The Seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna CaltabianoRebecca, a 15-year-old American, isn't entirely happy with her life, comfortable though it is. Still, even she knows that she shouldn't talk to strangers. So when her mysterious neighbour Miss Hatfield asked her in for a chat and a drink, Rebecca wasn't entirely sure why she said yes. It was a decision that was to change everything.
For Miss Hatfield is immortal. And now, thanks to a drop of water from the Fountain of Youth, Rebecca is as well. But this gift might be more of a curse, and it comes with a price. Rebecca is beginning to lose her personality, to take on the aspects of her neighbour. She is becoming the next Miss Hatfield.
But before the process goes too far, Rebecca must travel back in time to turn-of-the-century New York and steal a painting, a picture which might provide a clue to the whereabouts of the source of immortality. A clue which must remain hidden from the world. In order to retrieve the painting, Rebecca must infiltrate a wealthy household, learn more about the head of the family, and find an opportunity to escape. Before her journey is through, she will also have - rather reluctantly - fallen in love. But how can she stay with the boy she cares for, when she must return to her own time before her time-travelling has a fatal effect on her body? And would she rather stay and die in love, or leave and live alone?
And who is the mysterious stranger who shadows her from place to place? A hunter for the secret of immortality - or someone who has already found it?
Well first off something has to be noted here. The Seventh Miss Hatfield is written by seventeen year old year Anna Caltabiano. Yes that is correct seventeen years. I have read books written by young adults and I enjoyed most of them a lot there were a few where it clearly showed that there was only focus on the action, and those stories had some issues with characterization and general storyline, also self published adult authors sometimes have these troubles. When I was presented with The Seventh Miss Hatfield I actually didn't hesitate a moment and immediately said yes to reviewing this book, you should never judge a book by its cover nor should you judge the level of writing by the age of an author. With The Seventh Miss Hatfield Anna Caltabiano shows clearly that she has some great writing skill in the making. The Seventh Miss Hatfield has a unique creativity to it; both the idea and the enchanting writing style.
The Seventh Miss Hatfield picks up with an interesting prologue one that takes place in the 1887, with a strange auction where you see one women trying to outbid a wealthy gentlemen on a very specific painting. I had read the synopsis but could make heads nor tails from what this scene could actually mean. After this prologue you are switched to the current storyline, which takes place in 1954. Here you are introduced to Cynthia who is just playing with her dolls but soon finds her, by request of her mother, knocking on Miss Hatfield's door. No one really knows a lot about Miss Hatfield and find her a bit strange and not that socially gifted. Cynthia is asked to enter the home of Miss Hatfield and tough Cynthia acts reserved in everything, how can she resist a glass of "extra" sweetened lemonade? Or at least that is what Miss Hatfield said of what was in that vial. This soon proves to be something completely different, it wasn't a sweetener but drops of the fountain of youth, this extra transforms Cynthia into the new Miss Hatfield and is just the beginning of her adventures. After this transformation of Cynthia into the new Miss Hatfield, she is immidiately set with a task retrieve the painting that the sixth Miss Hatfield couldn't procure. Though this might seem a very straightforward task but you know, the painting was auctioned off in 1887 and now it's 1954... her comes in another gift of the Miss Hatfield's they are able to travel back in time... but this is far from unlimited fun, their are a set of rules and the first and foremost is never to fall in love with somebody - but what if you meet in your eyes Mr. Perfect? Well Cynthia, now Miss Hatfield soon finds out just how hard it is to deny your love to someone...
I was really pleased with the outcome of the story of The Seventh Miss Hatfield but I do have to mention that such a love story as is shown, is more written in the lines for a female audience. Anna Caltabiano has done a great job in building up her story, the prologue left a lot of questions and from the transformation point onwards you get a lot of information about how everything came to pass especially given with the idea of the fountain of life. Though this part was short and contained a wealth of information it didn't feel like an information dump at all, using the way of the sixth Miss Hatfield as a narrator to Cynthia it felt like a story within a story largely also because it contained some personal experiences. What made it truly sound was the writing style which is quite addicted.
In Cynthia, Anna Caltabiano has created a very strong protagonist. In the beginning Cynthia is just playing with her dolls but soon finds herself in a completely new position all grown up due to the elixer of life AND then she finds herself back in time with a task of retrieving a painting that holds key information that should be read by the general public. I would be confused when I would be given immortality and could travel back in time and luckily Cynthia is as well. This humane aspect is something that I always vouch for, such important transformations shouldn't go in the blink of an eye. Added to this comes the fact that since Cynthia was given the elixer of life she does loses her old memories and the struggle to recall who she was before becoming the seventh Miss Hatfield was nicely put together.
Besides the main character, Cynthia there are a few additional characters that have more focus on them like the sixth Miss Hatfield, she is passing on her knowledge of what means to be a Miss Hatfield and more importantly the rules and limitations set about being one. She does play the strict mother in this case and corrects Cynthia on more than one occasion. Another character that has a lot of focus is Henley, a young guy who lives with the man who has the painting that Cynthia has to retrieve. Cynthia says she is a cousin but Henley knows on the first that Cynthia isn't the one who she says she is and this is the start of an interesting yet complex relation, very flirtatious, and no one wants to give in as first. Henley because well he is a guy and Cynthia because she knows the rules... Love has to be none existent. I am normally not a fan of too heavy a romance in a book, but with the whole backdrop of the story this romance element doesn't feel heavy and is more transformed into a whole other element one of human passion and finding your true love. Nicely done and definitely a plus to the storyline.
Anna Caltabiano has done an amazing job with writing The Seventh Miss Hatfield. The book had a great promise with the synopsis and Anna Caltabiano makes all the elements work together very neatly. Granted some elements got caught up in the spur of the moment nearing the ending of the book like the time travel and aging of the main protagonist but you could see the enthusiasm of Anna Caltabiano just leap of the pages and this is something that I really liked. The ending shows a self contained story but I think this will be far from the last book featuring Miss Hatfield in the lead. I have to once again say that I am impressed with the story, and especially the level of it, the characterization and dialogues feel just as they would have to be in real-life, completely natural and not forced at all and since this is crucial in this story if draws a great strength from this. The Seventh Miss Hatfield is not something you will read everyday it readily standsout, make sure you read this book by one of the youngest new voices in fantasy!
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