Amity

by Micol Ostow

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606843802
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	314
Lexile:	HL780L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Can a house be evil? Connor and Gwen know that it can. Two families, separated by 10 years, both move into Amity. Once they do, the house will not let go until it's wrenched every bit of terror out of them. Connor's vivid nightmares haunt him even in the daylight. Gwen, brought to Amity by her family to recover from her mental breakdown, senses the danger her family is in, but can't get them to believe her. Ostow's YA horror novel, inspired by the true-crime history of the Amityville Horror house, is told in two distinct voices in alternating sections. The thrilling plot keeps the pages turning and provides a few genuine gasps along the way. The end, unfortunately, feels a little rushed compared to the rest of the novel. Overall, a decent horror entry into a difficult genre for YA. Ostow's story is certainly not a rehash of older materials, but doesn't produce the chills of the source material in quite the same way. Still, steer teen horror fans who aren't quite ready for Stephen King, Peter Straub, or John Ajvide Lindqviste to this one.—Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

School Library Journal

06/02/2014
Ostow evokes classic Stephen King with this disturbing story that sees two families terrorized by a malevolent house with a bloody history (loosely inspired by the Amityville Horror). Supernatural and psychological horrors intertwine as the stories unfold over the course of two separate months. Ten years in the past, Connor Webb is haunted by dark dreams of murder and mayhem, pushed to the breaking point by his abusive father and held back only by his twin sister, Jules. In the present, Gwen Hall fears for her brother Luke’s sanity, but her own psychological instability undermines her credibility and ability to cope. As the centuries-old house known as Amity calls to each in turn and manipulates them, their stories seem destined to end in bloodshed and tragedy. Ostow (family) skillfully builds tension and keeps readers guessing about how much is real and what’s simply in her characters’ minds. While the storytelling is steeped in atmosphere and punctuated by unsettling imagery, the voices of the dual narratives are too similar, and the abrupt ending a bit of a letdown. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

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

From the Publisher

2014-06-04
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. (Horror. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews