The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Age Level: Teen
Format: Book

Sylvie Davis would give anything to be able to dance again…The Accident that broke her leg forced her to end her ballet career. Her mother’s decision to remarry also adds to Sylvie’s distress. These two events lead Sylvie to Alabama and her father’s family home. Sylvie’s father, who had passed away years before, rarely talked about his upbringing, so Sylvie is surprised by the size of the house and the roots her ancestors had in the community. Plus, the two guys who hang around the house, Rhys Griffith and Shawn Maddox, are hard to keep out of her mind. Sylvie also begins to see and hear things – a man and a woman from a previous era and the sound of wailing somewhere in the woods. Is there more to Bluestone Hill than meets the eye, or has Sylvie completely lost her mind?

Readers of the supernatural, historical references, contemporary connections to the past, and/or romance should read The Splendor Falls. I tend to gravitate toward any book that examines the past and that may include some sort of supernatural element to the storytelling. For me, The Splendor Falls does not disappoint. I got caught up in Sylvie’s life and her struggle to find a different kind of normalcy. Despite what the adults around her feel, Sylvie wants to stay grounded in the present, not go crazy from her grief over the loss of dancing. There are also elements of mystery to the narrative, specifically Sylvie’s determination to find out exactly is taking place at Bluestone Hill, since no one else at the house will confess to Sylvie that they see and hear the same things she does. And, I have to admit, you’ve got to love Sylvie’s dog Gigi, who helps Sylvie through everything!

Reviewed by Jessica