Melusine: A Mystery

by Lynne Reid Banks

Book Overview

What is the sinister mystery of Chateau Bois Serpe? Roger, his parents, and twin sisters arrive at this crumbling ruin in the wilds of France, anticipating a holiday that's "different." And so it proves, but not as they'd hoped. The owner, the strange daughter Mesuline, whom Roger first meets tending her father's goats. She is like no girl he has ever seen, with her brusqueness and her expressionless black eyes, and as he gradually befriends her,...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380791358
• ISBN13: 9780380791354
• Release Date: November 1997
• Publisher: HarperTrophy
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Gothic puzzle

Lynne Reid Banks's _Melusine_ is a fine example of the sort of book I like to call "Teen Celto-Gothic"--defined by mysterious places, dark family secrets, and forces of mythology that make themselves known in the mundane world. Among such novels are older books like Garner's _The Owl Service_ and Pope's _The Perilous Gard_ , and newer books like Liz Berry's _The China Garden_. _Melusine_ is another of this sort, and certainly good enough to be on the shelf with these others.The story begins as Roger (whose age I estimate at 14 or so), his parents, and his little sisters arrive at the run-down French chateau where they will be spending their vacation. Their first impression of the house is inauspicious; the front rooms are squalid, and the owner, one Monsieur Serpe, a belligerent jerk. But things seem to get better. The part of the house where Roger's family will be staying is well-kept and pretty. And Roger begins to make friends with Serpe's shy daughter, Melusine. The family vacation turns sinister as Roger begins to hear the sound of something slithering through his room at night. And a struggle he witnesses between Serpe and Melusine suggests a more ordinary but more disturbing horror. Stranger and stranger things happen, and all the while Roger's feelings for Melusine deepen. When he reads about the mythical Melusine in a guidebook, the situation at the chateau begins to become clear--but in order to believe what he knows to be true, Roger must allow himself to believe in the impossible. Can Melusine be saved from the horror at the chateau, or can she save herself? This is a creepy, moody, engrossing novel recommended to those who like that sort of thing. I couldn't put it down.

beautiful, sad, suspenseful, and slightly dark reading

I read this book in junior high and loved it. This is the story of a sad, dark, lonely girl whose pain and frustration are finally released in the form of a supernatural occurence. The setting- a fallen-down French castle- is perfect for the storyline. This novel has enough suspense to make it a page-turner. If you like this story, check out the similar novel Pictures in the Dark by Gillian Cross.

A nice little mystery that will leave you guessing

I just finished reading Melusine. This would make a perfect stocking stuffer for any teenager that enjoys a little mystery and imagination. Or is it imagination? Something to ponder.

It has stuck with me...

I actually read this book years ago, when I was a teenager. I can't remember all the plot twists and details, but the power of the story has remained with me to this day. Everytime I see it on the shelf, I feel this overpowering sensation that brings me back to the story. This is definitely an intricate mystery. It is at once strange, beautiful, scary, and highly compelling. I found it to be well-written, easy to follow, absorbing, and meaningful. It is one of my favorite fiction books. The story is set in western France, at a chateau. An American family is visiting France and staying at an almost empty chateau, inhabited only by a man and his mysterious daughter. You'll have to read it to find out more!