The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond
by Amanda Glaze
Union Square & Co., 2022. 362 pages.
Review written November 26, 2022, from my own copy, sent by the publishers for the Cybils Awards.
Starred Review
The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond is a historical paranormal novel about twins who inherited their mother’s gifts of interacting with the Dead who have crossed beyond the Veil. Violet can open the veil between life and death and communicate with spirits there, and Edie can cross into the spirit world. The Second or Final Death is when spirits go beyond. But spirits who have recently died often linger on the other side of the veil, and Edie and Violet can interact with them.
But the process isn’t without danger. Their mother was working with an unknown client a year ago, and Edie saw her use belladonna to force a spirit into the beyond — and her mother went with the spirit. After their mother’s death, their father threatened to save them by sending them to an asylum. That night, they tied bedsheets together and escaped.
Now they’re traveling with a company putting on shows of spiritualism. Most of what they do is fake — but not all of it. Part of Edie’s act is to deliver speeches on current issues — claiming to “channel” dead white men — whom people are interested to hear. (This was a real thing at the time!)
But their show has brought them back to Sacramento — close to the home they ran away from. A handsome young reporter is nosing around. And Edie senses something disturbing at the nearby asylum. She goes to a speech about the rights of women — and how a husband or father could consign a woman to an asylum with just his word.
And some Spiritualists are going missing. It comes close to home when a girl from their own traveling show goes missing, and Edie sees her beyond the veil.
It’s all put together in an absorbing way. I like all the actual history that’s thrown in — with an Author’s Note explaining it at the back. And I love her line in the Acknowledgments — “No librarians were harmed during the making of this book, but many were consulted.” I was impressed when I discovered this is a debut novel. I felt like there were a few too many coincidences as things came together, but on the other hand, everything was neatly tied together.
Overall, the theme of the connection between sisters made this a heart-warming book. I hope this author writes many more.
amandaglaze.com
unionsquareandco.com
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Teens/2nd_death_of_edie_and_violet_bond.html
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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