The Cassandra Curse


Fiction - Mystery - General
296 Pages
Reviewed on 06/01/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

Augusta Delaney, or Gus, was a talented portrait artist who returned from Scotland to New York to meet her twin brother Jules. He was a famous cartoonist with a Pulitzer Prize under his belt. That evening, the twins visited an exhibition of political cartoons where Jules' works were presented. Later, they wanted to drink a toast for their 39th birthday on the Promenade, but a stranger hit Gus with a bottle of champagne that he snatched from Jules. Before losing consciousness, Gus heard Jules warning her about someone named Queen. Gus woke up in her childhood home in Charleston, South Carolina. She had been comatose for several months, and Jules had disappeared. Gus learned that she had gained the frightening ability to read the minds of her models while working on their eyes. Would Gus find her brother, who had vanished without a trace? The Cassandra Curse by Sallie Bissell is an interesting read for mystery and suspense fans.

Sallie Bissell's The Cassandra Curse offers a puzzling intrigue that follows the main character with every step. Gus suffered from brain flooding as a consequence of her trauma. Bissell shows us the distorted picture of reality that Gus perceives in great detail. Along with Gus, we cannot be sure what is true and what is false, even under the roof of her cozy home in Charleston. The book is suspenseful with foes skillfully disguised as friends. Bissell explores Gus’s new abilities through the prism of her artistic talent. Her character is well-developed and likable thanks to her self-effacing irony and occasionally dark humor. Gus wins the hearts of readers because of her unbeatable determination to find Jules, despite the unknown dangers that the future holds. The tale has compelling secondary characters, like Gus's old friend and teacher Emerson Baker, or her grandmother Titter, and a spectacular villain. I appreciated Bissell's simple yet beautiful writing style and the unpredictability of the plot.