The Turning by Francine Prose

Genera: Horror/mystery/thriller

Subjects: ghosts, babysitting, child care, children, supernatural, islands, isolation, psychological

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 246 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he?
Where does reality end and insanity begin? The Turn of the Screw reinvented for modern-day teens, by National Book Award finalist Francine Prose.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This book was definitely creepy in some parts. And it was also very different from horror stories I’ve read. First of all, it’s written in the form of letters. Not chapters, letters. It was a very fast, short read. It keeps you wondering what the heck is going on. The children Miles and Flora are just so strange, like some creepy twins from some scary movie. Jack first impression was that the island was creepy, but he got used to it.

It’s very hard to explain this book without giving it away. It’s apparently a retelling of some story I never heard of called “The Turn of the Screw.” I read Ten by Gretchen McNeil a few weeks ago and that was also a retelling. I think Ten was more interesting with a lot of action and slasher stuff. This has a lot of psychological stuff in it. I kept wanting to put a horror movie plot to it (plot where main character turns out to be dead or plot where character get possessed). It’s not Paranoral Ativity or Shutter Island or whatever.

All I can say is that if you’re looking for a different kind of thriller-horror YA book that you should read this. If you liked Ten, then read it.

Cover Art Review: Creepy depiction of the Dark House. Wonder if this was a photo of an actual place or if it was changed in photoshop so it looked crazy and confusing. I like how the title’s is overlayed.

 

~Haley G