Synopsis:

Connor’s family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen’s family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she’s recovered from a psychotic break.

But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor’s nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren’t there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?

Amity isn’t just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she’s done before. As she’ll do again.

Review:

Growing up, I was a horror film junkie! While Freddie, Jason, and Michael pumped my adrenaline, they never caused me any permanent damage. What scarred me for life was The Exorcist, Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, and The Amityville series. For in my mind, these were the real horrors that lurked in the shadows. After all, they were loosely based on real stories, right?

Recently, I’ve noticed a fad in which authors are rewriting stories to fit the young adult group, and why not? I think it’s a brilliant idea that gives our teens a bigger variety of literature to choose from.

This novel in particular has interlaced two stories, a decade apart, into a chilling tale!

I applaud this author, as she has done a great job of writing a novel that terrifies, thrills, and disgusts! The brilliance of her work is in the details, as her creativity and story background was above and beyond what I expected. There are a few twists added, making this version of the horror classic a more unique and interesting tale than the previous stories. The narrative is bounced expertly between two teens, whose lives have been abruptly changed by the house and other entities involved. I must add that although Ostow leads you down a twisted path, the most heinous of acts are left to the reader’s imagination. As expected, there are some bloody scenes, a few mentions of abuse, and some vivid descriptions of a demented mind in action. There were several times when nothing seemed real, but everything was horrifying. I loved it!

I highly recommend this to mature young adults, high school being the youngest, and adults who love the paranormal, thrillers, and horrors!

About The Author:

Micol Ostow is half Puerto Rican, half Jewish, half reader, half writer, and, when under deadline, often half asleep. Micol was working as an editor of young adult fiction when she began to write her own books; since then, she has published over 40 works for readers of all ages. Her novel, Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa, was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and her graphic novel hybrid, So Punk Rock: And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother, was chosen as a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens.

Micol received her MFA in Writing For Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2009, and currently teaches a popular young adult writing workshop through Media Bistro. She lives in NYC with her Emmy-award winning filmmaker husband, Noah Harlan, their daughter, and a persnickety French Bulldog named Bridget Jones. When not lurking online, Micol can most frequently be found reading, running, or drinking way too much coffee. You can also visit her online, blogging with the readergirlz divas over at the National Book Award-winning literacy project, http://www.readergirlz.com.

Links:

http://www.micolostow.com/