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Table of Contents
About The Book
Beautiful Creatures meets The Body Finder in Compulsion, the first novel in a spellbinding new trilogy.
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.
Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family’s twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.
Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family’s twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.
About The Author
Photograph by Nirusha Benham
Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them. She’s the author of the Heirs of Watson Island series, and the founder of both AdventuresinYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a Tumblr site devoted to news, giveaways, and insider secrets of much-loved and up-and-coming YA series.
From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (October 28, 2014)
- Length: 448 pages
- ISBN13: 9781481411240
- Ages: 14 - 99
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Raves and Reviews
"Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you’ll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series."
– #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout
“A fresh twist on the Southern Gothic—haunting, atmospheric, and absorbing.”
– Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU and the Evernight and Spellcaster series
"COMPULSION is a stunningly magical debut with a delicious slow burn to be savored. I want to live in this story world!"
– Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy
"A star-crossed romance, lush gothic plantations, and an island full of intrigue—COMPULSION was a heart-pounding race to the finish! A thrilling debut!”
– Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder series
"Beautifully written, with vivid characters, a generations-old feud, and romance that leaps off the page, this Southern ghost story left me lingering over every word, and yet wanting to race to the compelling finish. Martina Boone’s COMPULSION is not to be missed."
– Megan Shepherd, author of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER
"Martina Boone's COMPULSION is the perfect Southern family saga: charming and steamy on the surface, with cold-blooded secrets buried down deep. Feuding families, sinister curses, hidden things behind locked doors! What more do you want? More time to read it, that's what."
– Kendare Blake, author of ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD and ANTIGODDESS
"A shivery, delicious Southern Gothic with feuding families, dark spirits, ancient curses... and caught up in the middle, a young girl learning to live and love for the first time. Atmospheric and suspenseful, COMPULSION will draw you in and hold you until the very last page."
– Leah Cypess, author of DEATH SWORN
"Ancient spirits, mystery, and Southern charm—what more could you ask for? COMPULSION mixes dark magic with darker family secrets in a way that'll make you relieved there are two more books. I can't wait to continue reading about Barrie and the rest of Watson island!"
– Kat Zhang, author of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME
"A little bit Gone with the Wind, a little bit Romeo and Juliet...Boone’s debut mixes a Southern gothic setting with fantasy and romance for an engrossing...mystery."
– School Library Journal
"A paranormal Southern gothic with decadent settings, mysterious magic and family histories rife with debauchery."
– Kirkus Reviews
Awards and Honors
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle List High School Title
- MSTA Reading Circle List
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Compulsion eBook 9781481411240
- Author Photo (jpg): Martina Boone Photograph by Nirusha Benham(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
