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The Turning (2012)

by Francine Prose(Favorite Author)

2.66 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0061999660 (ISBN13: 9780061999666)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

HarperTeen

review 1: Being familiar with The Turn of the Screw this modern YA retelling didn't contain any surprises as I knew how the story was likely to turn out but I still found it very creepy and strange. As Jack begins to descend into madness I was never quite sure if the ghosts he was seeing were driving him mad or if the madness was causing him to see what wasn't really there. Either way it was disturbing to see a normal teenage boy transform so completely. I thought the change was a little too sudden but in such a short book I suppose it had to be. Jack is only going to be on the island for two months so everything has to happen quickly!
review 2: The Turning is a story about a soon to be college student who lands a very odd job babysitting on an island. There is one hous... moree with two very unusual children with a chilling past and no modern technology on this island. The lucky part for Jack is that he will get to earn good money and use it toward his college dues next year. Jack is desperately hoping to go to college with his girlfriend who just happens to be more well off financially. The story is written in letters that Jack, his father, and his girlfriend Sophie have been sending back and forth. Jack was told creepy stories of death and sadness from the island, but didn't want to believe in them.....he wanted to earn his money and be with his girlfriend. The letters show how Jack's psychological state spirals downward as he receives visits from ghosts that were once workers for the family. I enjoyed reading this writing style. I liked reading the character's personality through their own writing and watching how the language changes throughout the text. Jack's writing takes a very dark turn after meeting with the ghosts and even his personality has become very selfish and accusatory. It made me wonder how many others that have worked on the island were dealt a fate like Jack or who is able to come to the island and escape the haunting. I felt the ending was kind of abrupt and would have liked to read on about the future of the characters a little more. I know that ending so quickly then allows the reader to imagine an ending of their own, but I wanted to hear what happened to Jack after leaving the island. I thought this book was a fun read if you are into mystery and ghosts, I would have liked to hear more history on the characters and the island instead of creating my own thoughts. less

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