Are You in the House Alone?

in a sentence: it all starts when gail gets a very graphic and sexually violent note in her locker at school...and then the phone calls start, but only when she's all alone.

i must confess, this has been on my to-read list for awhile, but after a recent conversation with my friend elizabeth about goosebumps and fear street, i decided that now was the time to read it. i was hoping for something that would be so absorbingly scary that i could jump up in my seat as i was reading! high expectations, i know, but this book did a pretty darn good job of getting there.

you're introduced to a multitude of characters that could be the creep doing these things to gail, so you're guessing along with her to try and discover who the guy is.the first show more 2/3 of the book was what i expected - mysterious, creepy, scary, angsty. after the 'event' that shifts the story, i was not sure what to expect for the last 1/3 of it. however, this was a scary story, and if the scary part happens before the end, what are we to do with the rest? good thing richard peck had an idea of what to do, and executed it well.

at the same time viewing the entitlement issues of small town-high school dynamics and relationships paired with a suspensefully uncomfortable undertone, this book takes a hard look at some tough issues. as someone who is an avid Lifetime Movie Network fan and Law and Order: SVU, this book particularly spoke to me. happy endings are not a given. punishment isn't always just. victims sometimes make themselves more of a victim from their lack of action. if the first 2/3 of the book is the mystery, the last 1/3 is the genius of the author for taking that mystery and making it feel tangible and real.

though a bit clumsy in parts, especially with the veiled conclusion at the end, are you in the house alone was a thrill ride for the first part and a thoughtful pondering for the last part which made for a unique and relevant book. in particular, the last conversation between the mother and daughter about the overall conclusion. that gave me the heebie jeebies. i was hoping for something better than Fear Street (my memory of Fear Street rather as i have not read them since i was about 10), and i was not disappointed.

fave quotes: "When you've got a problem your friends can't face, you become a...leper" (87)
"I felt drunk with all the knowledge. I knew hew was missing an important, human part. Call it insanity if you feel like making excuses for him. He thought everything belonged to him and that he could do no wrong. Nobody had ever told him otherwise. At that moment it didn't even chill me to realize how many people there are like that in this world." (147)

fix er up: there were some loose ties i was not down with. the family's lawyer after the incident just sorts of fades into the background for example. show less

I'm very sorry that we have lost this wonderful writer. Here he tackles a difficult topic with clear eyes and a sensitive touch. I had for years thought this was a horror story. It is much more down to earth than that. I was glad for the strong central character and the thoughtful way that he handled the rape itself. I hope that things have gotten better since this was written, but I'm not sure that is so. A good look at a hard subject.

It all starts with a creepy note in her locker. Somebody is promising to do disgusting things to Gail. Then he starts calling, and is obviously watching her every move. When he finally strikes, it’s someone she knows, and worse, someone who may just get away with it.

This was the worst book I have read in a long time. From page 6 I was making mental notes for this evaluation: cringe-worthy, sexist, dated (originally published 1976), I can’t believe it won the Edgar Allen Poe Mystery Award – what’s the mystery? It has the most inauthentic teen voice I’ve ever read – talking about teens rather than with them, which is jolting in a first-person narrative. The only redeeming part was after the rape (which surprisingly happens on show more page 91 out of 156 – rather early if that was the climax), when he finally talks about some interesting social stuff, and Gail finally gets a backbone and seems believable. show less

As a young adult librarian, I already had him in my collection, then I had a chance to meet him at a librarian workshop and I was even more impressed. In this book he tackles some real issues that we all struggle with. Recommended.

Sixteen-year-old Gail is living the upper-class suburban life when she begins receiving terrifying phone calls and notes in her locker. And the calls keep coming. When she's attacked by the town's golden boy everyone refuses to take action against him and his powerful family. A frightening drama that deals with heavy teen issues and the idea of justice (or lack thereof).

Deals with an important topic for all ages - guilt and shame after rape - but the delivery is too superficial. Definitely reads like a 70s / 80s young adult book. I appreciate the attempt to spotlight these crucial topics, including the fact that rapists still get away with their crime and victims are still the ones on trial, I just wish there'd been a bit more depth to certain scenes.

3 stars

Sixteen year old, Gail, must deal with her life in a small town, as she gets stalked and eventually raped. Richard Peck does an excellent job of keeping the reader on the edge of his seat as Gail tries to figure out who is watching her. This book brings up ethical questions on whether or not there can be justice for rape victims. Some vocabulary in this story is outdated and will be hard for students without a lot of prior knowledge of the 70's to understand. I would recommend this book for high school students, and especially classes where moral dilemmas can be discussed.

Its about a girl named Gail Osburne finds a note in her locker then another note couple days later then Gail starts getting strange phone calls. Her friends ell her to forget about the notes and calls but Gail can't. She talks to the principle at her school and guidance teachers to help her find out who is doing this to her.
C.M.