3.70 STARS from 619 GoodReaders
"Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY," Jess shouted.
The candle on the vanity cast eerie shadows, our forms tall and distorted against the walls. Our hands were clenched together so tightly our fingers trembled.
Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna are a tight group. Best friends forever-- which is how Jess coaxes them into a tiny bathroom in her basement to play at calling Bloody Mary. The only problem is Bloody Mary is real and the girls are totally successful in calling the ghoul.
[Jess] understood people. If she wanted the four of us to do something, she'd appeal to us in whatever way would get her results.and famous last words...
"I won't take any risks. I told you I was being safe."
Hillary Monahan
tells this creepy tale in two narratives. The first unfolds through
Mary's letters to her sister, Constance. They begin playfully in
September of 1864, with Mary teasing her sister, saying that she's an
'abysmal sister' to have married the best man in the area and then run
off to the big city.
Unfortunately the letters don't stay cheerful for long. A dark presence seems to have moved into their small town and the correspondence begins to foreshadow terrible events that lead to Mary's becoming an evil, restless spirit.
Shauna tells the present day story. We follow her as she and her friends call the murdering ghoul. And it's horrifying how Mary escapes the mirror and nearly drags Shauna into the world beyond. Worse, Mary gets a taste of Shauna's blood and begins to haunt her wherever there is a shiny surface.
Unfortunately the letters don't stay cheerful for long. A dark presence seems to have moved into their small town and the correspondence begins to foreshadow terrible events that lead to Mary's becoming an evil, restless spirit.
Shauna tells the present day story. We follow her as she and her friends call the murdering ghoul. And it's horrifying how Mary escapes the mirror and nearly drags Shauna into the world beyond. Worse, Mary gets a taste of Shauna's blood and begins to haunt her wherever there is a shiny surface.
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Review: IN THE SHADOWS
Review: MISTWALKER
Review: THE GHOST BOX
Review: LIV, FOREVER
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THE SUMMONING is a fun read. The
scary-suspenseful parts are well written. Definitely Adult Worthy.
Unfortunately for adults the sections of the story that portray the
girls at high school or at home are not as well written, and it's likely
that adults will end up skimming some of these parts because they seem
so immature. Middle-graders and other teens will no doubt find them
more tolerable.
There are definitely things to like about THE SUMMONING.
The story is intriguing. The suspenseful parts are well done for a
middle-grade/YA book. And I liked how the author portrayed Shauna as a
rational person. When there was a problem Shauna didn't let it boil but
rather said what needed to be said that so issues didn't get worse. I
also like the mystery about poor Mary. What exactly did happen to her?
(We won't know until book #2)
Some profanity. One sexual reference.
Some profanity. One sexual reference.
Pam~
THE SUMMONING
(Bloody Mary #1)
by Hillary Monahan
Page Count: 256
no reading information currently available
--sample pages and reviews available
Mary lingered. She'd shifted positions so she was clear now, her palms against the glass, the pads of her fingers smushed like she'd pressed too hard. She watched us with her sunken eyes, a small stream of yellow pus oozing from her tear ducts.
updated August 2015
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