This is a very brief foray into the world of YA horror.
I've alway loved a good fright. I grew up on Christopher Pike (who I loved) and R L Stine (who was ok) as well as all of the Point Horror books. In my teenage years I loved to scare myself silly with horror movie marathons and even now I enjoy settling in for a good scare (provided that it's in the middle of the day in my own house with all the lights on, because I'm getting a little spineless as I get older you know?).
The reason that this post is only a brief foray into the genre is because my good friend and fellow ATW board member HJ Harkness runs a blog solely dedicated to YA horror! How ace is that? And she has ways of describing all things spooky that constantly amaze me with their ingenuity. You can check out her blog Spine Chills over at http://spinechills.blogspot.com/,
But I do still love a bit of horror, and it amazed me for a while that the genre dropped out of the market. Sure there was action and plenty of thrillers, but there wasn't anything downright scary. My feeling is that this is largely because horror really has specific ages that it's suitable for, as what is scary (and what is appropriate in schools/ libraries) changes so much from junior to middle school to senior school and finally adult.
Which brings me onto the book that began this post 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller & Jordan Orlando.
The blurb for this book doesn't give much away - which is great for a horror book, because suspense is half the fun! The fact that the book opens with a teenage girl hungover, naked, scratched, and unable to remember the events of the night before would no doubt make this book questionable for a lot of parents or librarians.
I'm all for books being able to address confronting issues, but this book contains a lot of drug use and underage drinking that do end up taking away a little bit from what is actually a cleverly constructed and entertaining thriller. I do think that 7 Souls is a step in the right direction for YA horror lovers, and as long as it's shelved in the 'senior' section will no doubt be an entertaining read for teenage thrill seekers but I'm not convinced that it totally hits the mark.
I would be interested in any feedback if anyone decides to read it!
What I'm reading now: A couple of books for review (the winner of the 2010 Text Prize included!) and about to start The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan, which I will review as soon as I finish.
