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Sarah
Sarah was named a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah's death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.
Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn't in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house - but exorcising her isn't that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.
Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah's death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.
Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn't in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house - but exorcising her isn't that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.
190 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2016
48 people are currently reading
907 people want to read
About the author
Teri Polen
8 books177 followersTeri Polen is the author of young adult horror, science fiction, and fantasy novels. Sarah, her debut novel, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. ReadFREE.ly named Subject A36 one of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2020. An avid reader, movie watcher, and chocolate lover, Teri lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband and Feline Overlord, Bond. Visit her at TeriPolen.com or on Instagram @Tpolen6
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
June 14, 2018
I just finished this one this morning! I’ve had it on my TBR and finally ordered a copy online after reading an awesome review @ boothtalksbooks. I have no idea what I was waiting for. This isn’t normally a genre I pick up, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Cain is your average teen going through high school, although he’s had to deal with the loss of his father and now lives with his younger sister and mother in a new house. Finn, his best friend, helps him around the house and they’re like brothers. Cain is in a relationship with a snob named Erin, but really wants to be with Lindsey. Life in his new home seems to be quite normal, until he starts to have suspicions about the attic in his house.
My heart was pounding and deep within my gut I knew what I’d just experienced wasn’t a dream. Still looking around the room for Eby, my gaze fell on the attic door. The chair that had been wedged beneath the knob was now turned over on its side, the door wide open, revealing the heavy, threatening darkness behind it.
He learns that a girl was likely murdered at his home. All of a sudden, a ghost shows up in Cain’s room and he begins to question why she’s there and what she wants. He learns that the ghost is Sarah, a girl who was previously murdered at his house. Cain feels sympathy for her, and who wouldn’t? She was wrongfully murdered and wants revenge. He learns the truth about Sarah’s death, the gory details, who’s responsible, and he wants to help. The only problem is that he wants to do what’s right, and that’s something Sarah might not agree with.
Where I am, there is no right or wrong, but knowing they suffered will at least give me some degree of peace. Don’t look for any redeeming qualities in me, Cain. There aren’t any left.
A few things I loved about the book were Cain’s relationship with his younger sister Maddie along with all the Harry Potter references. Maddie reminds me so much of my younger daughter and the whole family story felt real to me. I fell in love with Eby, Cain’s cat. I pretty much loved everything about this book! It gripped me and I had to find out if things would pan out for everyone. It makes you question your own morals because naturally you want revenge on the people responsible for Sarah’s death, but things get a little crazy. It’s funny, creepy, and even terrifying at times. I didn’t find the story predicable at all and it kept me interested until the end with the added twists. The only minor issue I had was not feeling the romance between Lindsey and Cain. Other than that, this is a book I could’ve easily finished in one sitting. It’s written well and easy to follow.
YA and horror fans will enjoy this book. Truly, I’d recommend it to anyone. Teri Polen has definitely inspired me to read more of this genre and I’ll be checking out her other books as well.
5*****
You can also see this review @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...
Cain is your average teen going through high school, although he’s had to deal with the loss of his father and now lives with his younger sister and mother in a new house. Finn, his best friend, helps him around the house and they’re like brothers. Cain is in a relationship with a snob named Erin, but really wants to be with Lindsey. Life in his new home seems to be quite normal, until he starts to have suspicions about the attic in his house.
My heart was pounding and deep within my gut I knew what I’d just experienced wasn’t a dream. Still looking around the room for Eby, my gaze fell on the attic door. The chair that had been wedged beneath the knob was now turned over on its side, the door wide open, revealing the heavy, threatening darkness behind it.
He learns that a girl was likely murdered at his home. All of a sudden, a ghost shows up in Cain’s room and he begins to question why she’s there and what she wants. He learns that the ghost is Sarah, a girl who was previously murdered at his house. Cain feels sympathy for her, and who wouldn’t? She was wrongfully murdered and wants revenge. He learns the truth about Sarah’s death, the gory details, who’s responsible, and he wants to help. The only problem is that he wants to do what’s right, and that’s something Sarah might not agree with.
Where I am, there is no right or wrong, but knowing they suffered will at least give me some degree of peace. Don’t look for any redeeming qualities in me, Cain. There aren’t any left.
A few things I loved about the book were Cain’s relationship with his younger sister Maddie along with all the Harry Potter references. Maddie reminds me so much of my younger daughter and the whole family story felt real to me. I fell in love with Eby, Cain’s cat. I pretty much loved everything about this book! It gripped me and I had to find out if things would pan out for everyone. It makes you question your own morals because naturally you want revenge on the people responsible for Sarah’s death, but things get a little crazy. It’s funny, creepy, and even terrifying at times. I didn’t find the story predicable at all and it kept me interested until the end with the added twists. The only minor issue I had was not feeling the romance between Lindsey and Cain. Other than that, this is a book I could’ve easily finished in one sitting. It’s written well and easy to follow.
YA and horror fans will enjoy this book. Truly, I’d recommend it to anyone. Teri Polen has definitely inspired me to read more of this genre and I’ll be checking out her other books as well.
5*****
You can also see this review @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...
October 2, 2020
Sarah is a young adult and supernatural thriller written by Teri Polen. Imagine being in high school when you had to deal with the drama of teenagers and schoolwork. Bad, huh? Not quite as bad as Cain has it... the attic door has started creaking open recently. Drifts of cold and hot air circulate around his bedroom, leaving him sweaty and freezing in all the wrong seasons. But when he feels something touching him at night, he knows it's no longer imaginary. It's time to get out. Does he listen? Of course not... and that's why Polen's book gives us all the right scares and shocks.
Cain is an admirable character; I dare say he's kinda sexy... despite dating the wrong girl. He's falling for another one, but she's not gonna move in on a cheerleader's territory unless Cain breaks up with his girlfriend. Good thing he has a best friend on the soccer team who keeps him sane and backs him up when the ghost haunting Cain's family's new home starts getting quite mean. Vengeance is important here... someone killed the girl, trapping her in the house. But who and why are key!
Polen definitely created a strong story. I enjoyed the direct and clean writing, intended for young adults but with enough weight to entertain us who might be more the age of Cain's parents rather than Cain. The chills are present in the atmosphere in this book... both in the words and the actions of all the main players. I got a cross between Poltergeist, Scream, and Beverly Hills 90210... only a more streamlined cast. Classic football vs. soccer themes, taking care of a sister as a way to show Cain's strength, the underlying emotions of his father's recent death... all make the book, in my opinion, believable. His intelligent yet still slightly immature sense of self forces him to keep the ghost secret from his mother, yet when it counts, he knows what to do.
The friendships Cain makes are genuine, and I liked his backbone when it came to defending himself from others. I still wanna know what happened under his bed... Polen leaves us guessing, which is a good thing, as some movies have gone too far to show us! Not knowing is sometimes even spookier. Overall, this was a great intro to the author's work. I devoured the book over a two-day period and will be reading more in the future. Nice job!
Cain is an admirable character; I dare say he's kinda sexy... despite dating the wrong girl. He's falling for another one, but she's not gonna move in on a cheerleader's territory unless Cain breaks up with his girlfriend. Good thing he has a best friend on the soccer team who keeps him sane and backs him up when the ghost haunting Cain's family's new home starts getting quite mean. Vengeance is important here... someone killed the girl, trapping her in the house. But who and why are key!
Polen definitely created a strong story. I enjoyed the direct and clean writing, intended for young adults but with enough weight to entertain us who might be more the age of Cain's parents rather than Cain. The chills are present in the atmosphere in this book... both in the words and the actions of all the main players. I got a cross between Poltergeist, Scream, and Beverly Hills 90210... only a more streamlined cast. Classic football vs. soccer themes, taking care of a sister as a way to show Cain's strength, the underlying emotions of his father's recent death... all make the book, in my opinion, believable. His intelligent yet still slightly immature sense of self forces him to keep the ghost secret from his mother, yet when it counts, he knows what to do.
The friendships Cain makes are genuine, and I liked his backbone when it came to defending himself from others. I still wanna know what happened under his bed... Polen leaves us guessing, which is a good thing, as some movies have gone too far to show us! Not knowing is sometimes even spookier. Overall, this was a great intro to the author's work. I devoured the book over a two-day period and will be reading more in the future. Nice job!
June 19, 2018
This book left me quite conflicted at how to rate it in the end. It's a Young Adult creepy ghostly story and it started off with really holding my interest. I could see where the plot was going early but sadly felt this book really feel flat and slow in the middle, for a long time. I was page-flicking and paragraph skipping. It was repetitive and predicable.
Then the last third blew my socks off! It was as though another author had taken over. The book got a lot darker, it had much more excitement in it and some really well written scenes. If only the whole book had been written even close to this level it would have been a five star read. The first two-thirds of the book were not the least bit scary but the latter, whoa! Really great stuff! I loved the twist at the end a LOT.
An interesting read that would no doubt appeal to YA readers of light horror and ghostly tales. Take a walk on the dark side with Sarah by Teri Polen. Disappointing that a good chunk of the book had me nearly give up however. 3 stars from me.
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Then the last third blew my socks off! It was as though another author had taken over. The book got a lot darker, it had much more excitement in it and some really well written scenes. If only the whole book had been written even close to this level it would have been a five star read. The first two-thirds of the book were not the least bit scary but the latter, whoa! Really great stuff! I loved the twist at the end a LOT.
An interesting read that would no doubt appeal to YA readers of light horror and ghostly tales. Take a walk on the dark side with Sarah by Teri Polen. Disappointing that a good chunk of the book had me nearly give up however. 3 stars from me.
Thanks so much for reading my review! To follow more reviews, be alerted to awesome online author events and HUGE book giveaways and more come on over to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
To enquire about joining my VIP book reviewers team: http://goo.gl/forms/GWMOvlofZg
To enquire about my varied and affordable book publicity services: http://goo.gl/forms/eVwa2HFKnK
April 5, 2017
Oi.
So I am zero for three with my Netgalley titles for the year. This one is the best of the three, but honestly that's not saying much.
Let's all take a look at that cover, shall we? That cover is like 50 shades of scary and reminds me of The Exorcist meets The Ring. I did have high hopes for this book, and it wasn't horribleawful but there were a lot of things wrong with it.
Cain Shannon is a 17 year old captain of the soccer team. He dates the most popular girl in school, is really into nerdy things like horror movies and Harry Potter, and he has a great best friend named Finn. His dad passed away suddenly earlier in the year and Cain, with the help of Finn, really takes care of his mom and his seven-year-old little sister Maddie. When Cain starts to sense some weird things going on in his attic, the horror aficionado in him makes him look into the history of his house. As it turns out, his mom got the house cheap because when their house was being built, the construction crew found the blood of a missing girl named Sarah Butler in the attic. And now, we have a ghost on our hands, ladies and gentlemen.
At first, Cain believes that Sarah has started talking to him in order to send a message to her family, or to help him figure out what happened to her so her soul could rest in peace. It reminded me of a younger, campier, less creepy this
And I could dig it. It was a little more like middle grade rather than young adult-- kid talking to ghost trying to get justice-- which is been there done that, but entertaining. Sarah was kind of weird, even in the beginning. She was nerdy and awkward and didn't have any friends. Her parents were controlling and all she wanted was to escape the prison of high school. But there was something about her, something supercilious and arrogant that I disliked right off the bat. She wasn't sympathetic nor was she particularly likeable. Which was weird since she spent the last several years being mocked and degraded by the queen bees of high school, the leader of which is Cain's girlfriend, Erin.
But when Cain gets knocked out in a soccer game and sent home with a nasty concussion, he starts to black out and lose time. And when he hears accounts of himself during those times, completing complex chemistry homework without help, staring incessantly at football players, eating salad and cottage cheese instead of cheeseburgers, and having a very public, very loud, and very angry breakup with Erin, Cain starts to wonder what's going on. When it turns out Sarah has been hijacking his body and stealing his energy in order to become stronger, it soon becomes evident that Sarah is one helluva angry ghost. And nothing can stop her.
And when football players start dying in horrifying ways, Cain and Finn must find away to stop Sarah. But the stronger she gets, the less she looks like
And the more she looks like
This book was ok, but the writing needed some work. The whole story lacked depth. Almost as if it were a made for TV ghost movie with no real surprises or layers. And that TV movie was probably made for The Disney channel. There's a little bit of teeney-bopper romance between Cain and the horror movie-loving, Harry Potter-watching, book-reading, cello-playing, drop-dead gorgeous new girl in school named Lindsey. And it was cute on the surface, but Lindsey was almost too cool, too perfect for him. It came off as false. She wasn't real; she was designed and created to be perfect for Cain, and it only became one more reason for my eyes to roll, particularly because I think the romance was thrown in because every story like this needed a love angle, which only served to make it even younger and even more cliché. Because like I said before, except for a few makeout scenes and the spare curse word here and there, this book should have been middle grade up until about the end when the violence and gore kinda got a little out of control and it was incongruous with the tone of the story. The author used the "tell rather than show" method of writing that automatically puts it into mediocre territory. Cain, Finn, and Lindsey were cool but not deep enough to elevate them into great. The rest of the characters were cliché cardboard cutouts and totally forgettable. The dialogue was uber unrealistic, especially Maddie's who spoke like she was 13 but who acted like she was 4 or 5. The author used the dialogue to tell the story instead of letting the story and the characters speak for themselves which really did it no favors, so in the end, the whole thing came off as cheesy and unrealistic. The ending was contrived and by the time I got to the end, I was grateful that I didn't have to read it anymore. It wasn't necessarily boring, but it didn't hold my interest. It wasn't all that dissimilar to many plots out there and it brought absolutely nothing new to the table. The ending was supposed to be shocking and surprising, but I reiterate......been there done that. I have read stories by many authors who simply put, just do this kind of story better. So in the end, I'd rather go read Carrie, which is similar themed but successful. For all of the reasons this wasn't for me.
2 stars.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
So I am zero for three with my Netgalley titles for the year. This one is the best of the three, but honestly that's not saying much.
Let's all take a look at that cover, shall we? That cover is like 50 shades of scary and reminds me of The Exorcist meets The Ring. I did have high hopes for this book, and it wasn't horribleawful but there were a lot of things wrong with it.
Cain Shannon is a 17 year old captain of the soccer team. He dates the most popular girl in school, is really into nerdy things like horror movies and Harry Potter, and he has a great best friend named Finn. His dad passed away suddenly earlier in the year and Cain, with the help of Finn, really takes care of his mom and his seven-year-old little sister Maddie. When Cain starts to sense some weird things going on in his attic, the horror aficionado in him makes him look into the history of his house. As it turns out, his mom got the house cheap because when their house was being built, the construction crew found the blood of a missing girl named Sarah Butler in the attic. And now, we have a ghost on our hands, ladies and gentlemen.
At first, Cain believes that Sarah has started talking to him in order to send a message to her family, or to help him figure out what happened to her so her soul could rest in peace. It reminded me of a younger, campier, less creepy this
And I could dig it. It was a little more like middle grade rather than young adult-- kid talking to ghost trying to get justice-- which is been there done that, but entertaining. Sarah was kind of weird, even in the beginning. She was nerdy and awkward and didn't have any friends. Her parents were controlling and all she wanted was to escape the prison of high school. But there was something about her, something supercilious and arrogant that I disliked right off the bat. She wasn't sympathetic nor was she particularly likeable. Which was weird since she spent the last several years being mocked and degraded by the queen bees of high school, the leader of which is Cain's girlfriend, Erin.
But when Cain gets knocked out in a soccer game and sent home with a nasty concussion, he starts to black out and lose time. And when he hears accounts of himself during those times, completing complex chemistry homework without help, staring incessantly at football players, eating salad and cottage cheese instead of cheeseburgers, and having a very public, very loud, and very angry breakup with Erin, Cain starts to wonder what's going on. When it turns out Sarah has been hijacking his body and stealing his energy in order to become stronger, it soon becomes evident that Sarah is one helluva angry ghost. And nothing can stop her.
And when football players start dying in horrifying ways, Cain and Finn must find away to stop Sarah. But the stronger she gets, the less she looks like
And the more she looks like
This book was ok, but the writing needed some work. The whole story lacked depth. Almost as if it were a made for TV ghost movie with no real surprises or layers. And that TV movie was probably made for The Disney channel. There's a little bit of teeney-bopper romance between Cain and the horror movie-loving, Harry Potter-watching, book-reading, cello-playing, drop-dead gorgeous new girl in school named Lindsey. And it was cute on the surface, but Lindsey was almost too cool, too perfect for him. It came off as false. She wasn't real; she was designed and created to be perfect for Cain, and it only became one more reason for my eyes to roll, particularly because I think the romance was thrown in because every story like this needed a love angle, which only served to make it even younger and even more cliché. Because like I said before, except for a few makeout scenes and the spare curse word here and there, this book should have been middle grade up until about the end when the violence and gore kinda got a little out of control and it was incongruous with the tone of the story. The author used the "tell rather than show" method of writing that automatically puts it into mediocre territory. Cain, Finn, and Lindsey were cool but not deep enough to elevate them into great. The rest of the characters were cliché cardboard cutouts and totally forgettable. The dialogue was uber unrealistic, especially Maddie's who spoke like she was 13 but who acted like she was 4 or 5. The author used the dialogue to tell the story instead of letting the story and the characters speak for themselves which really did it no favors, so in the end, the whole thing came off as cheesy and unrealistic. The ending was contrived and by the time I got to the end, I was grateful that I didn't have to read it anymore. It wasn't necessarily boring, but it didn't hold my interest. It wasn't all that dissimilar to many plots out there and it brought absolutely nothing new to the table. The ending was supposed to be shocking and surprising, but I reiterate......been there done that. I have read stories by many authors who simply put, just do this kind of story better. So in the end, I'd rather go read Carrie, which is similar themed but successful. For all of the reasons this wasn't for me.
