Possessions

September 15, 2009
Grades 8-10 Scholarship tenth-grader Lindsay arrives at her creepy new boarding school to discover that the richest girl on campus, Mandy, seems to be possessed by an evil and supernatural force. Lindsay is mourning the death of her mother, and she is being self-conscious about her recent breakdown, perhaps brought about by her own attempts to win the popularity game at her old school. From this emotional but perceptive narrator, we hear how Lindsays new schoolmates respond to being courted by Mandy and her minions, and Lindsays own plans to save as many of them as she can. A hunky love interest adds an element of romance without the boy becoming the center of Lindsays tale. And offstage lingers Mandys scary brother, with whom, rumor has it, Mandy has had an incestuous affair. While coincidences and red herrings abound, Holders writing is taut and evocative, allowing a suspension of disbelief that makes this a thrilling read. The cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)