Horror Annotation
Author: Emily M. Danforth
Title: Plain Bad Heroines
Genre: Horror
Subgenres: Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Gothic
Publication Date: October 20, 2020
Number of Pages: 641
Geographical Setting: Rhode Island, California, Minnesota
Time Period: Present Day and 1902
Series: Stand Alone
"It's a terrible story and one way to tell it is this: two girls in love and a fog of wasps cursed the place forever after"
Plot Summary: Danfourth's novel begins in 1902 at the Brookhants School for Girls where Flo and Clara are obsessed with each other and Mary MacLane's newest book. The girls establish the Plain Bad Heroines club in Mary's honor and meet in an apple orchard near the school, but soon their bodies are discovered in that same orchard. Before the school ultimately closes its doors, three more people die on campus.
In the present day, Brookhants is back in the spotlight because Merritt Emmons has written a book that celebrates the queer, feminist, haunted, and cursed history. Her book is set to be adapted into a horror movie starring Harper Harper and Audrey Wells. Once the three arrive at Brookhants to start shooting, the past and present become entangled and it becomes unclear if the curse is only at Brookhants or follows the three girls in Hollywood.
Subject Headings:
Girls' Schools --- Fiction
Horror Films --- Production and Direction --- Fiction
Appeal
Tone:
Novelist notes that Plain Bad Heroines uses a sardonic tone and I would agree that it does for sure. Danforth employs an unreliable narrator who is always mocking what the characters are doing or making humorous side comments. The narrator directly addresses the reader throughout the novel in the body of the narrative, "After all, Readers, words are only words with word meanings" (2020, p. 55). This novel has such an interesting tone and writing style that I do not see often. It reminds me of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and it is a bildungsroman. This sardonic tone creates a menacing atmosphere - a characteristic of horror according to Wyatt and Sarricks: "The atmosphere in Horror novels must evoke an emotional response: dread and chill, a sense of menace, a feeling of terror" (2019, p. 239). The continued imagery of yellow jackets throughout did not necessarily elicit an emotional response, but I would say unsettling is a better term for me personally. The illustrations throughout really enhanced this feeling as well.
Setting
I love the dichotomy between the modern-day Hollywood setting and the crumbling, gothic Brookhants school. Wyatt and Sarricks note that "Setting is even more important than frame as it establishes tone. So critical are spaces in Horror novels that they are described more completely and vividly than the characters" (2019, p. 240). There's a scene about halfway through the book of the principal of Brookhants, Libbie Brookhaunts, taking a bath but falls asleep. The description lasts several pages, but it is dark, creepy, and unsettling: "And then Libbie Brookhants watched - squinting to be sure, trembling when she was - as the antennae and black, mirrored eyes of a yellow jacket emerged from the dripping end of the bathtub faucet. It twitched as it felt the air" (2020, p. 269). Again, the imagery of the yellow jackets and the description of them in the bathroom is eerie.
3 Terms That Describe This Book:
Dark, Sapphic, Complex
3 Relevant Fiction Works:
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An eerie incident from the 20th century inspires a modern film adaptation. Parrell narratives blur the lines between past and present while creepy things start to happen on set.
A horror film comes to life amidst rumors that the set is cursed. A Goodreads nominee for Best Horror in 2023.
Clare Cassidy is a high school English teacher who teaches a specialized course on her favorite author, R.M. Holland, every year. But when one of her colleagues is found dead with a line from his most famous story by her body, her life starts intertwining with his fiction.
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works:
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This is the diary of Mary MacClane, a 19-year-old living in Butte, Montana. Her memoir was published in January 1902 and is regarded as one of the first books of feminist thought. Yes, this is the book and the Mary MacLane
Nesseth explores the science of fear through psychology and physiology. There are interviews with horror directors and the book features some of the most popular films, like The Exorcist or the modern-day classic, Hereditary.
This is a collection of essays edited by Alison Peirse about the misconceptions about women working in horror. Assumptions that women don't like horror or that women do not make horror films are based on flawed scholarly and critical thinking about the genre.
Similar Authors and Works:
Excellent annotation - I love that you included not just readalikes but similar authors! Great job on your summary and appeals. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I thought adding similar authors might be helpful too. Emily Danforth unusually writes YA. This was her first adult novel, but I think it could fall under new adult after reading it.
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