Review: Montacute House

Title: Montacute House
Author: Lucy Jago
Author's Website: www.lucyjago.com
My Age Recommendation: 12+
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 3 May 2011
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis
Death is stalking the land. Bodies, bruised and broken have been found and no one knows the cause... Except Montacute House seems to be at the centre of the mystery.

As a creeping evil takes over the land, Cess's best friend disappears and she fears he too will soon be dead. But if she is to find him alive, she must survive in a terrifying world full of secrets, treachery and danger.

Jon's Review
The cover of this book and the synopsis on its back intrigued me because I enjoy a good mystery. Having read nothing else about the story, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (specifically the 1590s), thereby pushing the book up into my favourite genre of all: medieval historical fiction. It is exciting to see that there are authors out there who want to bring pieces of our island's colourful, complex and rich history to life for young adults.

The heroine of the story is Cess, a fatherless, illegitimate teenage girl who lives with her mother in pretty much abject poverty. Her job as a poultry girl at the stately Montacute House is all that keeps them from homelessness and starvation. Shunned by her legitimate relatives, she doesn't have much luck in life; her friend William is considered to have "the mark of the devil" on account of his club foot, and her only other friend Edith, is a typical herb gatherer and healer who to all intents and purposes is considered a witch by the locals.

During her daily chores on the morning of her thirteenth birthday, she discovers a precious jewelled locket under a hen in the chicken coop, of all places! This discovery, along with the disappearance of her closest friend, draws her ever deeper into a world of witchcraft, politics and religious intolerance. Cess is a reluctant heroine, a fact which makes her all the more endearing. She is head-strong but flexible, has strong moral fibre but is not haughty. According to the strict class system of the time, she is a nobody, worthless in the eyes of the world. However, we soon discover by her actions that she is a far better person than her supposed "betters" in Elizabethan society. The author has painted a picture of a heroine that any teenage girl can relate to and root for.

The story always moves at a constant pace, ensuring the reader doesn't get bored. The plot is cleverly intertwined with historical facts; specifically the power struggle of the era between the Roman Catholic church and the Church of England. Each thread of the story, albeit simple, is elegantly woven together, culminating in a satisfying and complete ending.

Due to the author's personal experiences at the real Montacute village and her attention to geographical accuracy, the backdrop to the story is vivid. This, along with the historical links to the period, lends considerable credence to the tale, making it largely believable. Whilst historical fiction is obviously supposed to be fictitious, an equal measure of fact helps to bring the story alive. Against this backdrop, the author weaves a wonderful tale which satisfied my appetite for intrigue and excitement.

When I decided to read and review this novel, I was well aware of the fact that the target audience is teenage girls and not a man in his 30s. However, I do love reading young adult novels, for they are often the most beautifully crafted works. I also fancied a challenge! So I fully expected to experience some yawns when reading Montacute House, especially considering my aversion to romance novels! On the contrary, this is simply one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time.

The author deftly balanced historical fact, mystery, action and romance with a precision that is all too rare. Whilst my personal opinion that too many books for teenage girls these days are pulp-worthy novels about vampires or witchcraft remains unchanged, this is one book that proves not everything in the genre is tripe.

I found myself drawn to the witches in the book because the author didn't embellish witchcraft or try to convince me with overused cliches like "witchcraft is good" or "religion is bad". Instead, she let the characters speak for themselves and this allowed the truth to shine through: genuine witches were not (and still are not) evil, devil-worshipping maidens of death. She echoed my own belief that over the centuries, far too many intelligent and wonderful women were abused and murdered by religious zealots or jealous, close-minded fools.

I'd like to see this made into a film for television as I think it would flow equally well on screen.

When you have read the novel, be sure to visit the author's website for more detailed information on Montacute House. I've found both the book and the actual history so interesting that when I'm next in the south west, I shall make a point of visiting Montacute House in Somerset.