Sweet Madness

by Trisha Leaver, Lindsay Currie

Overview

Who was Lizzie Borden? A confused young woman, or a coldhearted killer? For generations, people all over the world have wondered how Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby, met their gruesome deaths. Lizzie, Andrew's younger daughter, was charged, but a jury took only 90 minutes to find her not guilty. In this retelling, the family maid, Bridget Sullivan, shines a compassionate light on a young woman oppressed by her cheap father and her ambitious stepmother. Was Lizzie mad, or was she driven to madness?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440588952
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	08/07/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Lexile:	910L (what's this?)
File size:	479 KB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lindsay Currie lives in Chicago, Illinois, with one incredibly patient hubby, three amazing kids, and a 160-pound lap dog named Sam. She’s fond of tea, Halloween, Disney World, and things that go bump in the night!

Editorial Reviews

"The portrait of the claustrophobic, creepy Borden household and its denizens, Lizzie especially, is grippingly vivid.... Read it for the suspenseful plot." —Kirkus Reviews

"This is a very intriguing glimpse into Lizzie Borden's persona.... When a book has you wondering and searching for more on the subject, that's a sign the authors achieved their goal. Engaging historical novel that gives readers another glimpse into the infamous Lizzie Borden." —YA Books Central

"This thrilling novel will keep readers on their toes until the last page. Fans of historical fiction and horror will thoroughly enjoy this book." —VOYA Magazine

"It is the promise of Lizzie finally succumbing to her madness that drives the story forward." —Hypable

"The authors weave together such a beautiful and ghastly novel that I finished the entire book in under 48 hours.... The...characters in Sweet Madness are also very well-written and help to retell the Borden's story in such a way that I felt like I knew them personally. I think that the best part of this novel is that it is written in a very stylistic manner and the dialogue used by the characters...are profound. This novel was an enjoyable read and gives a new perspective on what could have happened all those years ago." —The Young Folks

From the Publisher

2015-06-23
Interest in Lizzie Borden, tried and acquitted in the brutal 1892 murder of her father and stepmother, has never flagged; this fictional retelling depicts the unsolved crime from the perspective of the family's live-in, Irish-immigrant maid, Bridget Sullivan.Andrew Borden rules his household through tightfisted micromanagement and intimidation; his second wife, Abigail, passive and reclusive, communicates via written lists; Emma, Lizzie's older sister, is seldom home. Lizzie, lonely, unstable, and combative, has attached herself to Bridget, following her when she leaves the house. Bridget's grateful for her friendship and help with chores, but she finds Lizzie's sleepwalking, spying, and screaming matches with her father deeply upsetting. Bridget's fiance, Liam, wants her to quit, but she's reluctant to leave a well-paid job. Lizzie reminds Bridget of her mentally disabled sister, Cara, for whose condition she feels responsible. While the portrait of the claustrophobic, creepy Borden household and its denizens, Lizzie especially, is grippingly vivid, Bridget herself is problematic. As a domestic, she's less than credible. Her contemporary vocabulary full of breezy colloquialisms ("I didn't buy it" (expressing skepticism); "you owe me"; "I'd stashed it") bears little resemblance to the real Bridget's plain speech (well-documented in trial transcripts). Lizzie holds the power in this unequal relationship; her inconsistent, abusive treatment renders Bridget's tolerant affection puzzling and its rationale weak. Read it for the suspenseful plot, but look elsewhere for the facts. (Historical fiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews