This is one of the books that made the greatest impressions on me when I was younger. It is a true horror book. Frances is used to a scatty life with her aunt, moving from house to house, so she's excited when her aunt announces she's getting married (even though it all sounds rather abrupt) and they'll be moving to a big house.



But all is not as it seems. In the big house, frances finds herself a prisoner in a home with odd rules. First some of the rules seem oddly annoying - being quiet and not

This is one of the books that made the greatest impressions on me when I was younger. It is a true horror book. Frances is used to a scatty life with her aunt, moving from house to house, so she's excited when her aunt announces she's getting married (even though it all sounds rather abrupt) and they'll be moving to a big house.



But all is not as it seems. In the big house, frances finds herself a prisoner in a home with odd rules. First some of the rules seem oddly annoying - being quiet and not being able to watch TV and not talking at mealtimes. Then they're downright creepy, such as everyone storing up food and studying for some apocalypse. Then there's some really scary behaviour and rumours that makes her realise the place is dangerous and the people may be cruel.



I loved how the writing was sparse and there weren't easy "jumps" but the suspense grew and the horror grew. There were scenes like when someone comes to the door and everyone is scared that I thought were beautifully written so you feel the intensity of emotions about something that seems, to an ordinary person, non-scary. While the book is not without its faults and I can feel frustrated with Frances and her strategies for dealing with her problems and escaping sometimes, I really enjoyed this book.



The characters were brought up in a dreary household but they do have quite distinct personalities with the dominating Mr Tyrell and the goody-goody but snide Claire.



I thought it was an excellent book dealing with how a cult might work, and how it might get inside your head.



I am glad (unlike some reviewers who liked the book) that there is no sequel. I thought the book ended perfectly. The real horror was about what happened in the house. It wasn't really about the fascinating characters, it was about exploring the horror of that situation or at least that's what I felt worked. Some books don't need sequels or spin-offs and I think this is one of them.



I can still remember passages of this book by heart and visualise the people moving around the house; this book made such an impression on me. I can read it over and over.