Summer of Fear
by Lois Duncan

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Book Reviews of Summer of Fear

Book Review: Fantastic Book - Forgetable Ending
Summary: 4 Stars

Lois Duncan has written many other books which all qualify as "scary" genre. Books that she has written include the bestseller "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Don't Look Behind You," "Down a Dark Hall," "A Gift of Magic," "Killing Mr. Griffin," "Locked In Time," "Ransom," and "Stranger With My Face." Her books grab the reader's interest and do not lose it through out the entire book. Even though all of Lois Duncan's books are in the same genre, they do have different plots. An example of the opposite would be Jane Austin who had a fairly similar plot in each of her books. A good book needs to have drama, adventure, frightening moments, a satisfactory ending, and unexpected scenes. Most of Lois Duncan's books have each of those characteristics, but Summer of Fear does not have a satisfactory ending.

A book is a jigsaw puzzle, and if you are missing pieces it does not fit together. The last puzzle piece of Summer of Fear was missing creating an unfinished image in the reader's mind. An ending to a book is essential both because it is one of the three major parts, and because when a thrilling story is not completed the reader is disappointed. In Summer of Fear the ending started out as a vivid part that one could clearly picture in one's mind. When it left off at a certain point and did not explain what happened to all of the main and important characters, it was almost like falling off a cliff. One just falls, just as the story just stopped.

Summer of Fear is like a movie playing in one's mind. One of the fantastic elements that creates this imagery is the descriptive writing about characters. In this book, it is easy to visualize the characters and feel certain ways about them. If Lois Duncan was trying to gain sympathy from the reader for one of the characters, it was easy for her to do so. The reader knows exactly what a main character looks like, and can infer from that information whether this is a good or evil person. Lois Duncan does not hesitate to express a certain feeling about a character. An example of a vividly portrayed character in Summer of Fear is Julia. "She was a plain, thin girl with long, black hair that hung halfway to her waist. Her brows were heavy, her face narrow and shallow, but her eyes - even now, thinking back upon that moment, I cannot begin to describe my first impression of her eyes. They were deep and dark and filled with secrets. Haunted eyes. They were the strangest eyes I have ever seen."

Until the ending of Summer of Fear, Rachel is trying desperately to prove to her parents and friends that Julia is not the perfect, beautiful girl they see. These happenings lead up to the end, where Rachel thinks she has Julia in a corner to reveal that she is really a witch. This is one of the things that makes Summer of Fear so thrilling and breath taking. One thinks one knows what is going to happen next, but one does not. This is also the problem with fairy tales and other stories; the reader knows that the end is going to say six predictable words. "And they lived happily ever after." Books do need good endings, but sometimes they seem good from a different perspective than the reader's.

An original plot is essential to a good story. All interest is lost if the story is familiar to the reader. Summer of Fear has a story line that is not seen in other books. A cousin who is coming to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins has been used many times before. It is the following events that make this story so unique. Originality creates suspense, interest, and excitement, all of which greatly contribute to Summer if Fear's enjoyment and pleasure.

All of these positive elements would not create as much of an effect if the reader could not feel as if they are in the story while it is taking place. Summer of Fear has this important quality making it more enjoyable to the reader. Yet another great thing about Lois Duncan's writing is that the reader feels as if the book has sucked oneself in and oneself is witnessing the scene. One of the things that triggers this feeling is descriptive writing. In Summer of Fear, descriptive writing is also used to make the reader have sympathy for Rachel. This way, the description is killing two birds with one stone. It sways the reader's opinion and makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing the same thing the main character did.

Many scenes from Summer of Fear are memorable in one's mind. Lois Duncan makes these scenes memorable by her style of writing. Her style is detailed, and also is different in this particular book because a character is telling the story. There is a transition in the book, from the beginning into the middle, which sticks vividly in the reader's mind. This section is one of the places where Rachel is starting to learn that Julia is a witch. Rachel finds a clay figure that resembles her dog, in Julia's drawer. Rachel later finds out that this was killing her dog. Another part towards the middle of Summer of Fear dictates Julia's wickedness by her making Rachel become ill with hives. Consequently, Rachel cannot go to a certain dance, and is forced to let Julia borrow the dress which she herself had made. The major feeling when reading these sections is sympathy. The reader is made sympathetic to Rachel because of the provocative writing.

Summer of Fear is a wonderfully told story that portrays a teenager looking back on a major event of her life. This book is excellent, but would be even more enjoyable if the ending would be complete. Reading this book can equal the enjoyment of riding a roller coaster or a different theme park ride. The main differences between the two are that reading Summer of Fear is free and lasts longer. The original plot makes the story more interesting and appealing to readers. Summer of Fear tells readers an interesting message. One needs to be careful whom one trusts, because people are willing to go to great lengths to reach their goal.

Summary of Summer of Fear

Horror Books

• Subjects > Teens > Horror
• Literature & Fiction