Texas Gothic

A Charmingly Quirky Perfect Pick

Texas Gothic is filled with charming quirkiness, and great writing. What's there not to like with a cute cranky cowboy, tree climbing Houdini goats, Go Go Gadget Gidget girl, rump scratching cows, and a love story like a prize fight.

Amy Goodnight is an island of normal in a sea of crazy. As the self appointed Gatekeeper, Amy straddles the line between magic and mundane constantly providing damage control for her above average family. The Goodnight's are witches, each with a different affinity, and to the dismay of Amy, none of them are shy about their abilities.

Amy's PR talents are about to be tested. She and her sister Phin are looking after their Aunt Hy's farm for the summer. Everyone in the small Texas town has an opinion about the crazy Goodnights and it doesn't help that the sleepy town has seemingly awaken with paranormal activity since the girls arrival. There's quite a lot of chatter about a rogue ghost on the loose knocking people out, skeletal remains are popping up at the perpetually cranky yet hunky neighbor's ranch, and a spirit is personally haunting Amy.

Amy is going to have to except who and what she is, find some balance between her two worlds, and along with her friends, they are going to have figure out what's really going on with the pestering poltergeist to save her Goodnight name and possibly her life.

Clement-Moore doesn't write hardcore paranormal, she writes normal with a certain slant of the unusual. Rosemary's strength is her witty writing style, and wonderfully rich characters, which hits a definite high in Texas Gothic. In most books the main character is the author's focus in development and spotlight. Here the supporting cast doesn't get left behind but blossomed. I loved all the players in this book. They were interesting and distinctive like her work. Fans of Hex Hall and Paranormalcy will like the snarky quirky prose.

There's nothing negative I can say. Lots of laughs. Great characters, good story line, a romantic love story, and perfect prose that pulls you in. If you need a literary vacation then pick up a copy of Texas Gothic and get completely entrench by the writing.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Quirky Witches, Swoonworthy Neighbor Boys and a Mystery to Boot...

So, growing up I loved reading any and all things vampire, witch and ghost (with a sprinkling of werewolf for good measure.) Today, not much has changed and it would be safe to say that I will always compare any paranormal books I read to some of those old favorites. My go-to authors regarding “witchy” type books will always be Anne Rice (The Witching Hour) and Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic.) These two ladies have the whole “family of witches” thing down pat in my humble opinion. So when I read the blurb earlier this year regarding Texas Gothic, I knew this book would be right up my alley. Like Rice and Hoffman’s works, Texas Gothic includes eccentric relatives and cool family dynamics, which I loved. The relationship between Amy and Phin is fun to read and it’s nice to see two sisters close in age getting along in spite of all their differences. I liked Amy’s character and really sympathized with her struggle for normalcy in a decidedly abnormal family. I appreciated her desire to strike a balance in her life and enjoyed seeing her grow and develop, eventually accepting and embracing her inner witch by story’s end. I also really liked the bookish Phin and all her cool experiments and gadgets. I do wish however that I could have gotten to know more of the Goodnight clan. I enjoyed the inclusion of Cousin Daisy and would have liked to have learned more about Amy and Phin’s mom as well their Aunt Hyacinth. As for the mystery that unfurls in the book, I really liked all the interesting facts about Texas history that the author included. However, I thought the mystery itself was a little elementary. I was hoping with a title like Texas Gothic (emphasis on the word Gothic) the story would have been a little more The Turn of The Screw and a little less The Secret of The Old Clock. That aside, I enjoyed the plot well enough,and I think Clement-Moore's witty dialogue and interesting characters make up for my other issues. There is some romance between Amy and the hot, yet somewhat jerk-ish, neighbor Ben. I liked the back and forth between them, and thought there was some pretty decent chemistry, but the romance didn't sweep me off my feet. In fact there were a few occasions when I preferred the character of Mark, the anthropology student interested in Phin, more than Ben. So, to sum up my review of Texas Gothic: Clement-Moore delivers cool, quirky characters; humorous, witty dialogue; and a decent mystery and love story. I plan to check out more works by this author, including her work The Splendor Falls

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome!!

This was a refreshing and wonderful read about a young woman who reluctantly embraces her familiy roots and becomes involved in a ghost hunt. Of course it does not help that the neighbor is extremely cute and anoying at the same time, nor does it help that there is ages of bad blood between the families.
But Amy Goodnight is a great character and the dialog in the whole book is believeable and very easy to get into. The setting is in Texas and after a few pages, you really feel like you are right there in the Hill Country. What I like is all the supernatural things going on, and how there really is a mystery that they are really helping to solve. The ending is nice and does tie up a few loose ends, but I would love to see more of Amy and the gang in another book. They are just to much fun to see go away with one book.

Excellent Southern Gothic Fiction!

I knew I was going to love this book. I love southern gothic superstitions and stories, the ones that are passed down over generations. And, well, it's set in Texas.

