The Scarecrows by Robert Westall

by Robert Westall

There were three people, standing in the darkest place, watching him. Simon is outraged that his Mum plans to remarry. He can't bear her new fiancé or the way his mother and sister seem to have forgotten his late father. Overwhelmed by hatred and anger he seeks solace in a nearby abandoned water mill. But another, powerful hatred lingers within its walls. And it is about to be unleashed... Westall's immense talent is evident from the opening line - Simon's anger and unhappiness are tangible, and the Scarecrows' ill-intentions terrifying.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Halloween, Folklore

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Robert Westall was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England in 1929.

His first published book The Machine Gunners (1975) which won him the Carnegie Medal is set in World War Two when a group of children living on Tyneside retrieve a machine-gun from a crashed German aircraft. He won the Carnegie Medal again in 1981 for The Scarecrows, the first writer to win it twice. He won the Smarties Prize in 1989 for Blitzcat and the Guardian Award in 1990 for The Kingdom by the Sea. Robert Westall's books have been published in 21 different countries and in 18 different languages, including Braille.

From: http://www.robertwestall.com/

Reviews

[Christopher Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I have a favourite book of all time, but if I did then I'd have to say The Scarecrows. I first read it when I was thirteen - the same age as the central character Simon Wood - and it had a lasting effect on me. I recently re-read it and found it just as compelling as an adult. Robert Westall (and this book in particular) is in fact the main reason why my own first two books are in this same genre, i.e. young adult ghost stories, and with some similar themes. He has been a major inspiration for me, more than any other single writer.

Why is The Scarecrows so good? Well for one thing I've always liked ghost stories, but this is so much more than that. It's also a psychological thriller and a powerful emotional drama. Simon is utterly believable as the lonely, angry and confused boy who idolises his late father and sees his relationship with his mother begin to disintegrate after her remarriage to a man he hates. What makes this seem so gut-wrenchingly real is that it's mainly Simon's own inner demons that are tearing his family apart - and as his misery and isolation grows, so the unquiet ghosts in the ruined water-mill across the fields begin to stir, grown in power and move closer and closer ... but what will happen when they finally arrive? The fact that we're never told only adds to the chilling power and tension of the climax.

Simon is the best thing in the book. Westall did brilliantly to paint such a dark, complex and yet sympathetic character. But all the other characters convince too, and in general the quality of Westall's writing is superb throughout, clearly superior to most other writers (childrens' and adults') that I've seen since. It hooks you from the startling first sentence to the rather abrupt, slightly ambiguous ending. And there's the odd flash of humour too, despite the dark themes.

If you have any interest at all in ghost stories, this is a must-read - but even if you don't, still give it a go. It's so much more than a bog standard paranormal yarn. It's best suited to teenage readers - probably not younger - and adults.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly and in my humble opinion, with Robert Westall's 1981 Carnegie Medal winning young adult thriller The Scarecrows, deep rooted mental health issues and having to deal with bullying, loss and unrelentingly irrational personality disorder type anger, these are all front and centre and also clearly do (for me at least) very much come before and dominate any and all supernatural components one might textually encounter in The Scarecrows, so that the sinister and utterly menacing entities (the scarecrows of the book title) which have seemingly been conjured up and brought to horrifying life by main protagonist Simon Wood calling on the departed spirit of his deceased (and problematically and maybe even totally inappropriately idolised) father (to help Simon fight against the world, but in particular his mother and her new and actively despised by Simon new husband) are actually thus more manifestations of himself and his unrelenting vicious rage than the scarecrows are actual and bona fide menacing figures of solidly realistic horror and terror.

And with this in mind (and bien sûr in my opinion), after having read The Scarecrows and finding the story brilliantly penned by Robert Westall but not at all in any manner either comfort or pleasure reading for in particular my inner child, The Scarecrows is therefore a story most definitely meant for readers over the age of twelve or even older, as the author's, as Westall's writing certainly pulls no punches describing Simon Wood's mindset as being absolutely full full full of massive amounts of anger and increasingly isolated from his mother (because of her new marriage and her mistaken assumption that her son does neither want nor need her), with the atmosphere of The Scarecrows becoming increasingly tense and horrifying as the plot and Simon's rage and hatred progress, and with an ending for The Scarecrows that is very much open-ended, not truly negatively so, but certainly giving pause for thought and for questions, since Robert Westall's conclusion for The Scarecrows rather leaves us as readers to wonder what happens to Simon, his mother, her new husband (and yes, that nothing is really and decently ever resolved in The Scarecrows is certainly brutally realistic but also more than a bit annoying and frustrating, since I personally definitely do prefer endings for my reading experiences that do not leave me hanging too much).

And yes, in The Scarecrows, even before Simon's widowed mother tells him she is remarrying, he son textually is already being shown by Robert Westall as totally and fully consumed and ravaged with and by absolute negativity and unrelenting anger (due to bullying, intensely missing his dead father and finding it impossible to understand why his mother is trying to move on and not idolising her deceased husband and Simon's father like her son is doing) so that Simon turning his rage onto Joe Moreton, onto his mother's fiancé, while ridiculous, uncalled for and majorly inappropriately problematic is also demonstrated as being something totally believable, with the conjured up (rage signifying) scarecrows terrifyingly advancing on Simon and his house as his own behaviour toward his mother and towards Joe becomes more and more outrageous and frightening. And yes, as the inner and outer tensions pass the point of no return in The Scarecrows, all kind of seems lost until a friend helps Simon to confront the scarecrows (and of course himself), with Simon's final destruction of the externalized terror of the scarecrows purging his internal rage and hatred, leaving a conclusion for The Scarecrows that is definitely hopeful to a point, but also like already mentioned above, for me and to me rather too open-ended, since we really do not get to know what happens next, what is the future for Simon Wood, for his mother, for Joe Moreton (and first and foremost if the scarecrows, if Simon's personal demons and his rage have really been fully exorcised and not just pushed down and swallowed up into his soul to fester and perhaps to one day remerge).

