The Cliffs By J. Courtney Sullivan Book Review

Secrets, ghosts, and the weight of old houses—The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan hooked me from the first page. I got chills picturing the Maine cliffs and Jane Flanagan’s uneasy homecoming. Reese’s Book Club picked this for good reason.

Key Takeaways

The Cliffs has a lot of ghost mystery and family history.
It takes place on the bright Maine coast.
The Victorian house feels alive, almost like it breathes with every secret.
The story shows strong women, hidden family secrets, and how people feel close to places.
If you like slow stories with deep feelings and real mood, you will like this book. It also has many layers of history.

Worth Reading

First Impressions

I’ll be honest, I started The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan late at night, thinking I’d just read a chapter or two. That plan failed fast. The first pages pulled me right into the foggy Maine coast. I could almost hear the waves crashing and feel the chill in the air. Jane Flanagan’s return to her childhood home had me hooked. I kept thinking, “What secrets is this house hiding?”

The house itself feels like a living thing. Every creak and shadow made my heart race. I love when a setting feels this real. The story isn’t just about ghosts. It’s about the history packed into every wall and floorboard. The author weaves together a ghost story with a deep dive into the past.

I found myself caring about the people who lived in the house long before Jane. The book shifts from a modern family drama to a rich look at the women who came before, their struggles, and the spiritual beliefs that shaped their lives.

Tip: If you like stories that mix the supernatural with real history, you’ll find this book hard to put down.

Who Will Like It

Not every haunted house story grabs me, but this one did. Here’s who I think will love The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan:

Fans of ghost stories that don’t rely on cheap scares. The chills here come from secrets and memories.
Readers who enjoy historical fiction. The book explores the lives of past residents, including spiritualists, Shakers, and Indigenous people of Maine.
Anyone who likes a strong sense of place. The Maine cliffs and the old Victorian house feel unforgettable.
People who want more than just a mystery. The book digs into family, grief, and the way the past shapes us.

I have to give props to the author for blending so many layers. The story moves between Jane’s present and the house’s past, revealing century-old secrets involving psychic mediums and lost lives. The historical details feel real, not forced. I didn’t expect to care so much about the women from different generations, but their stories left me thinking long after I finished.

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

Setting in Maine

I felt the salty air and heard the waves every time I picked up The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan. The story takes place in a small coastal town inspired by Ogunquit, Maine. The author’s love for this area shines through. She weaves in real places like the Cliff House hotel, Marginal Way, and Perkins Cove.

I even learned about the Abbe Museum, which honors the Wabanaki people. The setting feels real because it is rooted in history. The house sits on a cliff, battered by wind and fog, and it almost feels like another character.

The story covers 400 years of history, from spiritualists to Indigenous families.
The Maine coast shapes every part of the story, from the weather to the secrets buried in the ground.

Jane Flanagan

Jane Flanagan returns to her childhood town after twenty years away. I could feel her nerves as she faced the abandoned Victorian house. This isn’t just any house. It’s a lavender Victorian with gingerbread trim, built in 1846, and filled with echoes of the past. Jane’s obsession with the house started when she was a kid. Now, she can’t resist digging into its secrets.

The house is more than a backdrop. It’s haunted, mysterious, and packed with family secrets.
Jane’s journey mixes ghost stories, psychic mediums, and the pain of coming home.
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan blends mystery, history, and family drama in a way that left me thinking about the power of place.

If you love stories where the house almost steals the show, this one will stick with you.

Plot

Key Events

I have to admit, I started reading The Cliffs late at night and told myself, “Just one more chapter.” That never works for me. The story pulled me in right away. Jane Flanagan comes back to her childhood home after twenty years. She finds the old Victorian house waiting for her, full of memories and questions.

Some moments really stuck with me:

Jane’s first night in the house gave me chills. Every sound felt loaded with meaning.
She finds old letters and objects that hint at the lives of women who lived there before her.
The story jumps between Jane’s present and the past, showing how the house shaped different families.
I loved the scenes with psychic mediums and spiritualists. They added a mysterious layer without feeling fake.

The pace stays steady. The book doesn’t rush. It lets you feel the weight of each discovery. I found myself pausing to think about what I’d do in Jane’s shoes.

The House’s Secrets

This house doesn’t just hold secrets—it almost feels like it wants to share them. Every room has a story. I kept wondering what was real and what was just in Jane’s mind.

The house hides stories about loss, hope, and the women who tried to make it a home.
Some secrets go back centuries, touching on spiritual beliefs and the land’s history.
The author drops clues slowly. I never felt lost, but I did feel curious the whole time.

