The Splendor Falls

Rosemary Clement-Moore

Sep 2009 · Sold by Delacorte Press

About this ebook

Can love last beyond the grave?

Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’ s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well?

"Lush with Southern atmosphere, The Splendor Falls expertly weaves together romance, tension, and mystery. Haunting and unforgettable!" --Carrie Ryan, bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

"Sylvie's voice is sharp and articulate, and Clement-Moore . . . anchors the story in actual locations and history. . . . Her ear for both adolescent bitchery and sweetness remains sure, and her ability to write realistic, edgy dialogue without relying on obscenity or stereotype is a pleasure."-Publishers Weekly

"Long, satisfying and just chilling enough, this will please a wide audience and leave readers hoping for more."-Kirkus Reviews

Ratings and reviews

Sylvie's world came crashing down the day she broke her leg on stage. She was the youngest ever principal ballerina for the American Ballet, and her dream career ended at the age of seventeen. But her world is also changed by her mother's remarriage, and since she has no reason to stay in New York, she's shipped off to Alabama to stay with her late father's cousin, Paula. Paula is restoring a family home that has been passed down through the generations of the Davis family. And with this home comes a history that is ghostly. Sylvie must figure out the mystery of why she can suddenly see ghosts and why there seems to be magic in the air. Add in two guys who are both interested in her, and she gets one summer that she will never forget. Although this book is really long - over five hundred pages (and I think that there was a lot of filler in the story and that it could definitely be shortened) - I enjoyed the plot. For the most part, it held my attention and I wanted to figure out what was going on. There were times that I became confused, however. How the past was relevant to the future, and the relationships between the characters, had me flipping back through the book at some points. I did like most of the main characters. I liked Sylvie - a ballerina as a main character (although I thought the ballet aspect is talked about too much) is new to me. And she had a great, feisty personality. I liked a lot of her retorts to the guys and to her cousin. I also really liked Rhys. He had an air of mystery surrounding him that was appealing and intriguing. I also liked Clara, the business partner of Paula. She had such a caring air about her. And I want a puppy like Gigi! I didn't particularly like Shawn or Addie, although I don't think I was supposed to. There was something eerie about Shawn and his ability to charm everyone. And Addie was just plain mean. I did like the ending - it seemed to wrap everything up nicely and all of the many details throughout the book came together. As long as you aren't looking for a speedy, easy read, I would recommend THE SPLENDOR FALLS.

This book has some pretty darn cool concepts and ideas, the whole backstory and ghosts and what not, the little romance I suppose is necessary.... But I can't help but feel like this book missed its full potential and the ending just got me upset. Way too easy in my personal opinion. But hey, if it doesn't take much to impress you, you should be pretty good. It's a really good time killer though!

About the author

ROSEMARY CLEMENT-MOORE is the author of Prom Dates from Hell, Hell Week, Highway to Hell, Brimstone, The Splendor Falls, Texas Gothic, and Spirit and Dust. She grew up on a ranch in south Texas and now lives and writes in Arlington, Texas. You can visit her at ReadRosemary.com or follow her on Twitter @rclementmoore.