Book Review: Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts In The Closet by P.J. McIlvaine

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the VIOLET YORKE, GILDED GIRL: GHOSTS IN THE CLOSET by P.J. McIlvaine Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: VIOLET YORKE, GILDED GIRL: GHOSTS IN THE CLOSET

Author: P.J. McIlvaine

Pub. Date: April 4, 2022

Publisher: Darkstroke Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 127

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/VIOLET-YORKE-GILDED-GIRL

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited subscription!

She sees ghosts…but are they malevolent or friendly?

Poor little rich girl Violet Yorke has seen ghosts for as long as she can remember, but no one believes her.

Not stodgy Grandmother, who took charge of the heiress after her parents were killed in a failed robbery. Nor kind-hearted Aunt Nanette, or Uncle Bertie, a charming rogue. Not even the patient Hugo Hewitt, Violet’s godfather and trustee of her vast fortune.

Everyone dismissed the child’s insistence about ghosts as a harmless eccentricity—until the night her bedroom caught fire. Violet was promptly sent overseas, fueling her anger and resentment.

Two years later, a rebellious twelve-year-old Violet is on her way back to Manhattan on the doomed Titanic. As the ship sinks into the deep Atlantic Ocean, she’s put in a lifeboat by an apparition who rescued her from the clutches of a jewel thief. Presumed lost at sea, Violet shocks everyone by crashing her own funeral.

Following Violet’s recovery, Grandmother has grand high society designs for the girl, but Violet has other ideas. She’s determined to uncover the secret of what really happened to her parents. Then there’s the mystery of the moon-faced boy at gloomy Dunham Hall and his connection to the ghost on Titanic. Also hot on Violet’s trail is the jewel thief, the specter of her murdered governess, and a vengeful ghost lurking in Violet’s childhood home.

Being a poor little rich girl in 1912 Gotham isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in this delightfully dark and droll supernatural historical fantasy.

 

Why Should You Read This?

Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet by P.J. McIlvaine is a delightful supernatural historical fantasy that follows the story of Violet Yorke, a poor little rich girl who has seen ghosts her entire life. But no one believes her, not even her own family. After a fire in her bedroom, Violet is sent overseas, where she spends two years rebelling against her grandmother’s high society designs for her. But when she returns to Manhattan on the doomed Titanic, Violet’s life takes a turn for the extraordinary.

McIlvaine’s writing is charming and droll, and Violet is a spunky and relatable protagonist. Despite her privileged upbringing, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her parents’ deaths and the secrets that surround her family. Along the way, she encounters ghosts, a jewel thief, and a mysterious moon-faced boy at gloomy Dunham Hall. The plot is fast-paced and entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

One of the strengths of Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet is the way that McIlvaine weaves historical details into the story without feeling heavy-handed. The setting of 1912 Gotham is richly drawn, with vivid descriptions of the city and its inhabitants. The Titanic sinking is a particularly harrowing scene, and McIlvaine handles it with sensitivity and grace.

Overall, Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet is a fun and engaging read that will appeal to fans of paranormal stories and historical fiction. The supernatural elements are well-integrated into the plot, and Violet is a character that readers will root for. McIlvaine’s writing is witty and entertaining, and the story is a delightful mix of humor, mystery, and romance. Highly recommended!

 

About P.J. McIlvaine:

PJ McIlvaine is a prolific and creative children’s author/screenwriter/writer/journalist.

PJ will have two books coming out in 2023: A GOOD MAN, a gritty adult contemporary psych thriller from Bloodhound Books and THE CURIOUS CONUNDRUM OF CHARLEMAGNE CROSS, a young adult alternate history adventure set in Victorian London from Orange Blossom Books.

PJ’s debut middle-grade supernatural historical mystery adventure VIOLET YORKE, GILDED GIRL: GHOSTS IN THE CLOSET (Darkstroke Books, April 2022) is about a poor little rich girl in NYC 1912 who sees ghosts.

PJ’s debut picture book LITTLE LENA AND THE BIG TABLE (June 2019, Big Belly Book Co.), with illustrations by Leila Nabih, is about a determined little girl tired of eating with her annoying cousins at the kid’s table, only to discover that the big table isn’t much better. She has another picture book, DRAGON ROAR (MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing, October 2021) artwork by Logan Rogers, about a lonely, sick dragon who has lost his mighty roar, and the brave village girl who helps him find it again.

PJ is also a co-host and founding member of #PBPitch, the premiere Twitter pitch party for picture book creators.

PJ has been published in numerous outlets including The New York Times and Newsday, and is a regular contributor for The Children’s Book Insider newsletter (paid firewall), writing about the path to publication and interviews with established and debut kid lit authors.

PJ lives on Eastern Long Island with her family and furbaby Luna.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of VIOLET YORKE, GILDED GIRL: GHOSTS IN THE CLOSET, US Only.

Ends April 18th, midnight EST.

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