Note: If you love books where the setting feels alive, this one will leave you thinking about what old houses remember. The Cliffs doesn’t rely on jump scares. The real tension comes from the past refusing to stay buried.

Themes

Family and Secrets

I felt the weight of family secrets in every chapter. Jane’s story made me think about how much we hide from each other. The house holds memories from many generations. Each woman who lived there left something behind. Some secrets felt small, like old letters. Others felt huge, like the pain that never got spoken out loud.

I saw how secrets can shape a family for years.
The book shows how silence can hurt more than the truth.
I kept asking myself, “What would I do if I found out something like this about my own family?”

The way the author reveals each secret kept me turning pages. I have to give props for making me care about people I never met.

Homecoming

Jane’s return to Maine hit me hard. I know that feeling—walking into a place that remembers you, even if you tried to forget it. The house almost felt like it was waiting for her. Coming home isn’t easy. Old hurts come back. Good memories mix with bad ones.

Jane faces her past, even when it hurts.
The story shows how hard it is to forgive yourself.
I liked how the book didn’t rush her healing.

I found myself rooting for Jane. I wanted her to find peace, even if it took time.

Connection to the Land

The Maine coast felt alive to me. The cliffs, the fog, the sea—they all mattered. The land shapes the people in this story. I learned about the Wabanaki people and their deep ties to this place. The house stands on ground that saw joy and loss for centuries.

The setting isn’t just background. It’s part of the story.
I could almost smell the salt air and hear the waves.
The book made me think about what it means to belong somewhere.

Style

Writing and Structure

I have to admit, I love when a book’s structure keeps me guessing. The Cliffs jumps between timelines, but I never felt lost. Each chapter switches from Jane’s present to the voices of women who lived in the house before her. This style made me feel like I was piecing together a puzzle. I found myself flipping back to reread clues, just to see if I missed something.

The chapters are short and punchy. I never got bored.
The author uses letters, diary entries, and even old newspaper clippings. These little details pulled me deeper into the story.
The pacing stays steady. I didn’t feel rushed, but I also never wanted to put the book down.

Historical and Supernatural Elements

This book nails the mix of history and ghostly chills. Jane’s search for answers leads her into the real past of Maine, especially the stories of the Indigenous Abenaki people and early settlers. The haunted house isn’t just spooky for the sake of it. The supernatural stuff feels real because it’s tied to the land and the people who lived there.

The ghost story feels grounded in real events. That made the chills even stronger.
I learned about spiritualists, psychic mediums, and the way people tried to connect with the dead.
The history never felt like a lesson. It just made the mystery deeper.

The blend of true history and supernatural twists left me thinking about what old houses remember—and what they want us to know.

Impact

Emotional Resonance

I’ll be honest, this book got under my skin in ways I didn’t expect. I read some chapters late at night, and the house’s secrets felt so real that I had to turn on an extra light. Jane’s story made me think about my own family and the things we never talk about. Sometimes, I felt a lump in my throat when Jane uncovered old letters or faced her memories.

Grief and forgiveness hit me the hardest. I found myself rooting for Jane, even when she made mistakes.
The way the house “spoke” through creaks and shadows gave me chills. I could almost hear the wind outside my own window.
I didn’t sob, but I felt a deep ache for the women who lived in that house before Jane.

If you’ve ever felt haunted by your past, this story might stick with you, too.

Lasting Impressions

After I finished, I kept thinking about the house and the Maine cliffs. The story didn’t leave me gasping, but it lingered in my mind for days. I kept picturing the fog, the sea, and that lavender Victorian standing strong against the weather.

The book’s blend of history and mystery felt fresh, even if the pace moved slow at times.
I have to give props to Sullivan for making the house feel like a real character.
To be fair, I wanted a bit more closure for some of the side stories, but maybe that’s what makes the book feel real.

Strengths & Weaknesses

I have to admit, I read this book with the lights on. The house felt so real, I kept glancing at my own hallway, half-expecting a creak. That’s the kind of atmosphere Sullivan creates. But no book is perfect, right? Here’s what stood out for me:

Strengths:

Setting steals the show. The Maine cliffs and that lavender Victorian felt chilling and unforgettable.
Multi-layered history. I loved how the story wove together spiritualists, family drama, and the land’s past.
Strong female voices. Each woman’s story felt unique. I cared about them all.
Emotional depth. The book made me think about my own family secrets. Some chapters hit hard.

Weaknesses:

Pacing drags at times. I found myself wishing the story would move a bit faster, especially in the middle.
Loose ends. Some side stories never got full closure. I wanted more answers.
Not a pulse-pounding thriller. If you want non-stop action, this isn’t it. The tension comes from memories, not jump scares.