2 stars.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2022
First of all, the Harry Potter references make my heart smile. Now, back to the story. This was a well written book with easily relateable characters whom you can't help but root for. The story flowed well and I wanted to read quicker to see how it ended. It was suspenseful, but I wouldn't call it scary. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.
December 1, 2016
Cain is a typical teen with a loyal friend named Finn and a fashionista girlfriend named Erin whom he’d like to ditch if he could only find the courage. Life in mom’s new house is a bed of roses except for the fact that the door to the attic, accessed through his bedroom, keeps swinging open in the middle of the night without reason. Or maybe there is a reason. A strategically placed camcorder captures a haunting figure in his bedroom as he sleeps. Is this the ghost of a girl killed while the house was under construction? Mom is a realtor and knows the story of the girl, but doesn’t believe in ghosts.
After a soccer incident leaves Cain hospitalized with a concussion, he tries to return to normal activities, but nothing seems normal anymore. That’s good and bad. Out with the fashionista. In with Lindsey. She’s more Cain’s type. Enjoys horror movies. Isn’t a loudmouth shopaholic. Pushes all the right buttons.
Strange things begin happening to Cain. He verbally attacks Erin in a crowded hallway at school; he ‘spies’ on the football team as they practice—but he doesn’t remember any of this. It’s as if someone is controlling his body against his will. Fortunately, Lindsey’s Aunt Mona, has spiritual powers and…
Well, I’ll not say too much more for fear of revealing the plot, but suffice it to say that Sarah is a good old fashioned ghost story with contemporary characters, events, and surroundings. It’s billed as a YA, but this 50-something year old male liked it too.
I love author Teri Polen’s writing style. She reminds me of John Saul—only better. In fact, I’ve already added her to my ‘favorite authors’ list. Even when the story reaches a pivotal storm, her sentences flow like a breeze and tell the tale without wasted verbiage. From cover to cover, the dialog is natural, unstilted. I can actually hear Cain and Finn engaging in conversation, see Cain’s face grimace at Finn’s stinging humor and cover my ears at Erin’s shrill voice. I think I went to high school with these kids. If you’ve ever seen a movie called The Ring, you’ll enjoy this novel. It’s just as creepy and every bit as haunting because you get to experience Sarah up close and personal. Sleep well.
Occasionally in life, we get lucky. One glorious day in October, I happened to be in the right place at the right time and received a complimentary advance copy of Sarah in exchange for my honest opinion. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I LOVED this book! It was right up my alley. My advice: head on over to Amazon and order the hard copy or download the Kindle version. If you like ghost stories, you’ll LOVE Sarah.
After a soccer incident leaves Cain hospitalized with a concussion, he tries to return to normal activities, but nothing seems normal anymore. That’s good and bad. Out with the fashionista. In with Lindsey. She’s more Cain’s type. Enjoys horror movies. Isn’t a loudmouth shopaholic. Pushes all the right buttons.
Strange things begin happening to Cain. He verbally attacks Erin in a crowded hallway at school; he ‘spies’ on the football team as they practice—but he doesn’t remember any of this. It’s as if someone is controlling his body against his will. Fortunately, Lindsey’s Aunt Mona, has spiritual powers and…
Well, I’ll not say too much more for fear of revealing the plot, but suffice it to say that Sarah is a good old fashioned ghost story with contemporary characters, events, and surroundings. It’s billed as a YA, but this 50-something year old male liked it too.
I love author Teri Polen’s writing style. She reminds me of John Saul—only better. In fact, I’ve already added her to my ‘favorite authors’ list. Even when the story reaches a pivotal storm, her sentences flow like a breeze and tell the tale without wasted verbiage. From cover to cover, the dialog is natural, unstilted. I can actually hear Cain and Finn engaging in conversation, see Cain’s face grimace at Finn’s stinging humor and cover my ears at Erin’s shrill voice. I think I went to high school with these kids. If you’ve ever seen a movie called The Ring, you’ll enjoy this novel. It’s just as creepy and every bit as haunting because you get to experience Sarah up close and personal. Sleep well.
Occasionally in life, we get lucky. One glorious day in October, I happened to be in the right place at the right time and received a complimentary advance copy of Sarah in exchange for my honest opinion. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I LOVED this book! It was right up my alley. My advice: head on over to Amazon and order the hard copy or download the Kindle version. If you like ghost stories, you’ll LOVE Sarah.
December 5, 2016
I'm not usually tempted by young adult novels, but once I saw the cover and title of the book... I had to read this one. It's definitely written in a young adult manner, but I think horror fans in general will still enjoy it. It's a good old fashioned ghost story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I burned right though it in one sitting.
I loved the dynamic between the main character and his friends. They rag on each other the way good friends always seem to do. It really helps you become immersed in the story, because you can clearly imagine them in your head. The way Sarah is described gets pretty chilling, as well.
Cain is a fairly normal seventeen year old kid. He rules the soccer field, loves horror movies, and cares deeply about his mother and little sister. His dad has passed, and he helps his mother and cares for little sister without complaint. His only problem in the beginning of the book is his girlfriend. Vapid and controlling, he wants to break up with her but doesn't want to hurt her feelings. That little problem soon pales in comparison when strange things start happening at his house. The attic door in his bedroom is opening by itself. His cat is jumpy. The temperature keeps fluctuating. It's up to Cain and best friend Finn to figure out what's going on... and soon Lindsey, who seems to make a much better girlfriend for Cain than the previous. Sarah is the ghost in the attic, and she's not going to stay there.
There was so much I liked about this book. The realistic ribbing between friends. The dark humor combined with the strong undercurrent that you need to do what is right. Eby. (This is the black cat I immediately had a soft spot for, as I'm owned by a "fluffy" black rescue myself.) Oh, and that ending!
I was permitted to read an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Black Rose Writing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
I loved the dynamic between the main character and his friends. They rag on each other the way good friends always seem to do. It really helps you become immersed in the story, because you can clearly imagine them in your head. The way Sarah is described gets pretty chilling, as well.
Cain is a fairly normal seventeen year old kid. He rules the soccer field, loves horror movies, and cares deeply about his mother and little sister. His dad has passed, and he helps his mother and cares for little sister without complaint. His only problem in the beginning of the book is his girlfriend. Vapid and controlling, he wants to break up with her but doesn't want to hurt her feelings. That little problem soon pales in comparison when strange things start happening at his house. The attic door in his bedroom is opening by itself. His cat is jumpy. The temperature keeps fluctuating. It's up to Cain and best friend Finn to figure out what's going on... and soon Lindsey, who seems to make a much better girlfriend for Cain than the previous. Sarah is the ghost in the attic, and she's not going to stay there.
There was so much I liked about this book. The realistic ribbing between friends. The dark humor combined with the strong undercurrent that you need to do what is right. Eby. (This is the black cat I immediately had a soft spot for, as I'm owned by a "fluffy" black rescue myself.) Oh, and that ending!
I was permitted to read an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Black Rose Writing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
December 2, 2016
I prefer horror stories of the creepy variety, and that’s exactly what Teri Polen has given us with Sarah. The novel gets creepier and creepier as Sarah’s ghost gains power, morphing from shadowy victim to gruesome and merciless avenger. At first Sarah uses Cain to gain strength. Then, after she starts exacting her revenge, she forces him to bear witness both to what happened to her and how she makes each of her murderers pay.
But there’s more to the novel than the creep factor. Sarah also contains a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Cain has a realistic narrative voice, with an endearing, self-deprecating sense of humor. His friendship with Finn reads true—from their smack-talking dialogue to their almost brotherly commitment to one another: “I got your back, you got mine, right?” And both boys are equally committed to Cain’s seven-year-old sister Maddie. Cain loves reading to her at night, and both he and Finn would protect her with their lives.
The story also has an element of romance. Cain is drawn to sweet, smart Lindsey, who shares his love of horror movies, but in order to date her, he has to overcome his inability to break up with popular, self-centered Erin. Sarah’s ghost plays a surprising role here.
In some ways, Sarah is a morality tale about the consequences of our actions, the dangers of thoughtless selfishness, the monsters we create when we fail to treat others with empathy, and the way evil grows, creating more evil in its wake.
Sarah is a well-written, entertaining read that I recommend to horror fans and YA fans alike. Even if you aren’t sure horror is your thing but like mystery and suspense, give this book a try. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and look forward to future work from Teri Polen.
