The Clairvoyants: A Novel

Martha Mary saw her first ghost on her seventh birthday in her grandfather’s barn, and they have been constant visitors ever since. After the death of a teenage friend and repeated visits by local law enforcement, her sister Del ends up in the Institute of Living, an insane asylum in all but name, while Martha is sent to attend university in Ithaca. It is outside of her small apartment that she sees the ghost of a young girl with ice in her hair who she recognizes as the missing Mary Rae Swindal from the many posters dotted about town. Martha follows her one night hoping to understand what exactly the ghost wants from her and, consequently, what any of them want from her.

Karen Brown’s novel The Clairvoyants is a bit slow and meandering, with a story that seems to lack focus at times. The storylines often seem to be too numerous, with no coherent convergence, and the characters are lacking the sort of depth that would pull the reader in and keep them engaged. That said, Brown’s writing is lovely, and I found it almost poetical at times. The ending is nuanced and painfully beautiful. I look forward to reading her as she matures as a writer.