The Cellar

June 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-This ripped-from-the-headlines novel reads like an after-school special. In an opening scene, 18-year-old Summer's boyfriend offers warnings about not walking home alone at night, a heavy-handed setup for the protagonist getting snatched off the street a few pages later. The teen's captor renames her Lily and keeps her in his cellar along with three other women. She quickly finds herself trapped in a world of nightmares, subjected to rape, and forced to witness brutal murders. Cluttered by flashbacks and multiple viewpoints, the narrative seems slightly removed from its horrific subject matter. Stronger works with similar focus include Emma Donoghue's Room (Little, Brown, 2010) and Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl (S. & S., 2008).-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

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