Gothic Revival: Gothic Literature Gets a Young Adult Makeover

 

2013 is shaping up to be the year of the Gothic Revival. And I, for one, couldn't be happier. I have always been drawn to the Gothic stories of the 19th century: Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, The Fall of the House of Usher, and of course, Jane Eyre. While Gothics are known for their extremes in drama--overwrought heroines, Byronic heroes, turbulent weather, eerie settings--they also have a psychological complexity that makes them more than just high-brow horror. Unlike pure horror stories, the thrills and chills in a Gothic tale usually serve as a vehicle for the protagonist's transformation, which often comes at a cost. Jane Eyre excepted, not one of the above novels ends happily. These stories teach that knowledge comes at a price, and that there's a thin line between passion and madness. Like dystopians (another hot genre right now), Gothic novels reveal our deepest fears. But unlike dystopians which exploit fears very much based in our reality (economic collapse, environmental catastrophe, totalitarian takeover), the Gothic novel taps into more primal fears: ghosts, madmen, hell hounds, things that go bump in the night. *shivers*

 

Here are a few YA Gothic novels coming down the pipeline in 2013:

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd: inspired by H.G. Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau with a touch of romance.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke: a "dreamy, twisted romance" set on a crumbling seaside estate.

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey: based on Edgar Allan Poe's haunting poem "Annabel Lee," this is bound to be spooky and romantic!

Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell: about a haunted lighthouse with a cursed keeper who collects souls.

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson: a retelling of the Bluebeard legend; I've actually read this one already, and it's wonderful!

Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin: a YA revamp of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. Sign me up!

The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler: murder, spiritualism and seances in Cambridge, England!
 

Don't these look fun?! Did I miss any upcoming Gothics? I'm always looking for great reading recommendations!