I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
But there’s more to the novel than the creep factor. Sarah also contains a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Cain has a realistic narrative voice, with an endearing, self-deprecating sense of humor. His friendship with Finn reads true—from their smack-talking dialogue to their almost brotherly commitment to one another: “I got your back, you got mine, right?” And both boys are equally committed to Cain’s seven-year-old sister Maddie. Cain loves reading to her at night, and both he and Finn would protect her with their lives.
The story also has an element of romance. Cain is drawn to sweet, smart Lindsey, who shares his love of horror movies, but in order to date her, he has to overcome his inability to break up with popular, self-centered Erin. Sarah’s ghost plays a surprising role here.
In some ways, Sarah is a morality tale about the consequences of our actions, the dangers of thoughtless selfishness, the monsters we create when we fail to treat others with empathy, and the way evil grows, creating more evil in its wake.
Sarah is a well-written, entertaining read that I recommend to horror fans and YA fans alike. Even if you aren’t sure horror is your thing but like mystery and suspense, give this book a try. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and look forward to future work from Teri Polen.
I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2017
I needed to give this book a few days to settle because I couldn’t tell what my rating should be. The story revolves mainly around Cain Shannon, who finds out his house is haunted by Sarah, a loner unpopular girl who used to go to his school before she was murdered.
Cain is an easy character to get to like, his family and friends more so. It almost makes you wonder what they ever did to deserve Sarah. Story progression is well paced and it’s easy a book to get through.
There were parts I didn’t like which were related to mostly how scared Cain got every time he saw Sarah. He is into horror movies, he does sleep in his bedroom when he knows that is closest to the ghost and even when he figures out Sarah isn’t all kittens and rainbows he still talk to her, so I just couldn’t buy his whole trembling knees bit every single time he saw her. It would have made more of an impact if there was more show instead of tell.
I also felt the reasons Sarah was out to get Cain didn’t make sense. Sure she has trust issues with males because of the way she died, but he was trying to help her the entire time. Also the whole fact that Sarah could literally travel anywhere she wanted detracted from the whole possession arc. Why bother possessing Cain’s body if you can just steal his energy and go wherever you want?
The ending while aiming for one of those Stephen King like ‘this-is-so-not-going-to-end-well-endings’ about what is to come fell short because there was no proper reason for Sarah being able to do what she did.
All in all it wasn’t a bad read, just a rather unconvincing one.
Cain is an easy character to get to like, his family and friends more so. It almost makes you wonder what they ever did to deserve Sarah. Story progression is well paced and it’s easy a book to get through.
There were parts I didn’t like which were related to mostly how scared Cain got every time he saw Sarah. He is into horror movies, he does sleep in his bedroom when he knows that is closest to the ghost and even when he figures out Sarah isn’t all kittens and rainbows he still talk to her, so I just couldn’t buy his whole trembling knees bit every single time he saw her. It would have made more of an impact if there was more show instead of tell.
I also felt the reasons Sarah was out to get Cain didn’t make sense. Sure she has trust issues with males because of the way she died, but he was trying to help her the entire time. Also the whole fact that Sarah could literally travel anywhere she wanted detracted from the whole possession arc. Why bother possessing Cain’s body if you can just steal his energy and go wherever you want?
The ending while aiming for one of those Stephen King like ‘this-is-so-not-going-to-end-well-endings’ about what is to come fell short because there was no proper reason for Sarah being able to do what she did.
All in all it wasn’t a bad read, just a rather unconvincing one.
June 25, 2018
Sarah was a refreshing take on YA and ghost stories. With an emotional story line, and strong characters, it was gripping from the beginning! It was creepy and hard hitting, and definitely stuck with me.
I knew the moment I saw the cover, and read the synopsis, that I had to check out Sarah! I was not disappointed. It had a nice mix of creepiness to go along with the strong plot line, and very well-developed characters.
It was refreshing to read a young adult book from the perspective of a teenager boy that cared so much about his family and friends. Cain was definitely not the typical hormone driven male. He had a lot of character and added depth to the story.
I loved getting the story line about Sarah and her death. It almost made her quest for vengeance feel a touch justified for what she went through. It was definitely interesting, and a bit creepy, to get the haunting and possession bits, and I thought it was unique to get the interaction between her and Cain.
I also really loved getting to know Cain’s cat, Eby, and his little sister, Maddie. Both of those characters added a little extra to the story. Maddie added a layer of innocence and curiosity, and Eby added a layer of realism with his behaviors and mannerisms, and reactions to Sarah (plus I adore cats).
Overall, it was a satisfying read. Though it could have used a little more horror, and a little polishing, it was engaging and creepy, and kept me entertained. There was a little predictability to it, but the shocking moments made up for that. And, that ending! Whew! 3.5 stars.
I knew the moment I saw the cover, and read the synopsis, that I had to check out Sarah! I was not disappointed. It had a nice mix of creepiness to go along with the strong plot line, and very well-developed characters.
It was refreshing to read a young adult book from the perspective of a teenager boy that cared so much about his family and friends. Cain was definitely not the typical hormone driven male. He had a lot of character and added depth to the story.
I loved getting the story line about Sarah and her death. It almost made her quest for vengeance feel a touch justified for what she went through. It was definitely interesting, and a bit creepy, to get the haunting and possession bits, and I thought it was unique to get the interaction between her and Cain.
I also really loved getting to know Cain’s cat, Eby, and his little sister, Maddie. Both of those characters added a little extra to the story. Maddie added a layer of innocence and curiosity, and Eby added a layer of realism with his behaviors and mannerisms, and reactions to Sarah (plus I adore cats).
Overall, it was a satisfying read. Though it could have used a little more horror, and a little polishing, it was engaging and creepy, and kept me entertained. There was a little predictability to it, but the shocking moments made up for that. And, that ending! Whew! 3.5 stars.
January 2, 2017
Review: SARAH by Teri Polen
SARAH had me turning pages so rapidly, I'm surprised the Kindles didn't ignite. It's an emotional roller coaster wrapped tautly in some really frightening manifestations. The "good guy" characters are appealing and heartwarming. The "jerk" characters (excepting the "ghost") are less evil than self-centered, narcissistic, selfish, and emotionally blind. Now the ghost: she's in a category by herself, and believe me, she's carved out her own niche and fully fills it. There's gore, but not for its own sake. There's a good helping of medieval morality play here too: do somebody wrong, you will pay, maximally. SARAH was a one-sitting read for me, and I enjoyed it immensely. But I'm thankful it was a daytime read.
SARAH had me turning pages so rapidly, I'm surprised the Kindles didn't ignite. It's an emotional roller coaster wrapped tautly in some really frightening manifestations. The "good guy" characters are appealing and heartwarming. The "jerk" characters (excepting the "ghost") are less evil than self-centered, narcissistic, selfish, and emotionally blind. Now the ghost: she's in a category by herself, and believe me, she's carved out her own niche and fully fills it. There's gore, but not for its own sake. There's a good helping of medieval morality play here too: do somebody wrong, you will pay, maximally. SARAH was a one-sitting read for me, and I enjoyed it immensely. But I'm thankful it was a daytime read.
February 10, 2017
Book thoughts on my blog Here
Solid 4 stars
Solid 4 stars
February 5, 2017
In Teri Polen's Young Adult horror novel Sarah we have the type of horror that is steeped in the emotions of teens yet interestingly stretches into adult horror often. Sarah is a ghost story and of course ghost stories are popular with all ages. Yet this one deftly merges mature topics with a tight horror tale and more than a taste of violence.
Cain is what most would consider a good guy . He is the captain of the soccer team and his head is on fairly straight, partially thanks to his BFF Finn who has no problem telling him when he is screwing up. The latest problem is with Cain's girl friend who is clearly using him and Finn doesn't waste words in telling Cain that. That may be why Cain doesn't pay much attention to strange things like cold breezes and creaking doors in his family's new house. At least not at first. He discovers a girl named Sarah was killed in the house while it was being built. Sarah is angry over her death and Cain wants to help her resolve it and move on. But when that help include taking possession of his body and planning gruesome deaths of her killers , Cain tries to stop it which only puts his friends and family at risk too.
From there on, it gets pretty scary. I would think this book might be too intense for younger children. 12 and up would be OK...I think. But regardless of the quibbling on the age level, Teri Polen has written one of the better YA horror novels in the past few years. Cain is totally likeable and believable. His hesitation on the number of things feels quite right as does his friend Finn who is the best advice giver even if he doesn't take it that well himself. There is a new girl friend and a cute little sister that add more dimension to the story. Cain's mother seems a bit thin. She is just there because he needs a mother. But the main characters are perfect for tangling with the spirit of Sarah as her true intentions starts to show.
Actually, Sarah is the real highlight of the story. we feels for her because of the circumstances of her death,. Yet the author reveal her growing evilness so nicely that she truly become a figure of horror. As her powers grow, so does the terror. This is one book to keep the lights on while reading, especially if you are a teen.
