The Splendor Falls

Splendid

Sylvie's life changed forever during a dance - with one misplaced step. Now, the once youngest ever American Ballet principal dancer, can't dance. She has no idea what to do with her life. When she breaks down at her mother's wedding, consequences arise. While her mother goes on her honeymoon, Sylvie must spend the summer with family she's never met in the family mansion. Right away she discovers she knows nothing about the family as her father never mentioned them. Secondly, things are different in the South. Thirdly, she's very popular. Fourthly, two boys turn her head - one for his mysterious ways and the other with his charm. Before long, Sylvie comes immersed in the family history in order to discover more about the overgrown gardens at first, but then to find out more about the family after she hears talk about ghosts as she mentions some peculiar noises in the night. Could there be ghosts or is Sylvie simply going crazy? If there are ghosts, who could she talk with who won't think she's crazy?

A psychological subtle thriller that reminded me of the Gothic novels - mysterious, but at first you're not quite sure what to believe. VERY well done! I adored the Hell series previously written by the RITA award winning author.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing book! I loved it, I read it and i couldn't put it down.

Amazing book! I loved it, I read it and i couldn't put it down. It's awesome.:-)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Must-Read Southern Gothic!

After a devastatingly embarrassing and crippling accident onstage that shatters both her leg and her life, ballerina Sylvie Davis isn't sure what to do with the rest of her life. When she accidentally gets drunk at a wedding and sees things that shouldn't be there, her mom and stepfather-to-be sends her to the deep South (Alabama, to her dad's family's old plantation-turned-bed & breakfast) to "dry out". But dry out she does not. Instead, she is faced with a situation more dire than anything that might have happened had she stayed in New York. Once arrived at Bluestone Hill, the old family home, she is faced with a plethora of mysteries involving boys, ghosts, and century-old questions.

THE SPLENDOR FALLS has got to be one of my favorite books ever. It's definitely a slow read at first, but I found it enchanting to read about the workings of a small Southern town and a Manhattan girl like Sylvie trying to find her place in such a setting. Clement-Moore sprinkles in a perfect helping of romance and love-triangle dilemma and bone-chilling ghosties. The chapters alternate between idyllic and heart-pounding. The two probable love interests are the right amount of charming and infuriating. Sylvie, the main character, felt like a real and truly fleshed-out character. Clement-Moore does such a good job establishing her personality that I felt like she was a real person. Each character had a unique personality, so I had no trouble distinguishing them. Like I previously mentioned, the book starts out at a stately pace, but in the last...probably, 1/4th of the book, the speed picks up and it's nonstop action after confrontation after action!

The only complaint-and a small one at that-that I have with this book is that Clement-Moore puts a little too much emphasis on Sylvie's dog, Gigi, than I'd like. But then again, this might be because I don't have a dog myself, but I felt like there was an overdose of dog-related occurrences.

Overall, a wonderful, well-researched, and well-developed book. I really didn't want it to end, but it did...that was the only bad part of the book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I loved this book so much i may read it again

This is such a serisous but soulfuland chilling and heart warming book it will have you on the edge of your set waiting to fine out whats next then you will be like holy crap that was AMAZING

Spooky but Shallow

Summary: Sylvie Davis is sent to her late father's ancestral home for the summer in Alabama to recover from "The Accident" that ruined her career in ballet. Bitter and distraught, Sylvie begrudgingly adapts to her new historical residence even though there are some unsettling rules (i.e. no dogs in the house), bewildering small-town beliefs/superstitions, and two young men that she develops conflicting/unbalancing feelings for. Even though the lush green gardens outside her home brighten her days, Sylvie's nights are haunted by a watcher in the windows and high-pitched howling noises from the nearby woods. Any attempts to discover the secrets of her father's Old South legacy are usually interrupted by the Teen Town Council (i.e. Shawn Maddox) or the local ghost town (Cahawba) archaeological dig volunteer, Rhys Griffith. And when the legendary ghost stories begin to become reality, Sylvie takes it upon herself to set the past straight by uncovering the mysteries of Bluestone Hill.

Review: Sylvie was a rocky character for me, she either came off a stubbornly strong or frustratingly vulnerable and as much as I wanted to recognize her as an independent female lead, in my eye, she only succeeded in lacking confidence. I know she had good reason to be gloomy, but her coarse actions towards events in the story dampened my feelings towards her. On the other hand, Rhys was a highly witty and delightful character. He portrayed a compelling figure that actually revealed many of the stories historical facts and much-needed revelations that moved the tale along. Shawn also depicted a vibrant character who shined greatly as the small-town's favorite son, but who also had a darker more complex and intense side. The side-characters were all entertaining enough (somewhat excluding cousin Paula who was more of a downer than anything else) without distracting from the main leads -- a plus!

The story had an intriguing concept full of ghosts, folk-lore, history, mythology, etc. that it instantly appealed to me, but there was almost too much going on in each of those areas that they kind of eclipsed each other. Also, sadly, some parts that I felt were very important in the story were either anti-climatic/down-played and only slightly revealed right at the end (i.e. the whole 'past-life' concept), thus I would have like a bit more development altogether. I was entertained though by the spook-factor created from the local ghost beliefs/visions which added a little supernatural thrill. Plus, the romance sparks were there, just slightly hollow.

