Plain Bad Heroines

Yellowjackets. There’s a lot going on inside the 640 pages of Emily M. Danforth’s novel titled, Plain Bad Heroines. There’s a book within a book including asides to we readers, and a movie within a movie that’s within the books. There’s devil’s work being done, along with satire, in two time periods: 1902 and 2015. Every time the yellowjackets appear, and they show up regularly, it’s time to pay close attention. After a while, some readers may almost anticipate the arrival of some buzzing or the sense of a swarm getting underway. The cast of woman characters who are intensely interested in each other will intrigue many readers. The gothic overtones increase and diminish until we become accustomed to the presence of ghosts and the will of the yellowjackets. Danforth pulls us into her joyful playfulness in this novel, and we find it easy to get comfortable with ghosts and curses. Readers who enjoy clever writing and are comfortable with ambiguity are those most likely to enjoy this creative novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Plain Bad Heroines from amazon.com.