits of an elderly lady named Hattie Vavaseur. This book was written by M. Rebecca Wildsmith. This is Wildsmith's debut novel, and she has hit the ball out of the park with it.

The story begins with Hattie Vavaseur attending a funerary service. She is then picked up by a young handsome chauffeur named Bertram, who drives Hattie to a grand old mansion. Hattie has no recollection of her life before or the reason for her presence in the mansion. She tries to make sense of the bizarre situation she's been thrust into, as well as the strange people who live in the house. She is particularly perplexed by the owner of the mansion, who appears to despise her and is quite rude and obnoxious. However, things begin to unravel when Hattie meets a loud and boisterous woman named Vamelda. She is a medium who can communicate with the souls of the dead. Vamelda reveals a secret to Hattie, setting the stage for the upcoming crazy, mysterious, and incredible situations that Hattie will face and how she will deal with them.

I don't want to go into specifics because the devil lives in them and will be a major spoiler. I recommend going in blind and bracing yourself to be bowled over. I can't say enough good things about Wildsmith's penmanship, her command of English, and her vocabulary. She has kept her writing style consistent with the time period. She seems to have conducted extensive research into how people spoke in the early 1900s, and their mannerisms have been beautifully captured in the novel. Every line is a gem, and the turn of phrases had me laughing aloud. For example - Unfortunately, her attempts to wipe the black stuff from her face did more harm than good. It gave her the look of a buskin mask, rather than a tender maiden in distress (Page 101 of Chapter 24).

I just adored Hattie. She is a funny, intelligent, and courageous woman. Her letters addressed to her friend Vivienne are simply hilarious. Vamelda, on the other hand, is still my favorite. With her eccentricities, the eccentric woman kept me laughing throughout the book. I was amused to see how both women ended up being good friends despite their stark personality differences.

In the novel, there is a line that says - The woman dominated the room, leaving no time for anyone to answer her (Page 144 of Chapter 32). The line applies to the book as well. Women, whether protagonists or antagonists, dominated the show, stole the spotlight, and commanded a strong presence. The men are overshadowed by these strong-willed ladies, but they do an excellent job in the supporting roles.

There is nothing I disliked about the book. However, it started slowly, and I was initially confused by the plot. The story then began to pick up after Vamelda's big reveal to Hattie, and it progressed from there. The puzzle pieces began to fall into place, and I was completely captivated by the suspense and unexpected twists that appeared at regular intervals until the end. Because of the exceptionally gripping storyline, excellent writing, and lack of grammatical errors, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense, romance, or supernatural fiction. The book also contains some horror elements. It is appropriate for readers of all ages who enjoy the above-mentioned genres. The book is well-edited, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It is a very well-written and entertaining novel that you should not miss.

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Hattie Vavaseur
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[Kelyn]

I like paranormal fiction, and Vamelda sounds like a delightful character. I may have to give this one a look! Thanks for the recommendation, and great job on the review!

[Kanika Tandon]

I like paranormal fiction, and Vamelda sounds like a delightful character. I may have to give this one a look! Thanks for the recommendation, and great job on the review!

Thank u so much

[Kanika Tandon]

I like paranormal fiction, and Vamelda sounds like a delightful character. I may have to give this one a look! Thanks for the recommendation, and great job on the review!

Thank you so much