Unlocked

Hannah's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and frightening following a session with a hypnotist.When the white teen's hallucinations cause her to crash her car, injuring two friends and killing another, her mother fears that the family history of mental illness is to blame. Her deteriorating behavior alienates her from her friends and her boyfriend and forces her to seek new companionship with the school's oddballs. While her psychiatrist believes she is suffering from schizophrenia, her new friends offer alternate theories, including demon possession, mind control, and simple harassment. But a camera set up in her room captures a stranger leading her into deeper hypnosis and directing her to do unspeakable things. While the mystery that's thus set up should be engaging, it is all but destroyed by too-detailed descriptions, wooden dialogue, and a plethora of plot holes. Her mother's negligence in the face of her daughter's obvious distress is inexplicable. Further, Hannah's behavior is only partially explained by the trauma. She alternates between extreme emotional outbursts and adamant refusal to be her own advocate. One bright spot is her new crush, much-pierced Eugene (with hinted-at but entirely unexplored Native American heritage). His quirky independence and willingness to accept Hannah, flaws and all, are endearing. An engaging mystery with hints of supernatural and romance is marred by mediocre writing. (Supernatural thriller. 12-16) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-A trip with friends to an Idaho state fair places Hannah O'Leary in the hot seat during a hypnotist's act and later puts her in the hospital following a car accident in which her friend is killed. That night, Hannah is the sole witness to a strange mist and insects overrunning her steering wheel. Are these hallucinations? Or is something sinister and supernatural to blame? Plagued by unexplained events, worried she'll be diagnosed schizophrenic like her father, and vilified at school, Hannah falls in with endearing classmate (and potential love interest) Eugene "Plug." Along with his art class crew, Plug tries to help the protagonist slowly piece together the true cause of her hallucinations before she loses more than her mind. Kelly's premise of mixing hypnotism and the occult is promising. Unfortunately, the malevolent spirit aspect doesn't gel and seems unnecessary and tacked on. The psychological elements and mystery bring the real tension. The book's final third barrels to a dramatic finale. Characters can be cliched but, in some cases, likable regardless. Hannah fluctuates between sympathetic and exasperating. The work contains violence, sexual situations, and an allusion to molestation. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries where psychological thrillers and mysteries are popular.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

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