The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

TLC Tours presents:  

THE UNINVITED GUESTS 

by 

Sadie Jones  

What else could happen on Emerald's birthday....her step-father leaves for one day to try to save their home, a friend isn't coming for her birthday, a suitor who isn't anyone she likes gives her a gift, a train accident that causes twenty or more "uninvited guests" to stay at their home, grumpy servants, and then Smudge's decision to carry out a ridiculous undertaking.

The Torrington family definitely had a situation on their hands mostly caused by the folks who have been in the morning room all day from the accident site and had only been given tea.  Would they be staying there for more than that evening or would the railway station drop by and take them to their original destinations?  No communication from the railway station was bad enough, but if the Torringtons thought the uninvited guests were a bad situation, wait until they find out what Smudge has done...their uninvited guests may not be considered a bad situation.

This book was filled with the propriety of an English household along with things that were not.   The descriptive writing style of Ms. Jones is phenomenal....you feel as though you are right on the scene and can see all the details of the surroundings and furnishings.  The characters are devilish, fun, and of course proper....well proper for the most part.  You will feel each character's mood whether it be fear, pleasure, anger, or irritation.  Most of the characters were filled with irritation at the things going on except Smudge who was in a world of her own.  

Smudge is loveable and comical, but I felt sorry for the poor neglected girl.  I can see why she did the things she did.  Clovis was lazy, Charlotte was helpless and whiny and had a secret that became revealed to the horror of her family, Emerald was the responsible one, and the servants worked but complained.  Charlotte couldn't handle anything out of the ordinary and would hide in her room....Charlotte was the mother of Clovis, Emerald, and Smudge.  The children were more able to handle things than she could.

The book took a few pages to get going, but don't put it down....it is humorous and a bit odd.  I enjoyed the book because of its being a bit absurd and because the proper English household wasn't a usual proper household.  You will love the characters as I mentioned above.  There is one chapter that is frightening because of the behaviors of one of the uninvited guests who was allowed to associate with the family, but overall it was an amusing look into an English household.  4/5 

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher and TLC Tours without compensation in return for an honest review.