2.5 
 Charlotte and Branwell Bronte have the unique ability to travel into the fantasy worlds they create. While Charlotte and Branwell are the oldest, and often considered the brightest in the family, Emily and Anne are not far behind. And Emily in particular misses the days in which she too got to travel to her sibling's fantasy worlds. It doesn't help that she's a little bit in love with her brother's star character. But when the fantasy worlds start interrupting their real life, and everything starts to spin out of control, they must make some tough choices while protecting each other. 
 This had a lot of potential, and some shining moments. But, ultimately, it fell flat for me. It felt cookie-cutter. This could have been any group of siblings. Any vested interest I had in the characters relied on me bringing in knowledge and love of the Bronte siblings. I was hoping this would be a way to provide teens with a new in to the Bronte, especially Anne who often gets the short end of the stick. But alas, it seems to succumb to the pitfalls of the half-baked YA fantasy. Part of this is that the fantasy world of these adolescents was flat. It makes sense from the standpoint of what these teens are creating, but was disappointing for how much time we spend in this world, and how we are seemingly supposed to be invested in it. 
 It is disappointing for a couple of reasons. First, Coakley's previous novel, Witchlanders, proves she understands worldbuilding in fantasy, or at least better than I felt here. And yes, it's hard to judge, because ultimately these were the real worlds the Bronte's created as adolescents, but it could have been built upon to develop a richer imaginary world. Also, I love the concept of this book, of characters being more alive than we think of them. But, I haven't really seen it well executed since reading the Great Good Thing at a bookfair as a preteen. I remember also being let down by Jodi Piccoult's (or more aptly her daughter's) take on the idea. 
 For Bronte fans there are fun snippets. There is a mention of wuthering while talking about the moors (lots of talk about the moors). There are some Jane Eyre asides. There is a reference to a Branwell Bronte painting that actually exists. The personalities of the sister's really allude to the kind of fiction they will someday publish. These siblings, and they dynamic, I find in and of themselves utterly fascinating. And it was really nice to have Branwell in the mix. And with lines "If history remembers you for anything at all, it will be for being Charlotte Bronte's brother" alluding to the future, it's hard not to feel for Branwell. Really, where the siblings were interact is where this novel succeeds most. 
 Review on Tea and Tomes