Sarah is well worth reading for both teens and adults. In a way it is a fairly common ghost story with possession throw in. Yet the combination of teen issues with the constant twists and turns raises it above the usual. This is a good book for your teen who think Goosebumps is old-fashioned. And if you really want to have fun wait until night when he or she is about two-thirds done than flip the main power switch off. Mean maybe but ...
Cain is what most would consider a good guy . He is the captain of the soccer team and his head is on fairly straight, partially thanks to his BFF Finn who has no problem telling him when he is screwing up. The latest problem is with Cain's girl friend who is clearly using him and Finn doesn't waste words in telling Cain that. That may be why Cain doesn't pay much attention to strange things like cold breezes and creaking doors in his family's new house. At least not at first. He discovers a girl named Sarah was killed in the house while it was being built. Sarah is angry over her death and Cain wants to help her resolve it and move on. But when that help include taking possession of his body and planning gruesome deaths of her killers , Cain tries to stop it which only puts his friends and family at risk too.
From there on, it gets pretty scary. I would think this book might be too intense for younger children. 12 and up would be OK...I think. But regardless of the quibbling on the age level, Teri Polen has written one of the better YA horror novels in the past few years. Cain is totally likeable and believable. His hesitation on the number of things feels quite right as does his friend Finn who is the best advice giver even if he doesn't take it that well himself. There is a new girl friend and a cute little sister that add more dimension to the story. Cain's mother seems a bit thin. She is just there because he needs a mother. But the main characters are perfect for tangling with the spirit of Sarah as her true intentions starts to show.
Actually, Sarah is the real highlight of the story. we feels for her because of the circumstances of her death,. Yet the author reveal her growing evilness so nicely that she truly become a figure of horror. As her powers grow, so does the terror. This is one book to keep the lights on while reading, especially if you are a teen.
Sarah is well worth reading for both teens and adults. In a way it is a fairly common ghost story with possession throw in. Yet the combination of teen issues with the constant twists and turns raises it above the usual. This is a good book for your teen who think Goosebumps is old-fashioned. And if you really want to have fun wait until night when he or she is about two-thirds done than flip the main power switch off. Mean maybe but ...
January 17, 2018
Sarah is categorized as YA horror and the book fits the genre perfectly. Sarah is a teenage ghost seeking revenge for her murder. She returns to the scene of the crime, now the home of Cain Shannon, a 17-year-old horror fan. At first, she appears shy and vulnerable, and Cain agrees to help her, but she’s not as helpless as he believes. With each bloody act of revenge, she grows in power, and her tactics increase in brutality. Before long, Cain is in the battle of his life against a ghost intent on death.
This book has some really creepy, icky, suspenseful, and scary things going on, but the scare-factor and gore are appropriate for YA readers (as well as adults). The story grabbed my attention from the first page, and the tension and suspense escalate at a steady pace without much of a break right up to the climatic end. Even the last few paragraphs of the epilog are worthy of a few terrifying chills.
Though the horror aspects of the book were engaging, what impressed me the most was Polen’s outstanding characters. All of them felt well-rounded to me with fully developed personalities, but I was totally taken with the main character Cain and his friend Finn. They felt authentic to me in their thoughts, emotions, dialog, banter, friendship, and relationships with others. I’m in awe of the author’s ability to capture the essence of teenage boys with such expertise. I found the pair of them refreshing and likable, and therefore enjoyed the non-horror moments of the book as much as the horror, if not more so.
Another thing that impressed me was the believability of the characters’ choices. I often find that characters in horror (movies) make stupid choices because the plot would keel over and die if they acted sensibly. Polen was meticulous in building a backstory that supported Cain’s decisions, particularly his choice not to involve his mother and to stay in the house despite the presence of a murderous ghost. This careful attention to character and plot kept me enmeshed in the story from chapter one right through to the end.
An excellent book for both YA and adult readers of horror and suspense.
This book has some really creepy, icky, suspenseful, and scary things going on, but the scare-factor and gore are appropriate for YA readers (as well as adults). The story grabbed my attention from the first page, and the tension and suspense escalate at a steady pace without much of a break right up to the climatic end. Even the last few paragraphs of the epilog are worthy of a few terrifying chills.
Though the horror aspects of the book were engaging, what impressed me the most was Polen’s outstanding characters. All of them felt well-rounded to me with fully developed personalities, but I was totally taken with the main character Cain and his friend Finn. They felt authentic to me in their thoughts, emotions, dialog, banter, friendship, and relationships with others. I’m in awe of the author’s ability to capture the essence of teenage boys with such expertise. I found the pair of them refreshing and likable, and therefore enjoyed the non-horror moments of the book as much as the horror, if not more so.
Another thing that impressed me was the believability of the characters’ choices. I often find that characters in horror (movies) make stupid choices because the plot would keel over and die if they acted sensibly. Polen was meticulous in building a backstory that supported Cain’s decisions, particularly his choice not to involve his mother and to stay in the house despite the presence of a murderous ghost. This careful attention to character and plot kept me enmeshed in the story from chapter one right through to the end.
An excellent book for both YA and adult readers of horror and suspense.
February 6, 2017
Teri Polen’s SARAH is the stuff that will keep you up at night. It’s the perfect blend of lighthearted teenage banter and blood-curdling horror elements. Shades of the television show Supernatural will keep fans of theWinchester brothers engrossed from the beginning through the last spine-tingling word of the epilogue.
Cain starts out as an affable teenage boy who too soon has become the man of the house because of the untimely death of his father. The addition of his best friend Finn creates a dynamic duo—the two clearly are as thick as biological brothers and their interactions are so enjoyable. Cain has typical teenage problems—love, academics, sports—until his life changes for the worse.
There is a ghost in his house.
The ghost, Sarah, has a dramatic character arc, something that infatuated me. Her change from beginning to end was something I couldn’t tear my attention from. Cain, Finn, and Lindsey are a trio that rivals Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The barbs they exchange are funny and believable, but these kids are loyal to each other to a fault. Watching those relationships solidify was a true pleasure.
I love a good ghost story, and SARAH is one of the best ones I’ve read in a while. I blew through it—it was such an easy and exciting read that I finished it in one afternoon. But I’m left fervently wishing for a sequel, because I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
If you like horror, you’ll love SARAH. It’s a must read.
Cain starts out as an affable teenage boy who too soon has become the man of the house because of the untimely death of his father. The addition of his best friend Finn creates a dynamic duo—the two clearly are as thick as biological brothers and their interactions are so enjoyable. Cain has typical teenage problems—love, academics, sports—until his life changes for the worse.
There is a ghost in his house.
The ghost, Sarah, has a dramatic character arc, something that infatuated me. Her change from beginning to end was something I couldn’t tear my attention from. Cain, Finn, and Lindsey are a trio that rivals Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The barbs they exchange are funny and believable, but these kids are loyal to each other to a fault. Watching those relationships solidify was a true pleasure.
I love a good ghost story, and SARAH is one of the best ones I’ve read in a while. I blew through it—it was such an easy and exciting read that I finished it in one afternoon. But I’m left fervently wishing for a sequel, because I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
If you like horror, you’ll love SARAH. It’s a must read.
April 2, 2017
This book introduces you to 17-year-old Cain Shannon. He and his family had to move to a smaller house, he cares for his younger sister and his cat, is on the soccer team, does not have the heart to break up with his trying girlfriend. Luckily he has his friend Finn to support him in hard times.
With Sarah, Teri Polen has created a remarkable and thrilling horror story for young adults, centred on a boy who suddenly has to face Sarah - a ghost. It is a compelling read, drawing you close to Cain, his family - including Eby the cat, his best friend Finn, Erin, and to Lindsey. Teri Polen expertly combines the horror and young adult genres; I had the feeling of being an invisible and close ally. Cain is complex and likeable, so is Finn; Sarah is complex - obviously less likeable. The other characters are of sufficient depth (according to their relevance). The story comprises realistic characters in a "normal" environment with interesting turns and nicely fitting surprises; it has a great flow. Sarah's story disturbing; Cain and Finn need to solve the mystery about Sarah's demise, find out if she is telling the truth.
This is a book for you if you like well written and compelling young adult horror stories with a touch of mystery, if you like getting close to likeable and believable characters.
Highly recommended!
With Sarah, Teri Polen has created a remarkable and thrilling horror story for young adults, centred on a boy who suddenly has to face Sarah - a ghost. It is a compelling read, drawing you close to Cain, his family - including Eby the cat, his best friend Finn, Erin, and to Lindsey. Teri Polen expertly combines the horror and young adult genres; I had the feeling of being an invisible and close ally. Cain is complex and likeable, so is Finn; Sarah is complex - obviously less likeable. The other characters are of sufficient depth (according to their relevance). The story comprises realistic characters in a "normal" environment with interesting turns and nicely fitting surprises; it has a great flow. Sarah's story disturbing; Cain and Finn need to solve the mystery about Sarah's demise, find out if she is telling the truth.
