Eireann Corrigan

A stranger high on PCP crashes a family gathering, brandishing a machete. Dad's heart gives out while fending off the intruder, who then hacks his way into the bedroom where 15-year-old Paulie is hiding. A scene from a lurid horror novel? Nope. No one dies, for one thing. The author is interested in what happens after such a traumatic experience, how "the knots of people someone decided to unravel" knit themselves together again.

To teens like Greer and Addison and their group of friends, all with extreme addictions, Joshua's self-love talk and enforcement of positive thinking is a highly attractive alternative to the more mundane and elaborate rituals of McCracken Hill. However, Greer soon discovers that all is not as it seems within Joshua's inner circle and must decide what she wants to do and what she is able to do with this knowledge. In The Believing Game, Eireann Corrigan explores what it is like to become show more drawn into a cult and the lengths to which cult leaders will go to maintain their followers. What follows is a chilling journey of love and loss, betrayal and friendship among a group of teens most in need of help.

Even though Greer talks tough and appears to have no real sense of shame, there are hints of vulnerability that prevent a reader from lumping her in with every other rebelling teenager with parental issues. Her love for Addison highlights her softer side and shows a girl who is craving to be normal and to achieve the love and affection afforded to others. Yet, she is refreshingly self-aware, something which prevents her from being a total cliche. Her recognition of the fact that McCracken is truly the last hope for her, as well as her forced willingness to follow the rules and play the game as set out by the school, is honest and insightful and contains none of the self-righteousness that she could have so easily had. Greer is just what she appears to be - a teen with a troubled past who wants to have a good time but knows that if she is going to succeed as an adult, she needs to get her act together.

Joshua is the creepiest type of bad guy. He looks innocuous, and taken at face value, his words provide much-needed hope and inspiration to a group of teens with very few chances left in life. Like Greer, a reader will immediately know that something is not quite right with Joshua and his influence over Addison. Yet, also like Greer, one will continue to hope that it is just one's imagination and that there is no insidious plot to be found. However, those niggling feelings of doubt never fade but grow stronger as Joshua begins to slip and show his true motivations. What follows is an intense journey as Greer slowly begins to understand the truth and rushes to save her friends and, most importantly, Addison from Joshua's grip.

While Joshua's true beliefs are ultimately laughable, the feelings of frustration and fear that surround those caught up in his net are strikingly real. Even though his ultimate goal may cause laughter, the steps he is willing to take to defend his vision are terrifying in their extremity. A reader is quickly caught up in Greer's inability to extract herself or her friends from his clutches. Ms. Corrigan's stark but effective writing makes it all too easy to understand how people can be drawn into a cult and how truly difficult it is to step away from it.

The Believing Game is the best type of psychological thriller and a very refreshing change of pace within the young adult genre. Greer and Addison are two regular kids struggling with very real demons, and not of the paranormal variety. There is no love triangle. The world is not post-apocalyptic and does not require superhuman intelligence or other mutations in order to survive. Joshua is subtly menacing and deliciously creepy, while the unraveling of the mystery surrounding Joshua's motives makes for an intense and thrilling read. The Believing Game is a fantastically creepy and quick read to help while away those gloomy winter afternoons.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to Netgalley and to Scholastic for my review copy! show less

I could say, "The Believing Game is a creepy book", and leave it like that, because it's true. I lost count of the creepy situations scattered throughout the pages and the number of times it gave me jitters. If disquieting is what you want, then The Believing Game by [a:Eireann Corrigan|16561|Eireann Corrigan|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1224298099p2/16561.jpg] is the book for you.

Greer Cannon is caught shoplifting and as punishment is sent to McCracken Hill, a school for troubled teens show more where they earn privileges like the use of shampoo and conditioner and meet with therapists who help them recover from troubled pasts. Then Greer meets Addison Bradley and the two fall head over heels in love with each other. Addison then introduces her to his sponsor - Joshua - and the creepy begins.

Joshua is a charismatic character who burrowed his way into Addison's life and poses as a mentor for the troubled teen. He convinces Addison, Greer and a few of their friends to go away with him to a cabin in the woods (owned by Sophie, one of Greer's friends from McCracken) and there he breaks them down and tells them about his plans for the future.

Joshua uses the weaknesses of each of the teens to force them to bend to his will. He uses them for their money and makes them feel guilty about being rich. He makes them feel reprehensible for assuming that he was Jewish because of his name and then for assuming that he couldn't be Jewish because he was black. He uses everything about them to make them submissive and loyal to him. On a scale of one to ten, Joshua is a 20 on the creepster scale.

I enjoyed Corrigan's writing style. Greer's narrative flowed easily on the pages and I was, at many points, able to sympathize with her about her family situation. However, I can't say I completely enjoyed Greer as much as I hoped I would. While she seemed to have a good head on her shoulder - she figured out earlier on that Joshua was not to be trusted - Addison was her blind-spot. She had a lot of opportunities to try to make him understand what was going on with Joshua, but she was too afraid of losing him so she tied her own hands and caused me frustration as a reader.

In spite of (or perhaps, because of) their flaws, I thought that the teens were likable and complex. I wish that we saw more background on each of the characters - or that we were told more about what happened to them in the end - though I must admit that the way it ended seems perfect for the story.

I should also note that while the book itself is not graphic there are a lot of references to abuse, addiction, rape and things that might not be suitable - or might be triggers - for some readers.

This book should not be taken lightly, you've been warned, it's creepy. show less

When Greer is caught shoplifting (again) her parents pack her up and send her to McCracken Hill, a reform school for troubled teens. Shoplifting is only one of Greer’s vices (she also has a tendency to sleep around and has an eating disorder).To Greer, the move to McCracken Hill is all very annoying. She’s not easily won over by the staff or the self-help chit chat that is supposed to be therapeutic and help her deal with her disorders. But then she meets Addison, ex-skinhead and drug show more and alcohol abuser with a very troubled past. Recently reformed and on his way to a better life, Addison attributes his life changes to his mentor — a man named Joshua. At first glance, Joshua seems to be the perfect mentor — kind, funny and peaceful. But soon Greer begins to notice things — strange things — about Joshua. He’s obviously not what he appears to be. When Greer tells Addison about her mistrust in his mentor and that gets back to Joshua, it leads to all kinds of trouble for Greer. Soon, cleaning up her act is the least of Greer’s worries. Now she needs to try and stay alive.

This book was very well-written and full of all kinds of twists and turns. There are mind-games a plenty here and sometimes you never know who you can trust. It’s definitely a pulse-pounder and will keep you turning the pages well past your bedtime.

Greer is a very unreliable narrator (and I love that). She’s good at manipulation and getting her way, and seeing her struggle with this is interesting. I liked the dynamic between her and Addison, but it’s the tension-filled scenes between her and Joshua that drive the book. The mystery surrounding Joshua is very compelling and creepy.

The book moves at a quick pace, though there were a few times when I felt it stumbled a bit. While the ending felt like it fizzled a bit, this is still an interesting read and one I would recommend to fans of thrillers. show less