Amity

June 2, 2014
Ostow evokes classic Stephen King with this disturbing story that sees two families terrorized by a malevolent house with a bloody history (loosely inspired by the Amityville Horror). Supernatural and psychological horrors intertwine as the stories unfold over the course of two separate months. Ten years in the past, Connor Webb is haunted by dark dreams of murder and mayhem, pushed to the breaking point by his abusive father and held back only by his twin sister, Jules. In the present, Gwen Hall fears for her brother Luke’s sanity, but her own psychological instability undermines her credibility and ability to cope. As the centuries-old house known as Amity calls to each in turn and manipulates them, their stories seem destined to end in bloodshed and tragedy. Ostow (family) skillfully builds tension and keeps readers guessing about how much is real and what’s simply in her characters’ minds. While the storytelling is steeped in atmosphere and punctuated by unsettling imagery, the voices of the dual narratives are too similar, and the abrupt ending a bit of a letdown. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

June 15, 2014
An evil house manipulates its residents to dark ends in this novel inspired by The Amityville Horror (1977).Connor's family moves into the odd, old house-Amity-for a fresh start after the family patriarch's sketchy business practices force their move. Ten years later, Gwen's family seeks a new start after a mysterious incident Gwen was involved in, hoping country life will help stabilize her. They both have a close relationship with an opposite-gender sibling and enough personal issues to make them unreliable narrators. The split first-person narrative shows the parallels between their experiences, occasionally repeating revelations, but the protagonists fit into different parts of the house's pattern of violence and horror, which keeps the two stories from feeling stale. The house shares its bag of tricks with the famous Amityville incident-flies, specific and significant numbers, the basement's hidden red room, and of course dreams of grisly crimes. The narrative consists of very many short chapters that are most effectively deployed in the rapid acceleration to the climax; earlier, they feel jarringly jumpy. The dark history of the house isn't kept a mystery-the object is dwelling in the horror, not uncovering it-and the house's nature is openly evil from the start. The refreshing lack of romance enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere, and while the foreshadowing gives away a lot, the conclusion still surprises.A dark read for a darker night. (Horror. 13 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Can a house be evil? Connor and Gwen know that it can. Two families, separated by 10 years, both move into Amity. Once they do, the house will not let go until it's wrenched every bit of terror out of them. Connor's vivid nightmares haunt him even in the daylight. Gwen, brought to Amity by her family to recover from her mental breakdown, senses the danger her family is in, but can't get them to believe her. Ostow's YA horror novel, inspired by the true-crime history of the Amityville Horror house, is told in two distinct voices in alternating sections. The thrilling plot keeps the pages turning and provides a few genuine gasps along the way. The end, unfortunately, feels a little rushed compared to the rest of the novel. Overall, a decent horror entry into a difficult genre for YA. Ostow's story is certainly not a rehash of older materials, but doesn't produce the chills of the source material in quite the same way. Still, steer teen horror fans who aren't quite ready for Stephen King, Peter Straub, or John Ajvide Lindqviste to this one.-Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 Jay Anson's The Amityville Horror (1977) and its innumerable offspring have enough cultural capital to be subject for fictionalized revision, and Ostow, who performed a similar trick with the Manson murders in Family (2011), is the right writer to give it a whack. The setup is complicated: Connor and his family have moved to the New England home known as Amity, with the 17-year-old feeling the pull of dark forces. Intercut with this is the story of Gwen, who moves into the same house 10 years later, only to watch her brother yield to a similar psychosis. Amityville lore is present in the eye-shaped windows, the red room, the 3:14 a.m. insomnia, and more, though Ostow has replaced the mass-murder past with a history of witchery. This careful explaining smooths out the effectively illogical shocks of the first half, which come on quickly but go like gangbusters: floating red eyes, pus-filled woundseverything but the kitchen sink. (Well, there is a bathroom sink that fills with blood.) Uneven, yes, but those last 30 pages are really freaking scary.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)