This is a book for you if you like well written and compelling young adult horror stories with a touch of mystery, if you like getting close to likeable and believable characters.
Highly recommended!
April 10, 2017
sarah by Teri Polen.
Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.
Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house - but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.
absolutely fantastic read with fantastic characters. hooked from page 1. I was reading this with all the lights on. so spooky. highly recommended. 5*. netgalley and black rose writing.
Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.
Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house - but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.
absolutely fantastic read with fantastic characters. hooked from page 1. I was reading this with all the lights on. so spooky. highly recommended. 5*. netgalley and black rose writing.
March 27, 2017
Cain witnesses a number of creepy inexplicable occurrences in his bedroom and the attic storage space above it. When he finds out that his house was linked to the disappearance of a student from his school, he suspects his home might be haunted but doesn't count on the vengeance that ensues.
This YA horror thriller did some things very well, such as, the atmospheric haunting of Cain's room, depicting his relationship with Finn, his bestfriend, and his relationship with his younger sister, Maddie and his Mum. However, I found the pace variable throughout and the story a little repetitive, but the book ended on a cliffhanger and I am intrigued enough to pick up the next instalment if there is one in this series.
A haunting read.
This YA horror thriller did some things very well, such as, the atmospheric haunting of Cain's room, depicting his relationship with Finn, his bestfriend, and his relationship with his younger sister, Maddie and his Mum. However, I found the pace variable throughout and the story a little repetitive, but the book ended on a cliffhanger and I am intrigued enough to pick up the next instalment if there is one in this series.
A haunting read.
June 27, 2017
Wow!
This book is definitely a thrill ride! From funny and sarcastic, to chilling and terrifying, I couldn't put it down. Picked it up and read it in an afternoon. I feel sorry for Sarah, but what she did to the others...well, you'll have to draw your own conclusions. I really enjoyed that this book was different from other horror books I've read. Sarah felt like a real person instead of a nasty baddy, and that was a unique perspective on ghosts. Loved the narrator in Cain, and definitely didn't see the twist at the end coming! Also, bonus points for mentioning my favorite video game 😁😁 If you're looking for a scary but different read, this is for you!
This book is definitely a thrill ride! From funny and sarcastic, to chilling and terrifying, I couldn't put it down. Picked it up and read it in an afternoon. I feel sorry for Sarah, but what she did to the others...well, you'll have to draw your own conclusions. I really enjoyed that this book was different from other horror books I've read. Sarah felt like a real person instead of a nasty baddy, and that was a unique perspective on ghosts. Loved the narrator in Cain, and definitely didn't see the twist at the end coming! Also, bonus points for mentioning my favorite video game 😁😁 If you're looking for a scary but different read, this is for you!
Read
May 26, 2023This was a dnf for me at page 48. Maybe it's because I'm sick or really wanting to be scared, but I started getting very bored of this book. It would be perfect for someone who is just getting started in horror, but its just not for me. Maybe I'll pick it up and try again in the future but for now I just can't push myself to finish it.
November 15, 2017
In the day or so since I finished reading SARAH, I’ve been trying to figure out what it does right so as to utterly grip me. After all, this is a YA novel about the ghost of a teenage girl, and the other teenagers who encounter her. Written baldly like that, most people are going to feel that it’s something they’ve seen before/read before. (Teenage girl ghosts seem to be two a penny, why aren’t there more 1890’s escape-artist ghosts?) But Polen takes something that’s in danger of tipping into hackneyed cliché, and creates a book which builds up slowly until its genuinely edge of the seat stuff.
So how does she do this? Part of it is that in the character of Sarah, our titular ghost, Polen has created a spirit – who in the first part at least – is genuinely amorphous. You’re never quite sure where you are with her and so even without overly sinister goings on, the reader is already put that little bit on edge. And that leads into the second element which really makes this book stand out, Polen is a superb writer of suspense. She understands how and when to raise the tension, to maintain it and twist the nerves that little bit more. Even the ending, which in other hands might be a rote trip to predictability, Polen still finds discordant keys to play even as us readers turn to the last page.
Just one note, the narrative does end but there’s a coming next time hint, which is normally something with the capacity to really irritate me. This one though is so clever and deliciously evil that it’s more than whet my appetite for more.
So how does she do this? Part of it is that in the character of Sarah, our titular ghost, Polen has created a spirit – who in the first part at least – is genuinely amorphous. You’re never quite sure where you are with her and so even without overly sinister goings on, the reader is already put that little bit on edge. And that leads into the second element which really makes this book stand out, Polen is a superb writer of suspense. She understands how and when to raise the tension, to maintain it and twist the nerves that little bit more. Even the ending, which in other hands might be a rote trip to predictability, Polen still finds discordant keys to play even as us readers turn to the last page.
Just one note, the narrative does end but there’s a coming next time hint, which is normally something with the capacity to really irritate me. This one though is so clever and deliciously evil that it’s more than whet my appetite for more.
June 9, 2017
This book is everything you could hope for in a teen haunting story - Cain, a likable high school student. He's a talented soccer player, cares deeply for his family following the death of his father and is just trying to do the right thing while navigating this crazy world.
The last thing he needs is for a ghost girl to start walking down the stairs from the attic and make herself at home in his bedroom. Obviously, that's exactly what happens and he has to figure out exactly what her story is and why she's still wandering the earth.
The writing is really atmospheric and spooky, the tension definitely sends chills down your spine the closer you get to the end of the book - the beginning is a little bit tame so I was starting to wonder where the author was going to go with the second half... I needn't have worried! It gets darker and hangs on to you tightly.
The only thing that did bother me was how teenage girls were portrayed, on one hand you had the vacuous, hideously selfish popularity queen who would go out with any boy who could enhance her social standing and then on the other side of the spectrum you had the 'cool girl'. The one who enjoys sports, plays a classical instrument, is 'different from all the other girls' and automatically believes anything the boy has to say about ghosts haunting his bedroom. Given that Cain himself is so middle of the road, the author is capable of writing characters that aren't just highschool stereotypes.
So, gender politics aside, this really is a book worth picking up if you're a fan of ghost stories with a nasty edge.
The last thing he needs is for a ghost girl to start walking down the stairs from the attic and make herself at home in his bedroom. Obviously, that's exactly what happens and he has to figure out exactly what her story is and why she's still wandering the earth.
The writing is really atmospheric and spooky, the tension definitely sends chills down your spine the closer you get to the end of the book - the beginning is a little bit tame so I was starting to wonder where the author was going to go with the second half... I needn't have worried! It gets darker and hangs on to you tightly.
The only thing that did bother me was how teenage girls were portrayed, on one hand you had the vacuous, hideously selfish popularity queen who would go out with any boy who could enhance her social standing and then on the other side of the spectrum you had the 'cool girl'. The one who enjoys sports, plays a classical instrument, is 'different from all the other girls' and automatically believes anything the boy has to say about ghosts haunting his bedroom. Given that Cain himself is so middle of the road, the author is capable of writing characters that aren't just highschool stereotypes.
So, gender politics aside, this really is a book worth picking up if you're a fan of ghost stories with a nasty edge.
June 23, 2017
If you like ghost stories you are gonna love this book. It is creepy, scary, and even terrifying in parts. Teri Polen has done an awesome job on this book. If it were made into a movie I would definitely go see it.
Seventeen year old Cain has a lot going on his life. He is the captain of the soccer team. He has a horrible snob girlfriend he can't stand. He has recently lost his Father to a tragic accident and has moved into a new house.
Cain and his best friend Finn are in his bedroom one night playing video games when the attic door opens by itself and a rush of freezing air comes in. The boys go to check it out but find nothing. The attic door continues to open by itself at different times. One night while Cain is alone he goes back up to the attic to see if he can figure out what is going on. While upstairs he sees fresh blood on the floor then it disappears. He hen finds out Sarah a missing girl from his high school's blood was found in the attic but she was never found.
Eventually Sarah takes form and tells Can what happened that night. Cain decides to try and help her so she can rest in peace. Bad move Dude. Sarah takes advantage of Cain's generosity. She is out for revenge not for help.
As things get deadly Cain decides to try and exorcise Sarah. Sarah isn't going to stand for this at all. Not only is she after her killers but she turns on Cain as well.
Seventeen year old Cain has a lot going on his life. He is the captain of the soccer team. He has a horrible snob girlfriend he can't stand. He has recently lost his Father to a tragic accident and has moved into a new house.
Cain and his best friend Finn are in his bedroom one night playing video games when the attic door opens by itself and a rush of freezing air comes in. The boys go to check it out but find nothing. The attic door continues to open by itself at different times. One night while Cain is alone he goes back up to the attic to see if he can figure out what is going on. While upstairs he sees fresh blood on the floor then it disappears. He hen finds out Sarah a missing girl from his high school's blood was found in the attic but she was never found.
Eventually Sarah takes form and tells Can what happened that night. Cain decides to try and help her so she can rest in peace. Bad move Dude. Sarah takes advantage of Cain's generosity. She is out for revenge not for help.
