This genre-blending gothic novel weaves together horror, history, and queer love across time. In 1902, three students at Brookhants School for Girls die under mysterious circumstances. Over a century later, a film adaptation of a book about the tragedy reignites interest—and perhaps the curse. The narrative jumps between past and present, unraveling secrets, obsession, and eerie deaths. With dark humor, metafictional flair, and lush prose, Plain Bad Heroines is a feminist, queer horror epic. It’s a celebration of storytelling, sapphic romance, and the sinister delights of the gothic tradition.
About Emily M. Danforth
An American author celebrated for her young adult and adult fiction, often exploring themes of identity, sexuality, and small-town life. Her critically acclaimed novel, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, sensitively portrays a gay teenager's experiences in a conversion therapy camp, garnering significant praise for its emotional depth and honest portrayal of complex issues. Danforth's writing is characterized by its nuanced character development and ability to tackle difficult subjects with empathy and insight.
Similar Books
Anna Karenina
by Leo Tolstoy
Acclaimed by many as the world's greatest novel, Anna Karenina provides a vast panorama of contemporary life in Russia and of humanity in general. In it Tolstoy uses his intense imaginative insight to create some of the most memorable characters in all of literature. Anna is a sophisticated woman who abandons her empty existence as the wife of Karenin and turns to Count Vronsky to fulfil her passionate nature - with tragic consequences. Levin is a reflection of Tolstoy himself, often expressing the author's own views and convictions.
The Night Watch
by Sarah Waters
Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch is the work of a truly brilliant and compelling storyteller. This is the story of four Londoners - three women and a young man with a past, drawn with absolute truth and intimacy. Kay, who drove an ambulance during the war and lived life at full throttle, now dresses in mannish clothes and wanders the streets with a restless hunger, searching... Helen, clever, sweet, much-loved, harbours a painful secret... Viv, glamour girl, is stubbornly, even foolishly loyal, to her soldier lover... Duncan, an apparent innocent, has had his own demons to fight during the war. Their lives, and their secrets connect in sometimes startling ways. War leads to strange alliances. Tender, tragic and beautifully poignant.
The Jungle
A harrowing expose of the American meatpacking industry in the early 20th century, The Jungle follows immigrant worker Jurgis Rudkus as he endures exploitation, poverty, and tragedy. Intended to highlight workers’ rights, it shocked readers with its depiction of unsanitary conditions, leading to major food safety reforms. Sinclair’s powerful, muckraking novel remains a classic of social criticism and a landmark in investigative literature.
Unsheltered
Barbara Kingsolver’s 'Unsheltered' weaves a compelling narrative that delves into the volatility and uncertainty of human existence through a dual timeframe approach. Set in the same New Jersey house in the 19th century and the present day, the story follows two families grappling with socio-economic upheavals, challenging relationships, and evolving societal values. Kingsolver expertly intertwines historical and contemporary anxieties, exploring themes of resilience, adaptation, and what it means to live without a firm foundation. The novel's insightful parallel between climate change and societal change invites readers to reflect deeply on their own worlds. Kingsolver's crisp, vivid prose and meticulous character development create an immersive experience, making 'Unsheltered' both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.