Amity

Here is a house of ruin and rage, of death and deliverance. Here is where I live, not living. Here is always mine. When Connor's family moves to Amity, a secluded house on the peaceful banks of New England's Concord River, his nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons, destruction, and revenge. Dreams he kind of likes. Dreams he could make real, with Amity's help. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start. Instead, she's haunted by lurid visions, disturbing voices, and questions about her own sanity. But who would ever believe her? And what could be done if they did? Because Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a violent end as she's done before. Inspired by a true-crime story, Amity spans generations to weave an overlapping, interconnected tale of terror, insanity, danger, and death.

About the Author :
Micol Ostow has been writing professionally since 2004, and in that time has written and/or ghostwritten over 40 published works for young readers. She started her reign of terror with Egmont with her novel "family," which Elizabeth Burns named a favorite of 2012 on her "School Library Journal"-syndicated blog, A Chair, a Fireplace, a Tea Cozy. Micol's graphic novel, "So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)," was named a 2009 Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth Selection, a "Booklist" Top Ten Religion Books for Youth Selection, and a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens. She received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and currently teaches a popular young-adult writing workshop through MediaBistro.com. She lives and works in New York City, alongside her Emmy Award-winning husband, their daughter, and a finicky French bulldog. Visit her at www.micolostow.com. The author lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Review :
Amity is a fast-paced read filled with horror and suspense. Connor's family, looking for a fresh start from the troubles in their lives, move into a house named Amity. They were terrorized for 28 days before they left. Ten years later, Gwen's family also moves to Amity with similar results. Both teens have pasts that make them ripe for Amity's sadistic tendencies and she manipulates their minds to bend them to her will. From doors locking on their own to weapons appearing out of nowhere, the book has enough mystery and suspense to keep readers enticed. Adding further action would have kept the story flowing even more quickly, but readers looking for horror reminiscent of Stephen King or Jay Anson (Amityville Horror), will be intrigued by this entry. Recommended. --Library Media Connection -- "Journal" An evil house manipulates its residents to dark ends in this novel inspired by The Amityville Horror (1977). Connor's family moves into the odd, old house--Amity--for a fresh start after the family patriarch's sketchy business practices force their move. Ten years later, Gwen's family seeks a new start after a mysterious incident Gwen was involved in, hoping country life will help stabilize her. They both have a close relationship with an opposite-gender sibling and enough personal issues to make them unreliable narrators. The split first-person narrative shows the parallels between their experiences, occasionally repeating revelations, but the protagonists fit into different parts of the house's pattern of violence and horror, which keeps the two stories from feeling stale. The house shares its bag of tricks with the famous Amityville incident--flies, specific and significant numbers, the basement's hidden red room, and of course dreams of grisly crimes. The narrative consists of very many short chapters that are most effectively deployed in the rapid acceleration to the climax; earlier, they feel jarringly jumpy. The dark history of the house isn't kept a mystery--the object is dwelling in the horror, not uncovering it--and the house's nature is openly evil from the start. The refreshing lack of romance enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere, and while the foreshadowing gives away a lot, the conclusion still surprises. A dark read for a darker night. --Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal" 4Q 4P S A page-turning thriller, Amity will have readers begging to keep the lights on at night. Audiences familiar with the story revolving around the haunted house of Amity will recognize its devilish lure as soon as they begin Connor's narrative. Connor, a teenage boy with alluded-to psychological issues, is immediately taken over by the house and obsessed with its evil tendencies. Fast-forward to ten years later, and Gwen's family moves in to give her a fresh start from her troubling past, only to encounter more nightmarish experiences. Despite a decade's difference, the two accounts parallel each other, intertwining past and present with documents about Connor and Gwen's mishaps and the ancient, terrifying history of Amity. Point of view and suspense take precedence in this novel, as the reader sees through the eyes of someone who is controlled by Amity, as well as someone who tries to stop their loved one from being controlled. As is typical of most horror genres, the ending will leave the audience just as scared as the beginning. --VOYA -- "Journal"