Shea Ernshaw returns with The Beautiful Maddening, a mesmerizing contemporary fantasy that weaves together Dutch tulip mania, generational curses, and the dangerous allure of forbidden love. Known for her atmospheric gothic romances like The Wicked Deep and Winterwood, Ernshaw once again demonstrates her mastery of creating haunting small-town settings where magic and tragedy intertwine with devastating beauty.
Set in the fictional town of Cutwater, the novel follows seventeen-year-old Lark Goode, whose family bears a curse dating back to the Dutch tulip craze of 1636. When her ancestor stole the last remaining tulip bulbs and fled to America, he unknowingly brought with him a supernatural affliction that would plague his descendants for generations. Now, every spring when the white tulips bloom behind the Goode family home, locals fall helplessly in love with anyone carrying Goode blood—a power that has both elevated and isolated the family for centuries.
The Weight of Inherited Magic
Ernshaw’s exploration of inherited trauma through supernatural means creates a compelling metaphor for how family histories shape individual destinies. Lark’s desperate desire to escape Cutwater stems not from typical teenage restlessness, but from a genuine understanding that her very existence brings chaos to others’ lives. The author skillfully portrays the psychological burden of being simultaneously desired and feared, showing how Lark has internalized the town’s conflicted feelings about her family.
The tulip curse operates as more than mere plot device—it represents the way beauty and destruction often grow from the same soil. Ernshaw’s descriptions of the flowers themselves are particularly striking, with their “snow-white petals marred by crimson streaks… as dark and gruesome as blood freshly broken from young veins.” This imagery establishes the book’s central tension between attraction and revulsion, love and horror.
The author’s characterization of Lark proves especially nuanced. Unlike her twin brother Archer, who embraces the family’s supernatural influence with cavalier confidence, Lark has spent her life maintaining careful distance from others. This self-imposed isolation has created a character who is simultaneously strong-willed and vulnerable, determined to forge her own path while struggling with profound loneliness.
When Immunity Becomes Attraction
The introduction of Oak—a mysterious boy from neighboring Favorville who seems immune to the Goode family curse—provides the story’s romantic catalyst. Ernshaw handles their relationship with careful attention to the complex dynamics at play. Oak’s apparent immunity to Lark’s supernatural allure allows for what feels like genuine connection, free from the magical manipulation that has defined all of Lark’s previous interactions.
However, the author doesn’t allow this romance to develop without complications. The revelation that Oak has been carrying a stolen tulip petal throughout their relationship—and that his father ran away with Lark’s mother years earlier—creates layers of betrayal and confusion that feel emotionally authentic rather than contrived. These plot developments force both characters to question whether their feelings are genuine or magically influenced, a uncertainty that drives much of the novel’s emotional tension.
Ernshaw’s prose during the romantic scenes balances teenage intensity with genuine emotional depth. The scenes at the abandoned train car, the midnight swims, and the meadow filled with fireflies create a dreamlike quality that enhances the magical realism while grounding the relationship in recognizable teenage experiences.
Small-Town Gothic Atmosphere
The author excels at creating atmosphere, transforming Cutwater into a character in its own right. The Goode family home, built foolishly over Forsaken Creek, serves as a perfect metaphor for the family’s precarious position in the community. Ernshaw’s descriptions of the house’s gradual decay—rotting floorboards, moisture-stained walls, and the constant sound of rushing water beneath—create a sense of inevitable collapse that mirrors the family’s situation.
The supporting cast brings depth to the small-town setting without falling into stereotype. Characters like Jude, the fortune-telling boy with his origami chatterboxes, and Mrs. Thierry, the bitter neighbor with her own connection to Goode family history, add texture to the community while serving the larger narrative. Even minor characters like Clementine Morris, who transforms from shy wallflower to tulip-obsessed manipulator, feel like real people rather than plot devices.
The Price of Breaking Cycles
The climax of “The Beautiful Maddening”, involving a supernatural storm that destroys both the Goode family home and the tulip garden, provides a satisfying resolution while maintaining thematic complexity. The flood sequence reads as both natural disaster and magical retribution, suggesting that Lark’s emotional breakdown has somehow called forth the destruction needed to break her family’s curse.
Ernshaw’s handling of the aftermath proves particularly thoughtful. Rather than providing easy answers about whether the curse is truly broken, the story acknowledges that some forms of damage run too deep for simple solutions. The discovery that Lark has unconsciously preserved a tulip petal raises questions about whether she’s truly free or merely choosing to embrace her family’s legacy on her own terms.
Strengths and Areas for Growth
The Beautiful Maddening succeeds most notably in its atmospheric storytelling and character development. Ernshaw’s prose creates a genuinely haunting mood that lingers with readers, and her exploration of inherited trauma through fantasy elements feels both original and emotionally resonant.
The pacing, however, occasionally falters in the middle sections. Some of Lark’s internal monologues become repetitive, particularly her constant ruminations about the impossibility of trust in romantic relationships. While this repetition serves the character’s psychology, it sometimes slows the narrative momentum.
The resolution, while emotionally satisfying, leaves certain logical questions unanswered. The mechanics of the tulip curse—why it affects some people more than others, how exactly it spreads through stolen flowers—remain somewhat vague. However, this ambiguity may be intentional, emphasizing the story’s focus on emotional truth over magical logic.
Conclusion: A Worthy Addition to Gothic Romance
The Beautiful Maddening represents a solid entry in Ernshaw’s growing catalog of atmospheric young adult fantasy. While it may not reach the heights of The Wicked Deep, it offers a compelling exploration of how family histories shape individual choices and the possibility of breaking free from inherited curses—both literal and metaphorical.
“The Beautiful Maddening” will particularly appeal to readers who enjoyed the gothic atmosphere of Erin A. Craig’s House of Hollow or the magical realism of Alice Hoffman’s young adult works. Fans of Ernshaw’s previous novels will find familiar themes explored through a fresh lens, while newcomers will discover an author capable of creating genuinely haunting romantic fantasy.
For readers seeking stories that blend romance with deeper questions about identity, family legacy, and the courage required to forge one’s own path, The Beautiful Maddening offers a beautifully crafted meditation on love as both curse and salvation.
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