4.5 Stars
Desperation drives Minerva to accept a job as a lady’s maid, landing her in the middle of political turmoil. When her employer, wealthy widow Encarnación del Valle flees to a secluded mansion with the rest of the del Valles, Minerva joins them and finds the living residents of the house are the least of her worries.
The House of Gardenias explores themes of loyalty and morality, and what it takes to make someone change their mind on where the line of moral righteousness lies. Not knowing whether it is the living, or the dark shadows to beware of most, as well as not knowing who she can trust give this novel a claustrophobic feeling.
While technically a YA novel, The House of Gardenias feels a bit more adult, probably due to its setting in time and place, as well as the fact, that most characters are adults and behave as such (rather than just being a stumbling block for our teenage characters as they usually are in YA).
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