As things get deadly Cain decides to try and exorcise Sarah. Sarah isn't going to stand for this at all. Not only is she after her killers but she turns on Cain as well.
March 18, 2017
This was a very creepy story....part ghost story, part horror. Despite an annoying best friend character, this tense story built to a climactic finish....with a good last twist. Should be marketed to and enjoyed by a YA audience.
March 24, 2017
This is a phenomenally creepy story from word one! Thoroughly enjoyed this one! A must read for any supernatural/horror fan.
March 16, 2017
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
I recvieved this via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review, but that does not alter my opinion.
This was an interesting one. When I finally decided to give this a read, I wasn't really feeling myself and wanted nothing more than to feel another emotion other than sadness and confusion... So of course I turned to horror. Only, this wasn't really scary at all. Sure there were moments that made me uncomfortable, a little edgy before going to bed and not wanting to read it at night, but it wasn't truly horrifying.
We're following Cain, a teenage boy, who discovers his house is haunted by a vengeful spirit who wants to seek revenge.... So nothing too creative there, but it was enough to have me intrigued.
I read it over two days so it is certainly an easily read book, although there were times where I found myself pretty bored. Most of those times were during schools times. Our main charter, Cain, is 17, so a lot of his life was spent at school. I both liked and disliked this. I really liked that because it made the story somewhat believable and creditable and also enhanced the suspense when you waited for the next creepy thing to happen! However, the thing I didn't like was that it had far too much high school drama that I really didn't care for. Granted I didn't zone out but I couldn't wait to move on.
I also felt like our characters weren't the most developed, but good enough and failed to see a lot of the time how some incidents were relevant... They got revealed later and made sense but until then I was wondering why they happened!
And the spoilers! Oh my gosh the amount I was spoiled for Harry Potter was excruciating! Maybe I'm late to the game as I've only read the first novel recently, but in my defense not everyone has read that series! I think yes, it could have been referred to, a lot of books do it, but there was no need to have the level of detail it did.
Some minor inconsistencies, though commented on by the characters, didn't really get resolved with any explanation, so I am left hanging by a thread a little bit.
Some of the character choices were kind of annoying. For example, despite everything Cain knew about horror, he still let his curiosity in the beginning get the best of him and Lindsey was cool until she almost ruined everything!
Aside from that, I did think Cain and Finn's friendship was very admirable and some of opinions they shared were quite nice to here from someone of such a stereotyped gender and age range.
The epilogue definitely has some cliff hanger vibes, but I'm happy to leave this story there. It just didn't really deliver what I was craving, but it was a decent story.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! ^^
Gén
I recvieved this via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review, but that does not alter my opinion.
This was an interesting one. When I finally decided to give this a read, I wasn't really feeling myself and wanted nothing more than to feel another emotion other than sadness and confusion... So of course I turned to horror. Only, this wasn't really scary at all. Sure there were moments that made me uncomfortable, a little edgy before going to bed and not wanting to read it at night, but it wasn't truly horrifying.
We're following Cain, a teenage boy, who discovers his house is haunted by a vengeful spirit who wants to seek revenge.... So nothing too creative there, but it was enough to have me intrigued.
I read it over two days so it is certainly an easily read book, although there were times where I found myself pretty bored. Most of those times were during schools times. Our main charter, Cain, is 17, so a lot of his life was spent at school. I both liked and disliked this. I really liked that because it made the story somewhat believable and creditable and also enhanced the suspense when you waited for the next creepy thing to happen! However, the thing I didn't like was that it had far too much high school drama that I really didn't care for. Granted I didn't zone out but I couldn't wait to move on.
I also felt like our characters weren't the most developed, but good enough and failed to see a lot of the time how some incidents were relevant... They got revealed later and made sense but until then I was wondering why they happened!
And the spoilers! Oh my gosh the amount I was spoiled for Harry Potter was excruciating! Maybe I'm late to the game as I've only read the first novel recently, but in my defense not everyone has read that series! I think yes, it could have been referred to, a lot of books do it, but there was no need to have the level of detail it did.
Some minor inconsistencies, though commented on by the characters, didn't really get resolved with any explanation, so I am left hanging by a thread a little bit.
Some of the character choices were kind of annoying. For example, despite everything Cain knew about horror, he still let his curiosity in the beginning get the best of him and Lindsey was cool until she almost ruined everything!
Aside from that, I did think Cain and Finn's friendship was very admirable and some of opinions they shared were quite nice to here from someone of such a stereotyped gender and age range.
The epilogue definitely has some cliff hanger vibes, but I'm happy to leave this story there. It just didn't really deliver what I was craving, but it was a decent story.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! ^^
Gén
October 8, 2020
I first read this book a couple of years ago, but neglected to write a review. Notice I said "first" because this is a book to be enjoyed more than once. Sarah is categorized as YA horror and the book fits the genre perfectly.
The well-developed teenaged characters and the storyline were very enjoyable. Cain is easy to relate to in having to care for his mother and younger sister, along with juggling high school, sports, and a girlfriend.
Polen lets you know, although in a subtle way, that Sarah is not a particularly friendly ghost and that there is more to her than you might first expect. It's a marvelously creepy story.
The well-developed teenaged characters and the storyline were very enjoyable. Cain is easy to relate to in having to care for his mother and younger sister, along with juggling high school, sports, and a girlfriend.
Polen lets you know, although in a subtle way, that Sarah is not a particularly friendly ghost and that there is more to her than you might first expect. It's a marvelously creepy story.
January 22, 2021
Summary
Cain has a pretty typical life aside from having a girlfriend he can't stand. But everything changes when he discovers the ghost of a teenage girl haunting his attic.
At first he does what he can to help her move on, but she's more interested in seeking revenge on those who killed her. Cain quickly realizes she's willing to do whatever it takes and willing to take down anyone standing in her way to get what she wants.
Personal Opinion
I went into this one blind without reading the synopsis or reviews. Originally the creepy cover really caught my eye.
The story itself had a few creepy moments as well but was more of a causal type haunting read.
The writing style is very smooth making this a page turner I was able to finish off in one day.
Eby was of course one of my favorites in the book.
While Sarah didn't really bring anything new to the typical teen ghost story, it was a good paranormal read that I enjoyed.
Cain has a pretty typical life aside from having a girlfriend he can't stand. But everything changes when he discovers the ghost of a teenage girl haunting his attic.
At first he does what he can to help her move on, but she's more interested in seeking revenge on those who killed her. Cain quickly realizes she's willing to do whatever it takes and willing to take down anyone standing in her way to get what she wants.
Personal Opinion
I went into this one blind without reading the synopsis or reviews. Originally the creepy cover really caught my eye.
The story itself had a few creepy moments as well but was more of a causal type haunting read.
The writing style is very smooth making this a page turner I was able to finish off in one day.
Eby was of course one of my favorites in the book.
While Sarah didn't really bring anything new to the typical teen ghost story, it was a good paranormal read that I enjoyed.
December 5, 2016
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Lord, this was so boring, I am glad I got through. I could have DNFed it, but I decided to continue in the hopes it would get better. Sadly, it never did. :|
So my expectations were quite high for this one, when I saw it on Netgalley I just clicked the button to read it immediately. The cover was amazing (I love The Ring (original of course) and a lot of other creepy Japanese horror which feature that kind of dead girl behaviour as the girl on the cover), and the blurb sounded amazing.
Sadly the real action didn't start until 20~% in, and the first murder took even longer. Yep. There were some scary scenes, well, scary. I wasn't that scared. More like I was rolling my eyes at all the standard horror clichés. Which sometimes work, but in this book it was just not working for me. It just felt it was put in there to make Sarah creepy or something. Oh my, cold air. Oh my, attic. Oh my, my cat is afraid. Oh my, insert something else cliché.
Sarah? I am sorry, was I supposed to feel sorry for her? Hahaha, or scared? Muahahaha. No. I wasn't scared or sad. The only thing I was.... was annoyed. Very annoyed. Instead of a vengeful ghost she felt like a little kid who didn't what they wanted. Or a mean girl who get wronged by the salesperson (I wanted the red high heeled shoes, not the pink ones, dear Lord can't you see pink isn't my colour?).
And yes, Sarah's situation was terrible, I felt sorry that she had to go through it and that she died because of a group of teenagers.
But really, I wasn't impressed with her as a ghost.
Oh yay, someone wants to help me, oh screw that I want to kill those guys, screw everything, I will just take your body as well. *rolls eyes*
I just wanted to have Sarah gone, exorcised and disappeared to the deeper parts of who knows where. Sadly, she just stuck around. :|
She even just went so far to threaten Cain, yeah girl, that is cool. The only guy who is trying to help you out and you treat him like shit. Yay, good job! And yes, I know, blablabla vengeful ghost, but really, she was pretty sane most of the time, she could even voice her problems, but this, destroying the one means to give you peace? Bad move.
