Riley Flynn Is All Alone
It feels like she’s been on her own since sixth grade, when her best friend, Emily, ditched her for another group of girls. Girls who don’t like Riley. Girls who decide one day to lock her in the science closet after hours, after everyone else has gone home.
When Riley is finally able to escape, however, she finds that her horror story is only just beginning. All the school doors are locked, the windows won’t budge, the phones are dead, and the lights aren't working. Through halls lit only by the narrow beam of her flashlight, Riley roams the building, seeking a way out, an answer, an explanation. And as she does, she starts to suspect she isn’t alone after all.
While she’s always liked a good ghost story, Riley knows there is no such thing. But what else could explain the haunting force that seems to lurk in every shadow, around every corner? As she tries to find answers, she starts reliving moments that brought her to this night. Moments from her own life...and a life that is not her own.
It feels like she’s been on her own since sixth grade, when her best friend, Emily, ditched her for another group of girls. Girls who don’t like Riley. Girls who decide one day to lock her in the science closet after hours, after everyone else has gone home.
When Riley is finally able to escape, however, she finds that her horror story is only just beginning. All the school doors are locked, the windows won’t budge, the phones are dead, and the lights aren't working. Through halls lit only by the narrow beam of her flashlight, Riley roams the building, seeking a way out, an answer, an explanation. And as she does, she starts to suspect she isn’t alone after all.
While she’s always liked a good ghost story, Riley knows there is no such thing. But what else could explain the haunting force that seems to lurk in every shadow, around every corner? As she tries to find answers, she starts reliving moments that brought her to this night. Moments from her own life...and a life that is not her own.
What critics are saying
"In this terrifying, gut-wrenching, profoundly poignant vision of middle school, a seventh-grade outsider is trapped in the dark with two ghostly graduates. A tale to test the nerve of all fifth-graders who are looking ahead to junior high and finding themselves anxious about what’s in store."
- Booklist, starred review
"The story, in its exploration of female anger with a side of malevolent spirits, is like Carrie for tweens and young teens. Riley is a multi-layered and sympathetic protagonist, and Anderson gets the blend of the supernatural and psychological right.
- Horn Books
"[This] well paced, legitimately creepy tale powerfully conveys the pain of being a middle school outcast-and the importance of being seen."
- Publisher's Weekly
"The steadily paced narrative mixes Riley's memories with present horrors, giving a periodic reprieve from chills and thrills. Its slowly unraveling central mystery presents a humanizing account of outcasts, the friends who betray them, and the trauma that follows.
- Kirkus
YOU SCARED ME! (THANK YOU)
Why do we like ghost stories? Why do we watch horror movies? Is it the for the thrill of the scare or for the relief that comes later? Is it something we cultivate or something instinctual? Why do some people enjoy being scared and others loathe it?
To learn more about our fear response, check out the this quick video from Dr. Margee Kerr or read this article from Psychology Today.
Also feel free to read my own take on the power of ghost stories over at Nerdy Book Club.
Why do we like ghost stories? Why do we watch horror movies? Is it the for the thrill of the scare or for the relief that comes later? Is it something we cultivate or something instinctual? Why do some people enjoy being scared and others loathe it?
To learn more about our fear response, check out the this quick video from Dr. Margee Kerr or read this article from Psychology Today.
Also feel free to read my own take on the power of ghost stories over at Nerdy Book Club.
Interested in more frightening reads?
Here are some other great stories to get your spook on...
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TEACHERS!
Thinking about using RILEY'S GHOST in your classroom. Then you'll probably want to look at this awesome (and free) Discussion Guide!
Also don't forget that I'm not afraid to virtually haunt your classroom to talk about the book. Just send me an email using the link at the top to set something up.
Thinking about using RILEY'S GHOST in your classroom. Then you'll probably want to look at this awesome (and free) Discussion Guide!
Also don't forget that I'm not afraid to virtually haunt your classroom to talk about the book. Just send me an email using the link at the top to set something up.
