Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Jennifer Hale, orphaned and destitute after the Civil War, arrives at Darkwater full of hope, only to be alarmed by her cold reception. More frightening are the screams of Alicia, the dying mistress of the plantation. Jennifer becomes attracted to Walter Dere, her employer, and then Alicia's death frees Walter to propose to her. However, Jennifer develops the symptoms Alicia suffered and remembers Alicia's ravings about witchcraft. Will she suffer a fate worse than death?
Is Darkwater appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
A Gothic tale set in post-Civil War South featuring witchcraft themes, mysterious illness, and psychological manipulation. Contains dark atmospheric horror and implied supernatural threats but no explicit violence or sexual content.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include death, death of a loved one, and gaslighting (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
A suspenseful mystery where a desperate young woman must uncover dark secrets at a cursed plantation before she meets the same fate as her predecessor.