What I liked: 1) Phin - Amy's sister Delphinium was my absolute favorite character. She reminded me of...Bones (Brennan from Bones). Everything is about science to Phin, she's brilliantly book smart, but hopeless when it comes to social norms. She had me cracking up. 2) The setting - I'm a little bias, since I live here and all. But Miz Clement-Moore has described it kind of perfectly. 3) Historical accuracy - so it's a ghost and magic story, right? But that doesn't mean that that we can't have some historical accuracy. 3) Amy's desire to not participate in the family crazies. 4) The ghost story! Southern gothic at its finest! 5) I wasn't sure I expected humor, but it's great. It sneaks up on you and makes you laugh out loud. 6) Hot cowboys. 7) Hot cowboys. 8) Hot cowboys.

What I didn't like: 1) I love Big 12 football, but the only time I'm gonna root for the Longhorns is when they are playing the Sooners....meh. Go Oklahoma State Cowboys! Ha ha, so that's not really a dislike, I just wanted to say Go Pokes!

Overall thoughts: This is a cleverly and well written story. The characters are all developed really well, the plot is substantial and complete, and the setting is full of southern Texas charm. I absolutely loved it. It has found a new home on my 're-read' shelf! And can someone please tell me where I can get some of Aunt Hy's cool soap and shampoo and stuff?

One cranky ghost can ruin the whole summer

There are two things that Clement-Moore does fantabulously: community and swoony guys. The ranch town in which Amy and Phin are spending their summer is great. It's not the setting, really, that's great; it's the people in it. They make this small town believable. There's the crazy grandad, the close-minded town folk, the local pothead, the nerdy college students, the local "royal" family, and the brooding son of those royals. We don't get to know all of these characters well; this is not a crowded book. And yet, these are not stock characters. Altogether, they are the town. They give the town a feel and a history. They make it a place. The town bar and the community picnics are just where they hang out.

And then there's the guy. Le sigh. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I have a weakness for rugged folk who wear cowboy hats unironically. But even if that's not your thing, this guy is sooo great. Ben McCulloch, literally the guy next door, is so swoony and angsty and responsible and gentlemanly. I fell for him, and hard, long before Amy figured out why Ben made her feel both frustrated and fluttery at the same time. Mark, one of those nerdy college students, isn't so bad either. His sweet and awkward flirting with Phin is so cute! The best part about both of them, though, is that they are both completely devoid of cheese. There is no heavy-handed romance talk or gazing into one another's eyes.

So the guys and the cast of characters are what made Texas Gothic great for me. Amy and Phin's relationship, the complicated ghost story, the small town rumors and legends, and the ranching drama were all added perks for me. These aspects of the story were just as strong as the ones I loved, and they might be what makes this a great book for you.


Book source: Philly Free Library

Kooky Characters Make it Interesting

While the romance started off pretty quickly, it was very expected and never surprising. The opening of the story features the goats being in the tree.again. Every scene with the goats was a scene stealer in the book, but there just weren't enough of them. It was the kookiest part of the book to me, one that was not tapped for all it's worth. The more important characters were so varied, it was wonderful, and they were fully fleshed out people with backgrounds and personality traits like no other. Some of the smaller characters seemed to run together and there could have been fewer of them with the same effect.

The book was around 400 pages long, but I felt that 100 pages of that could have been cut out as there were times when I was just waiting for something relevant to happen or to be said. The transitions took too long to hold my interest. The mystery within the story was great and interesting and entertaining at all aspects. I love the small town setting and the quirkiness of the families. One of the romances felt real and true and it was really cute to read. The main one, however, felt forced and it was way too obvious that this is where the story was supposed to go - but the feelings never felt real to me.

Perfect summer ghost story

Really 4.5 stars

I used to love ghost stories as a child, especially ones that were somehow rooted in truth or legend. When I saw that this book was a ghost story that added in witches and was set in Texas, I knew I had to read it. And by "had to," I mean that I stayed awake until after 2am one night so that I could finish it.

Amy Goodnight would like to be normal, but unfortunately for her, that's impossible. Her family has magic, and she has learned to be careful around their spells and her own tendencies toward witchcraft, even going so far as to be the buffer between the world and her family. When she offers to take care of her aunt's ranch for the summer, she thinks that her ghost hunting days are over. But life has other ideas. Amy suspects that something is amiss when long-buried bodies are discovered on the neighboring ranch. Then there is a ghost who seems to be haunting her. And finally, it seems like someone doesn't want these bodies disturbed. In a small town, gossip flies, suspicions run high, and there's no escaping your family. Can Amy figure out what the ghost wants and help him, all while staying safe? More importantly, can she do it with the devastatingly handsome distraction of her neighbor?

