Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz

The perfect book for a Halloween read!

I think I have a lot to blame on this book. I have to blame my love of ghostie books on this one. I have to blame my love of abandoned insane asylums or hospitals on this book. I have to blame my love of cheering on any dual-POV book by Laurie Faria Stolarz on this book. And lastly, I have to blame my love of a bunch of rough and tumble kids going on secret adventures on this book.

I loved this book. Correction, years later, I still love this book. I’ve never been a horror girl – and I most definitely will never be – but this is horror and thriller done right.

This book is about a group of kids that go into an abandoned insane asylum that is about to be torn down for a night. All the locals think it’s haunted, and truthfully, after starting to read all the crazy happening that’s going on, you may be inclined to think so, too. Enter in our group of adventurers. There’s Derek, the budding movie maker who needs to make this documentary in order to win a film contest to help him in his movie career, so he grabs a crazy cast to make his movie perfect. We’ve got Mimi, the quintessential goth chick who has problems of her own; Chet, the class – or abandoned mental hospital in this case – clown always trying to get a laugh; Liza, the type and straight A student going along to get something a little extra on her resume to make sure she gets into the college of her dreams; and Tony and Greta, two actors who are always in the spotlight…or always making out. What will happen once they’re locked into the hospital for the night? Will the ghosts appear…or maybe something go horribly wrong?

I loved this cast of characters. They all had their own demons, they’re own problems. They weren’t just cookie cutter characters that you couldn’t tell apart when the narration changed. Even if you didn’t like them at first, you began to see why they were doing the things that they were and how they got to this point. My two favorite characters were definitely Liza and Derek – mostly because I adored their little ship. I really wasn’t expecting a romance out of this story, but Stolarz made sure there were little ships that I could cheer for and watch them sail. I did like all of the characters, though, and there really wasn’t one that I hated.

I also loved the atmosphere of the book. She created a very haunting and scary picture. I definitely would not like my butt locked in there for the night, and she definitely helped us paint a picture of what or wasn’t lurking in the dark. Trust me, if you’re looking for a spooky setting, this is definitely the book for you.

Also, the storyline kept me on my toes…and definitely had me looking over my shoulder. I would scurry down the hallway at night, and I didn’t dare get up to the pee. Walking down a darkened hallway or darkened hallway was definitely not allowed for me at this point. There were so many little twists and scary things that had me rethinking things and my stance on ghosts. I really don’t get freaked out by too many books, and this book had me definitely creeped out.

Stolarz created such a perfectly atmospheric and dark story that infused humor, great characters, and an interesting storyline. While this story was perfect for a Halloween read, it’s a great read period. I would so recommend this for anyone – and truthfully, it really doesn’t get too scary so don’t let me scare you off too much. It has its adorable ships and creepy atmosphere.

Check it out:

Check out the other two Halloween reads I have for today as well, Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz (as well, I know!) and Slasher Girls and Monster Boys!