Currently reading
Hannah was a whole lot of not much. From the get go Hannah knows she's not normal. When she's sent on an orphan train to Kansas that suspicion pans out as she gets horribly sick. There's something attaching her to the sea and when she's away from it her body gives out. To try to stay by the ocean she gets a job working as a scullery maid in a rich family. There she meets a boy, makes friends, and learns more about herself. The story takes place around the turn of the 20th century.
Almost everything happens right in the very beginning with the orphan train to Kansas and the trip back. After that the plot slows down. There's a lot of things brought up that never really go anywhere, like a connection to a priceless vase, her random ability to play the harp brilliantly, and her feud with the daughter of the house. The last was the worst, because Lila is one crazy chick and her connection with her cat Jade seems like it could be something interesting. The death of the tension is that even when Lila tries to frame Hannah no one believes for a minute that Hannah is guilty. After her rocky beginning everyone loves her and everybody goes out of her way to help her. It's Lila that I feel a little bad for as there's obviously more going on there and her escalating desire for attention signals a serious need that's going unmet. The boy situation was the same- lot's of build up for no pay off. The end felt really abrupt, almost like it was supposed to be longer but they cut it off.
The writing was well done and the historical set up was great. I just wished there was more plot arc to go along with it.