Cain, meh, I am not sure what to think of him. He was a nice fellow, a good guy. But the whole Erin thing just took too long to finish. I just got annoyed with him so much that he wouldn't man up and be honest about it. Also in general the Cain character felt a bit disconnected. I am not sure how to explain, it is just a feeling I have during the book.
Finn was definitely my favourite character out of the book, along with Lindsey.
The ending, or well the part where they dig up the body? It was so melodramatic and silly. Sorry, I know, maybe not right, but it felt like reading out of a script.
Also I laughed quite hard when everything was said and done, and Cain was worrying about a network of evil ghosts. :P
Of course x and y happens. Gee, I have never seen this before in any movie. I knew right away that something like this would happen. It just seemed like the kind of book for it. And I was right. Oh lord, lord, lord. *rolls eyes*
Also that solution. *snort*Yeah, no, that is totally a good idea, and I am sure Cain's mom doesn't mind that happening. :P
I also didn't entirely get why Sarah would pop up now, all of the sudden. I mean, really? People have been living in this house for several months, nothing happened, and all of the sudden BOOO a ghost? Wow. Yeah, that sounds like the bad plot from something like Paranormal Witness (and I quite like PW, but some episodes just have bad plots).
And that ending. Oh my, I just laughed so hard. Sorry, was I supposed to feel afraid, or worried? Nah, I am just pissed that this is yet another cliché, and oh, hey of course she would go that route.
So yeah, not my book. Clichés everywhere. Meh characters. Bad, mean girl ghost. And ending that was just so eyeroll worthy. Boring story. Yeah, wouldn't recommend.
1 star for the cover, and also for the basic idea. If not for both of those it would have gotten even lower.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Lord, this was so boring, I am glad I got through. I could have DNFed it, but I decided to continue in the hopes it would get better. Sadly, it never did. :|
So my expectations were quite high for this one, when I saw it on Netgalley I just clicked the button to read it immediately. The cover was amazing (I love The Ring (original of course) and a lot of other creepy Japanese horror which feature that kind of dead girl behaviour as the girl on the cover), and the blurb sounded amazing.
Sadly the real action didn't start until 20~% in, and the first murder took even longer. Yep. There were some scary scenes, well, scary. I wasn't that scared. More like I was rolling my eyes at all the standard horror clichés. Which sometimes work, but in this book it was just not working for me. It just felt it was put in there to make Sarah creepy or something. Oh my, cold air. Oh my, attic. Oh my, my cat is afraid. Oh my, insert something else cliché.
Sarah? I am sorry, was I supposed to feel sorry for her? Hahaha, or scared? Muahahaha. No. I wasn't scared or sad. The only thing I was.... was annoyed. Very annoyed. Instead of a vengeful ghost she felt like a little kid who didn't what they wanted. Or a mean girl who get wronged by the salesperson (I wanted the red high heeled shoes, not the pink ones, dear Lord can't you see pink isn't my colour?).
And yes, Sarah's situation was terrible, I felt sorry that she had to go through it and that she died because of a group of teenagers.
But really, I wasn't impressed with her as a ghost.
Oh yay, someone wants to help me, oh screw that I want to kill those guys, screw everything, I will just take your body as well. *rolls eyes*
I just wanted to have Sarah gone, exorcised and disappeared to the deeper parts of who knows where. Sadly, she just stuck around. :|
She even just went so far to threaten Cain, yeah girl, that is cool. The only guy who is trying to help you out and you treat him like shit. Yay, good job! And yes, I know, blablabla vengeful ghost, but really, she was pretty sane most of the time, she could even voice her problems, but this, destroying the one means to give you peace? Bad move.
Cain, meh, I am not sure what to think of him. He was a nice fellow, a good guy. But the whole Erin thing just took too long to finish. I just got annoyed with him so much that he wouldn't man up and be honest about it. Also in general the Cain character felt a bit disconnected. I am not sure how to explain, it is just a feeling I have during the book.
Finn was definitely my favourite character out of the book, along with Lindsey.
The ending, or well the part where they dig up the body? It was so melodramatic and silly. Sorry, I know, maybe not right, but it felt like reading out of a script.
Also I laughed quite hard when everything was said and done, and Cain was worrying about a network of evil ghosts. :P
Of course x and y happens. Gee, I have never seen this before in any movie. I knew right away that something like this would happen. It just seemed like the kind of book for it. And I was right. Oh lord, lord, lord. *rolls eyes*
Also that solution. *snort*Yeah, no, that is totally a good idea, and I am sure Cain's mom doesn't mind that happening. :P
I also didn't entirely get why Sarah would pop up now, all of the sudden. I mean, really? People have been living in this house for several months, nothing happened, and all of the sudden BOOO a ghost? Wow. Yeah, that sounds like the bad plot from something like Paranormal Witness (and I quite like PW, but some episodes just have bad plots).
And that ending. Oh my, I just laughed so hard. Sorry, was I supposed to feel afraid, or worried? Nah, I am just pissed that this is yet another cliché, and oh, hey of course she would go that route.
So yeah, not my book. Clichés everywhere. Meh characters. Bad, mean girl ghost. And ending that was just so eyeroll worthy. Boring story. Yeah, wouldn't recommend.
1 star for the cover, and also for the basic idea. If not for both of those it would have gotten even lower.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
May 21, 2017
After losing his dad Cain moves into a new house with his mother and his younger sister. His mom is a realtor, so she got a great deal on this house. The door to the attic is in Cain's bedroom and soon after moving in strange things are starting to happen. Doors are opening by themselves, temperatures suddenly drop and stuff is moving on its own. Cain decides to investigate by setting up a video camera and the results are shocking. Can he find out what needs to be done to restore the peace in his home?
Sarah was a girl who went to the same school as Cain. He never really knew her, but he did know that she disappeared a while ago. Her body was never found and the police weren't able to find out what happened to her. Cain has a pretty good idea now that he knows that Sarah's ghost is living in his attic. Cain and his best friend Finn are trying to help Sarah to get justice. They discover that a bet went wrong in a horrible way, which ended with Sarah passing away. When Cain realizes that he's blacking out he fears that Sarah has been taking over his body. He needs to find a way to protect himself against a ghost that seemed harmless in the beginning. But what if Sarah has no intention of leaving?
Cain has had a hard time after his father died. He feels responsible because he's the only man in the house and tries to help his mother by taking care of his younger sister. They're close and considerate towards one another. Cain is very good at sports and is even the captain of his soccer team. He has no clue about how to handle girls, but he's confident on the soccer field. Cain is a sensible boy. I loved how he thinks about his family first and how protective he is. When Cain says exactly what's on his mind he is absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud many times while reading his perception of the people around him. Cain is a great guy with a terrific resourceful brain.
Sarah is a creepy story that made my heart race. I hate attics and basements, I avoid them as much as I can and will only go there if I have no other choice. At my former job all of the supplies were stored in the basement and if I was the unlucky one who had to go down there, I always felt miserable and uneasy. I recognized the feelings Cain describes when he's being watched. When I saw the eerie cover of Sarah I couldn't wait to find out if the story would be just as scary. It absolutely is. I put down the book several times while I was reading late at night because it was so frightening. I'm definitely curious to find out what more Teri Polen has in store for her readers.
Sarah was a girl who went to the same school as Cain. He never really knew her, but he did know that she disappeared a while ago. Her body was never found and the police weren't able to find out what happened to her. Cain has a pretty good idea now that he knows that Sarah's ghost is living in his attic. Cain and his best friend Finn are trying to help Sarah to get justice. They discover that a bet went wrong in a horrible way, which ended with Sarah passing away. When Cain realizes that he's blacking out he fears that Sarah has been taking over his body. He needs to find a way to protect himself against a ghost that seemed harmless in the beginning. But what if Sarah has no intention of leaving?
Cain has had a hard time after his father died. He feels responsible because he's the only man in the house and tries to help his mother by taking care of his younger sister. They're close and considerate towards one another. Cain is very good at sports and is even the captain of his soccer team. He has no clue about how to handle girls, but he's confident on the soccer field. Cain is a sensible boy. I loved how he thinks about his family first and how protective he is. When Cain says exactly what's on his mind he is absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud many times while reading his perception of the people around him. Cain is a great guy with a terrific resourceful brain.
Sarah is a creepy story that made my heart race. I hate attics and basements, I avoid them as much as I can and will only go there if I have no other choice. At my former job all of the supplies were stored in the basement and if I was the unlucky one who had to go down there, I always felt miserable and uneasy. I recognized the feelings Cain describes when he's being watched. When I saw the eerie cover of Sarah I couldn't wait to find out if the story would be just as scary. It absolutely is. I put down the book several times while I was reading late at night because it was so frightening. I'm definitely curious to find out what more Teri Polen has in store for her readers.
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