Likes: Personally, I did enjoy Sylvie's soy milk drinking/meat-substitute eating lifestyle since recently I've adapted to becoming a part-time vegan and got a hoot out of her reactions to the southern dishes. Also, the Welsh mythology was something all together new for me (and that's saying something for a historical/folk-lore Nut like me)!

Dislikes: The overall story's plot development was too lethargic and disordered for my reading taste. The ending left me asking questions that, I felt, weren't fully answered as well as confusion in some of the misleading directions the story took. All in all, it left me a bit baffled!

A Pleasure To Read!!!

We meet Sylvie Davis at the moment her world comes crashing down on her, quite literally. She is the youngest ever principal dancer at the American Ballet and she lands and breaks her leg, a career ending injury. To make matters worse, her mother is getting remarried and so Sylvie wallows in depression and bitterness so much that her mother ships her off to her fathers family home in Alabama to see if a change of scenery will improve her outlook.
I loved reading this book!!!! The characters are all interesting and it was so easy to get lost in it and feel as if you are part of the events that are happening. What I really liked was that the main character was a ballerina, and yet the ballet terms are thrown out very sparingly. Just enough to make appoint or a certain way a character stands and then that is it. I like it because its a perfect mix and you never feel as if you wandered into a ballet intensive.
Not to spoil the read any, but there are so many gasp worthy scenes its hard to make one stand out, except for the one involving Gigi towards the end. That one left me with tears streaming down my face. Sylvie though is a very well rounded character and she has a lot of sarcastic responses and yet comes about her power in a truly naive and trusting fashion. Rosemary really does a great job of describing scenes to the point that you can feel every emotion and every scent to the point you are actually there.
The romance between Sylvie and Rhys is awesome and I have a not so secret crush on him:)
Definite must read!!!!

Really good

It is the best books i have ever read and i have read a lot of books. It never gets boring ! I couldn't put it down.

Most memorable thing? No typos.

THE SPLENDOUR FALLS by Rosemary Clement-More (3 stars). Yes, that is how the title is spelled. IKR? The book has a good premise, and the mystery builds up to a burst-worthy ending, but . . . Yeah. It was just okay. Though I must give this author credit (and her editor) for the outstanding grammar. From what I remember, there was not one typo. And that's a bloody miracle.

The Splendor Falls

The Splendor Falls is a book that will entertain fans of Stephenie Meyer, Laurie Faria Stolarz, and the duo Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. This book is large, but there isn't one boring or non-important page. The characters are well formed, and mental images are easy to imagine with Rosemary's sensory skills. This book will stay with you long after the last page, and is sure to entice its readers.

The Splendor Falls is about former-ballerina, Sylvie, whose career ended with a horrible fall that broke her leg. With nothing to do now that she's 'out of the game', her mom sends her to her deceased father's cousins house; where she discovers things about her family that she never knew. Things that are both weird and amazing.
There is where Sylvie meets golden boy Shawn Maddox, and the mysterious, gorgeous Rhys Griffith. Both boys are equally charming and inexplicable, but Sylvie is drawn more to Rhys, even though he seems to be distancing himself from her. Is he hiding something? Sylvie wants to know what.
But Shawn seems to like Sylvie from the get go. Always showing up, offering his services, being super nice with all that Tom Sawyer charm.but there is something off about him that Sylvie can't help but notice.
Then there are the ghosts. The ghosts that haunt the grounds and the house where Sylvie is staying; a baby's cry she hears late in the night, a girl, running around towards the river, and the Colonial who always seems to be watching the girl. At first, Sylvie thinks she's loosing her mind, but when townspeople tell her that there are ghosts that people have supposedly seen, she wants to know what's going on, and so she delves into the past to figure it all out. But she doesn't expect the secrets that are hidden to be way worse than she imagined.

All in all, The Splendor Falls was a very fascinating book, a mystery that drew me in from the first page, and had me second-guessing everything that went on. Rosemary Clement-Moore has made a novel that is both beautiful and creepy.

If you like Beautiful Creatures...

This book reminds me of Beautiful Creatures a bit, family secrets, southern charm and magic just with ghosts. Beautiful Creatures is hands down one of my new favorite's, I read and absolutely went crazy. This book draws you in after the first couple of chapters and keeps you until the very end. this book is definitely worth a re-read, partly because I had so much going on, and also for enjoyment.

ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS!

This book was pure bliss, action, and unforgetibleness. I absolutely adored it!!! I loved all the charactes and especiall Sylvie. I really enjoyed getting inside her head and trying to put myslef in her place (not really a place I would like to be haha). I love all the history and theories and magic that is in the book. The ghost stories and legends really made the book! In general, JUST READ IT!! It will make your life!

Escapism at its best

Written in first person narrative with adorable use of vocabulary 'snafu' is such a cute word.
Lovely music and dance imagery created real brought it to life within my imagination, such sensory descriptions make the story more 3 dimensional. Spine-tingling at times.
Superb parallels given between plants/flowers and people both needing nourishment in order to flourish. The theme of nature having magical restorative properties brought to mind Wings by Aprilynne Pike.
The plot intertwined past and present to dramatic effect. The use of mythology added depth to the storyline. The Einstein's theory of relativity kept popping into my head...
For every action there is an equal an opposite reaction
This could be used as a warning within this book :) I love the idea of reincarnation and soul mates.
On the whole a great piece of escapism

So cute!

I loved this book. It was so cute and neat and nice and I didn't want it to end. Lucky for me, it's quite a long one, over 500 pages.

I should mention first that this is probably not a book for those who love fast-paced, action-packed paranormal romances. The Splendour Falls is quite a slow one. Starting with a prologue explaining Sylvie's fatal injury, it does seem to be happening very fast at the beginning as she gets shipped off from Manhattan to Alabama, heart-broken and hurt, questioning her own common sense. But once she arrives in Alabama, the story takes on a nice, relaxed Southern laziness that I could clearly feel radiating from the pages.

It's hard to say what's so compelling about this book. Surely it's not one to keep you at the edge of your seat, but I enjoyed reading it, and could barely put it down. Each chapter holds a surprise. It may not be an epic one, but it will have you spell-bound and anxious to find out what happens next. There is some magic woven into the story, toward the end the suspense grows but it's all dosed very carefully. Much more, it conveys an atmosphere of the healing power of nature and rediscovering the purpose of your life. The main question is, if you could use magic for your own gain, would you do it even if it means destruction and disharmony on the other side of the line? What are you willing to risk for your own happiness?

Sylvie is a lovable character. Her pain, the emotional and physical alike, feels genuine. Her sarcastic remarks are funny; she is spontaneous and though shaken she is self-confident and knows to take her stand. Of course there is the inevitable love triangle, a confused girl, a mysterious guy and the Mr Perfect guy. I admit, I fell in love with Rhys. Deep sigh. How do you not fall for a guy with a charming Welsh accent? Generally speaking, there's an array of interesting and nicely crafted characters with strong and unique voices.

My only complaint is that there is a lot of page-fillers. We follow Sylvie from the moment she wakes up in the morning to the moment she falls asleep. There's a nice lot that could have been cut out without damaging the story. It would gain some pace and the sudden outburst of events at the end wouldn't feel so abrupt. The ending was...well, let me just say, not so enjoyable. Everything that includes children being violated and murdered, no matter how effective it may be for the story...sorry, you lost me there. No complaints on the writing, either; the voice sounds perfectly in tone with the characters and the setting.

If you have a green thumb and enjoy gardening, this is a book for you. Rosemary's garden descriptions are beautiful. She actually makes you smell the scent of grass, feel the cool of the morning dew, see the silver moonlight and hear the rush of the river. The ghostly atmosphere will send chilly spikes down your spine. Rosemary Clement-Moore wrote a nice, easy to read and enjoyable novel that works just fine without the pressure of having to be an adrenalin rush. More than once I thought about what a good movie it would make. If you're tired of vampires, zombies, werewolves and such, try this book.

Amazing!!(:

My friend let me borrow this book. aT first I thought it was gonna be like any other romance book.. but after finishing the book i must say it was one of my favorites this year. It was reallyyyy amazing (: I read it in two days and I couldnt keep my hands off it. Definately reccomend this book to any teen..

I love this book!

When ballerina Sylvie Davis shatters her leg during a performance, her dancing career is shattered as well. But, when her mother forces her to move to her father's estate in Alabama, will she learn to accept the consequence of not dancing anymore? Find out when you read The Splendor Falls. I thought this book was great for anyone who has gone through their dreams being "broken" but also for whoever wants to read a book full of excitement and mystery. At times though, it could get a little confusing but otherwise it was great.

Splendar Falls

Splendar Falls is a good book, but not one of my favorites. If you like mysteries that blend the present with the past then you might like this book.

FINALLY DONE!!!

The Splendor Falls presented me with great expectations but the end result was lack luster. The story line was dragged out and the overall conclustion was not significant. Many times I wanted to quit, but pushed myself to finish and just as it was improving it was over. I see no mention of a sequel and I hope there will not be. Another book to add to the shelf.

Reviewed by Andrea for TeensReadToo.com

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.

The Splendor Falls

This book was amazing and I highly recommend you read this book!
I have never really cared for ghost stories but this one was fantastic!
I just finished it and I am wishing I hadn't! Now I am trying to find books like it or that have similar stories, so if anyone has any ideas please let me know!
My email is cmrtiger@gmail.com

You've got to love it!!!

This book is really amazing.
Sylvie is caught in a mystery, since she dosnt know who she can trust.
Plus a broken leg-and ballet was her carrier-and a stepbrother who 'betrayed' her, she has to go to Alabama...where she will discover the history of his dad, who passed away.While her mom got married while she was still in the hospital recovering.
When she arrives in Alabama, Rhys Griffthiff picks her up with her cousin Paula, they arrive at the house were her father grew up. And thats when shes sure shes seeing Ghosts....