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cherithe's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting take on Salem and what it might look like to see similar events transpire in the modern era. I am a little disappointed that the story seemed to skirt the possibility of supernatural influence without directly addressing it. I would've rather seen it avoided altogether or specifically tackled as a challenge to the story.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
I knew pretty early on that this book and I were not going to get along. Luckily, I did this as an audio book so I could roll along with the story while trying to ignore all the glaring ridiculous ones.
I think this book is a GREAT example of how a YA book can be okay for kids of that age and not translate well for an adult.
I couldn't buy off on how anyone handled the sickness. I love tales of the witch trails in Salem but even that couldn't save this one.
It's just boring. and way too long.
I think this book is a GREAT example of how a YA book can be okay for kids of that age and not translate well for an adult.
I couldn't buy off on how anyone handled the sickness. I love tales of the witch trails in Salem but even that couldn't save this one.
It's just boring. and way too long.
Spoiler
and doesn't even answer all your questions in the end.hima_gobb's review against another edition
4.0
For the most part I loved this book.
It's basically about how a girls school, St. Joan's, comes down with a "Mystery Illness." On one normal Wednesday, Clara just randomly starts twitching and later on she describes it as some force that took over her body. Then more girls start doing things randomly. One looses her hair then one can't feel her legs so she's put on a wheelchair, and more and more girls start getting random symptoms. This even causes most of the girls to quit school.
The news of this illness goes to the local news and soon it receives national attention. The school nurse says that it's some sort of allergic reaction and another scientist says that it's PANDAS which is some other weird disease. Another person comes in and says that there are some fumes coming in to the school from an old building that's been replaced by the school. Scientists say their theories but nothing is making sense to Colleen (the protagonist).
At the very end, it is revealed what this Mystery Illness but I thought the book ended right when it was revealed. There should have been a complete resolution for another 20 or so pages.
Another thing I didn't really like was the protagonist herself. She really wasn't all that like able because she is overall great and she knows it. She wants to be the best but I just felt she was too over the top. There is nothing wrong about a protagonist not being an underdog but I felt this character was way to confident. Her life seems pretty much awesome because she is set for Harvard and is extremely smart (she cares about her GPA so much throughout the book she complains if she's a tenth off from her goal), she is pretty popular and has a great friend group. Everyone loves her and she is still complaining about her life which I don't understand.
The town where this takes place is where the Salem Witch Trials took place long ago which I thought was an awesome connection. This book goes back in forth between what's happening at St. Joan's and an event during the witch trials which I thought was kinda useless sadly and in my opinion, it didn't enhance the book at all.
All in all, it's pretty good book :)
It's basically about how a girls school, St. Joan's, comes down with a "Mystery Illness." On one normal Wednesday, Clara just randomly starts twitching and later on she describes it as some force that took over her body. Then more girls start doing things randomly. One looses her hair then one can't feel her legs so she's put on a wheelchair, and more and more girls start getting random symptoms. This even causes most of the girls to quit school.
The news of this illness goes to the local news and soon it receives national attention. The school nurse says that it's some sort of allergic reaction and another scientist says that it's PANDAS which is some other weird disease. Another person comes in and says that there are some fumes coming in to the school from an old building that's been replaced by the school. Scientists say their theories but nothing is making sense to Colleen (the protagonist).
At the very end, it is revealed what this Mystery Illness but I thought the book ended right when it was revealed. There should have been a complete resolution for another 20 or so pages.
Another thing I didn't really like was the protagonist herself. She really wasn't all that like able because she is overall great and she knows it. She wants to be the best but I just felt she was too over the top. There is nothing wrong about a protagonist not being an underdog but I felt this character was way to confident. Her life seems pretty much awesome because she is set for Harvard and is extremely smart (she cares about her GPA so much throughout the book she complains if she's a tenth off from her goal), she is pretty popular and has a great friend group. Everyone loves her and she is still complaining about her life which I don't understand.
The town where this takes place is where the Salem Witch Trials took place long ago which I thought was an awesome connection. This book goes back in forth between what's happening at St. Joan's and an event during the witch trials which I thought was kinda useless sadly and in my opinion, it didn't enhance the book at all.
All in all, it's pretty good book :)
msmo's review against another edition
2.0
It was really hard to get through. A YA book should not be this hard to read. The past/present shifts were difficult, due to completely different sets of language, and the short lengths. Just as I was reacquainting myself with what was going on, the book would shift to the other timeline. The past narrative had two shifts as well--protagonist telling a story to someone and then the actual first-person memory of events. Perhaps the author was attempting at mystery or requirement of reading between lines but it was not executed well. I was also not very attached or interested in any of the characters, except maybe Emma and her mother--but there wasn't enough to hold onto.
liv99x's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
adisiki's review against another edition
3.0
This was good! I think that the Salem Witch Trials are so interesting and heartbreaking, and I learned a lot more about it. I don’t know how I feel that it was based on real events though, and the plot was missing something, but it read well.
droar's review against another edition
4.0
Such suspense. Howe does an excellent job of raising the tension over the course of this fairly long novel, but it did start to feel a bit tiresome towards the middle. I quite liked Colleen, she felt like a real teenage girl, not just a caricature of one. Her realness helped me invest in this world and made the creepiness more creepy. Overall, unsettling in a satisfying way.
rennegade's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book! I've always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials, so I liked that it was tied neatly into the modern story. At first I wasn't too sure about the ending, but I think it ended the best way that it could have. Overall, a fun read!
accioemilia's review against another edition
3.0
I really can't decide on a rating. I liked parts of this book a lot and other parts I didn't like at all.
emrache's review against another edition
2.0
The best I can muster up is "meh." It's probably not a great sign that I was more interested in the Author's Note at the end than in the rest of the book.