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Editorial Content for The Cresswell Plot

Book

The Cresswell Plot

Contributors

Isabel Coyne

Reviewer (text)

Isabel C., Teen Board Member

THE CRESSWELL PLOT is a standalone contemporary novel by debut author Eliza Wass. This book has an amazing premise, but is so weird that it might turn some away.

The main character is Castella Cresswell --- AKA Cas. Her father has created his own religion and has made the rest of the family follow it. So Cas, along with her five siblings, believes that someday she will be called back to heaven and that earth is just a temporary home. Because they’ve grown up with the religion, her family has never questioned this belief, but outsiders in town think of them all as weird and crazy.

"THE CRESSWELL PLOT is a fast read. You pick it up and immediately want to know what happens."

Cas is a very confused girl, which makes sense, given her circumstances. She doesn’t know what to believe and who to trust, but she knows she wants to protect her family. It’s interesting being in Cas’s head, as the reader will generally think very differently from her. The reader sees her life, and knows her father is crazy right off the bat --- but Cas doesn’t. This creates an interesting dynamic as it is almost like the reader is one of those outsiders from town, looking in on Cas’s life.

As I mentioned above, Cas has five siblings. If they’re not all there, you tend to forget that some exist. On the other hand, when they are all present, you will almost definitely get them mixed up. While they each have unique characteristics, the siblings all seem very two-dimensional.

I would have liked to know more about Cas’s father. He might have been insane, but I want to know WHY. I feel like the author could have gone into more detail with his character, which would really have added another layer to the story.

THE CRESSWELL PLOT is a fast read. You pick it up and immediately want to know what happens. I received it one afternoon and finished it before I went to bed that night --- but boy, was it weird. It wasn’t a bad read, but there were certain times that it walked a thin line.

I do recommend reading this book and making a decision for yourself about how much weirdness you can handle. If you’re a fan of books featuring cults, then definitely check this one out, because this family is basically a miniature cult and the dynamics are fascinating.

Teaser

Castella Cresswell and her five siblings know what it's like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father. Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. Castley's world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father's grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. 

Promo

Castella Cresswell and her five siblings know what it's like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father. Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. Castley's world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father's grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. 

About the Book

The woods were insane in the dark, terrifying and magical at the same time. But best of all were the stars, which trumpeted their light into the misty dark. 
 
Castella Cresswell and her five siblings --- Hannan, Casper, Mortimer, Delvive and Jerusalem --- know what it's like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.
 
Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they're still the freaks they've always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolation from their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice. 
 
Castley's world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father's grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father's lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.