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A review by cj_jones
House of Stairs by William Sleator
4.0
I don't remember when exactly I read this book, but it was before high school, probably middle school. It was a seminal moment in my reading life. Basically, it's a Young Adults Guide to Operant Conditioning, and the story and the writing were unsafe and dangerous in ways that I'd never encountered, and the consequences more visceral and real. Much like a house of stairs, it didn't feel like there was a safety net. And the last paragraph was particularly chilling.
I'd occasionally try to discuss the book with other people but apparently they'd never heard of it and I eventually lost the memory of details. But recently I somehow stumbled across it on Amazon (no Kindle version alas) and nearly immediately ordered a copy to reread. And the suck fairy has not visited the text--it's more obviously pointed at a YA audience, with a little more tell, a little less show, a little less subtlety, but that's to be expected. I've grown a little as a reader since I was ten. Even knowing what was going on, even understanding the principles of the science and how the story ended, it was still uncomfortable to read in places.
I'd occasionally try to discuss the book with other people but apparently they'd never heard of it and I eventually lost the memory of details. But recently I somehow stumbled across it on Amazon (no Kindle version alas) and nearly immediately ordered a copy to reread. And the suck fairy has not visited the text--it's more obviously pointed at a YA audience, with a little more tell, a little less show, a little less subtlety, but that's to be expected. I've grown a little as a reader since I was ten. Even knowing what was going on, even understanding the principles of the science and how the story ended, it was still uncomfortable to read in places.