Windsor, Patricia. Nightwood. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2006. 256 pages. ISBN-10: 0385903316. ISBN-13: 978-0385903318.Plot:
Rather than go on the class trip to Washington, D.C., Casey, Gena, and Maryann decide to skip and spend a week in a cabin on the lake. They think it will be a harmless week of parent-free fun; Casey hopes to meet her boyfriend who will be there fishing. After they arrive at the lake, weird things start happening. A cabin full of mutilated animals is found, prompting the local sheriff’s son to investigate a string of similar incidences across the south. A local boy goes missing and another out-of-towner is attacked.
The girls are oblivious to what is happening until the day they decide to visit Casey’s boyfriend and his friends. They arrive only to discover that one of his friends is missing. While searching for him, they stumble upon the mangled body of the missing local boy instead. The girls decide to go back to their cabin and leave the boys to deal with the police, but while on the way back a storm begins, causing Gena to fall out of the boat. The other two girls decide to go back to the cabin and wait the storm out before looking for her. Unfortunately, someone else finds her before they can. The deranged killer has a plan and he will deal with anyone who gets in his way, including the girls.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is written with alternating narrators, which allows the reader to have information the characters do not. This lends a feeling of suspense and dread, as the reader is able to connect events that are occurring in multiple places. Windsor’s descriptions of the mutilation and violence are sparse, leaving most of it up to the reader’s imagination. The setting is appropriately remote and the perfect combination of idyllic and sinister. This all comes together to create a creepy atmosphere perfect for the events.
The story actually has substance, too. The smaller plots involving the relationship between the sheriff and his son or those of the girls’ home lives flesh out what would otherwise be a stereotypical teen slasher. Including the point of view of the killer in a way that can almost make him sympathetic at times is an interesting and effective choice. Any time the reader begins to feel sorry for the killer, the feeling of horror intensifies once we are reminded of what he has done. Unfortunately, the book does suffer from the fatal flaw of many in the genre: an unsatisfying ending. Windsor attempts to add a twist, but does so in a way that is confusing rather than shocking. Aside from that mistake, however, the book is a scary and entertaining read.
Reader's Annotation:
Six teenagers head to the lake for a relaxing week only to be terrorized by a dangerous killer.
Author Information:
Patricia Windsor was born in New York on September 21, 1938 and died July 1, 2010. She began writing as a child and submitted several of her pieces to Seventeen magazine. After receiving 35 rejection notices from them by the time she graduated from high school, she decided that writing was not the career for her. Instead, she studied dance at Bennington College and Westchester Community College. After graduation, however, she began work as an editor and copywriter working for both Mademoiselle magazine and Harper and Row.
Her first novel was published in 1973. She has since written 16 more novels, the last being Nightwood published in 2006. Her books tend to have elements of mystery, the supernatural and horror. She has received several awards including the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
Genre:
Horror
Curriculum Ties:
None
Booktalking Ideas:
- Discuss the points of view of each of the characters as the story unfolds.
- Compare the three girls' personalities.
- Read the first short chapter as a teaser about the killer.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
15 and older
Challenge Issues:
Violence
Profanity
Alcohol and drug use
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
Many teens really enjoy horror as a genre. This book contains all the traditional elements of the teen slasher genre, but with a moral complication.