This book has everything you could want in a ghost story: mystery and suspense are woven with magic and folklore, and to top everything off, there is a dash of romance. At times it almost seems as though there are two mysteries unfolding at the same time, and the story kept me guessing at the truth until close to the end. The characters really made this novel; in fact, Amy is probably one of my favorite characters that I've read this year. She's not afraid to speak her mind, and what she says is often snarky but usually incredibly amusing. All of the dialogue was great, from the debates between Amy and her sister Phin (think female version of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, but a witch) and the constant banter between Amy and Ben, the charming (or not, depending on the day) neighbor. I loved the way that the relationship between Ben and Amy grew; the tension and frustration finally led to understanding and attachment. There are also references to other books as well as pop culture that I enjoyed seeing interspersed in here.

I also loved the vivid descriptions and the setting of this book. The story truly came to life, and it was that along with the mystery that kept me awake and reading late into the night. Even though this is a stand-alone book, I would still love to see these characters again and know if any other unusual things happened to them.

Texas Gothic is a perfect summer ghost story, complete with a refreshing voice and a captivating tale. I will certainly be picking up more of Clement-Moore's books!

LOVED this book!

Wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this book, but very quickly realized I'd found a treasure. The author has some of the wittiest lines I've read in a long time & is clever & quick with her dialogue. The characters pull you in and don't let you go until the very last word and you are reluctant to leave this story. I will definitely be watching for more from this author! She is now on my automatic "to be read" list!

More, Please

Everybody has that normal one in the family. You know the one. She sort of holds everything together when your crazy aunt is off making potions and magic organic household products, shampoos, soaps, and hand sanitizers, and your genius sister is popping fuses every time she tries to test her latest invention.

She's the responsible one. The one who answers the phone every time; the one with the normal future that doesn't involve getting swept up in mystery; the one who does it because she loves you no matter how weird things get in the nuthouse.

That's Amy Goodnight. She's ranch-sitting for her aunt (and baby-sitting her brilliant but intellectually distracted sister). Until construction on a bridge unearths a body and a ghost won't leave Amy alone. She struggles to maintain her aura of normalcy in front of the neighbor cowboy, Ben *cat-growl* as well as the Anthropology crew that shows up to take care of the body.

Make that "bodies". As the body count grows higher, Amy's might be the next one to be buried if she can't get the whole ghost thing under control.

Witty, sarcastic, dramatically ironic. Just...bloody brilliant.

Quirky and clever!

TEXAS GOTHIC has so much going for it! First: A very fun, interesting main character in Amy Goodnight. She is a witch, despite her best efforts not to be, and has assumed the role of family ambassador to normal society. She self-identifies as the responsible one and does her best to smooth the way for her more eccentric mother, sister, aunts, cousins, basically everyone in the Goodnight clan. Unfortunately for her, they're all perfectly happy with their identities and talents.

Amy and her sister Phin are watching their Aunt Hyacinth's small Texas ranch for the summer while Aunt Hyacinth travels to China. Amy inadvertently undertakes a quest to lay a persistent ghost to rest at the same time as ghost rumors from the neighboring McCulloch ranch slow down progress on the efforts to build a bridge that will ease the task of herding their cattle. Ben McCulloch doesn't like Amy because she's a Goodnight, but Amy can't avoid Ben and investigate her ghost problem since all clues point to a connection with McCulloch land. Specifically, the mass burial they uncover during work on the bridge.

This book reads YA and tricks you into thinking it's light fare because it's so fun. Amy's colloquialisms are thick and witty, very Texan, and her dual perception of her family as the real deal vs. the walking freak show that everyone else sees are both funny and poignant. The mystery unfolds in a kitchy throwback to Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew (with a soupcon of those meddling kids from Scooby Doo) but it completely works. The tension grows as the ghost gets more aggressive with Amy and someone, ghost or human, physically attacks a ranch hand or two who've gotten too close to whatever Amy isn't supposed to find.

But Amy's voice is very smart and there are little Easter Eggs for the more sophisticated reader: literary and scientific references that demonstrate how smart the MC is although the story is approachable for any YA reader. I just love that. In short, this definitely qualifies as a beach read but it has more going for it than just that. You'll probably find yourself reading it again.or hoping for another installment.

Texas Gothic has the right amount of everything.

I absolutely adored reading Texas Gothic! It had the right amount of everything. The plot wasn't too scary, it wasn't too slow, and it didn't move too fast either. I thought Rosemary Clement-Moore developed her characters very well in the book. Reading about Amy, Ben, Phin, and the "gang" was really enjoyable! The dialogue was great. I loved the whole idea of ghosts, magic, and where it all takes place. Its different from other ghost and paranormal stories, so anyone who wants something different will like reading Texas Gothic. I also liked how Clement-Moore described the ghost scenes. I actually liked reading them! They were so vivid and clear, I could picture the scenes in my head. Another thing that I really enjoyed was the cover. The story and the cover go really well together, and I think the red lipstick really compliments the model's eyes! So if you want something fresh and new, don't hesitate to go read Texas Gothic! Rosemary Clement-Moore does not disappoint! Twitter: @teenagereader

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