Three stars for The Scarecrows (as indeed, Robert Westall's story, while definitely brilliant and inuring, has most certainly been much too uncomfortable for reading pleasure, hitting a bit too close to home regarding mental health and anger issues, and that I definitely am wanting more closure and a less open-ended and hanging ending).

[alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strange, dark little book about the power of family, friendship, and overcoming one’s own personal demons - demons who have inexplicably taken the shape of a medieval water mill and the three equally decrepit scarecrows that reside there.

The Scarecrows took a number of weird turns before reaching its (wholly satisfying) conclusion, but I came to enjoy the ride, though it did take me a while to get accustomed to all the British lingo. Some elements have aged rather poorly, but the core of the story - that is, Simon and the people who love him - is as strong as ever.

Read for the Horror Aficionados' 2023 Halloween Season Challenge (prompts as follows):

1. Bat: Cujo by Stephen King
2. Cat: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
3. Ghost/Haunting: Tell Me I'm Worthless by Allison Rumfitt
4. Graveyard: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez
5. Jack-o'-lantern/Pumpkin: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
6. Monster: Slimer by Harry Adam Knight
7. Scarecrow: The Scarecrows by Robert Westall
8. Treats: Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
9. Tricks: Let's Go Play at the Adams' by Mendal W. Johnson
10. Vampire: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
11. Werewolf: Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
12. Witch: Rouge by Mona Awad
13. Zombie: This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham
14. [BONUS] Clowns/Corn: Children of the Corn by Stephen King

[Samantha-Ellen Bound · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scarecrows was first published in 1981 – it’s more of a recent children’s classic, but rightly so, because it’s one of the best contemporary children’s novels I’ve read. I say contemporary even though The Scarecrows does have elements of horror and the supernatural – but these things arise out of the main character’s psychological trauma. The way Westall does this is seamless and powerful. Some of the content is quite daring – a few of the passages would not make the final edit these days, I feel – but at the same time, it feels like they need to be there. These things make us understand the fear, isolation and confusion Simon feels as the realities of being ‘grown up’ push their way into his life.

The Scarecrows is genuinely, for a kid’s book, scary. And what makes it even more terrifying is that the horror comes from the ugliness of human emotions. This is a psychological thriller at its best.


Full review at:
http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com.au/sea...

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Westall is a genius. SCARECROWS is a chilling book, brilliantly written. Simon is struggling to come to terms with himself and the changes in his family. When he goes to stay with his mother and her new boyfriend, he discovers a creaking old mill with a dark past.

This is a terrifying book without any gore or cheap scare tactics. The building of the tension is deliciously unbearable and the ending will keep bouncing around in your head long after you finish reading it. Whenever I had to stop reading I was desperate to get back to find out what would happen next.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially boys from 10 - 14 -- even boys of that age who don't really like to read.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this as a child, and loved it today. On the surface, this is still the cracking ghost story I remember and it is still just as chilling. At eleven I remember being too scared to turn off the light and the same bloody thing happened last night over twenty years later! There is quite a lot going on in this short children's novel and some of the more adult themes (and there are a fair few) probably went over my head when I first read it . The characters are quite complex and the hero of the piece is a lot more dark and twisted than I remember. Dare I say it, they don't make 'em like this anymore. Or maybe they do and I just don't know about them.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another re-read from my childhood. I used to love Robert Westall as a child, and reading his novels as an adult I have come to the conclusion that none of his appeal has been lost. I still find this book delightfully creepy but as an adult I absolutely hated the whining and selfish attitude of the protagonist, Simon. I probably loved him as a child though.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to see what Molly was talking about. Teen horror.

[Ms Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very scary and realistic story by a great author...not for the faint-hearted!

[Ryan McNie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 1/2 to 2 stars.

Sometimes a book sits on your shelf for years and the one day you pick it up and can't believe you haven't got to it sooner. And then other times you wish you had left it on the shelf indefinitely. Sadly, this is one of those latter times.

I had nearly gotten rid of this book several times but ultimately held onto it upon realising that it had won the Carnegie medal thinking that it must be worth a read. Maybe in 1981 when it received the accolade this was the case. But the book does not do a good job at standing the test of time.
To begin with it is rife with casual racial slurs and other cringe inducing dialogue including a woman claiming that she feels 'raped' due to people buying all the stock in her shop.

Another issue is it's pacing. It takes far too long to get to anything supernatural despite heavily hinting at supernatural over tones on the back of the book and, in fact, all over the cover. The truth is that element does not rear it's head until over halfway through the book and as such seems out of place in the bland bumbling world that has been built thus far. As a follow up to this the word scarecrow isn't even mentioned until page 159. This pacing is something I could forgive if the book ultimately led to and intriguing place but sadly this is not the case.
The book bumbles along all over the place. To begin with we follow the main character at school, the events of which, after the introduction, are of little relevance. It could be argued that the opening chapters are all in the name of character building but even so it takes a long time to accomplish what could have been achieved in half the page count. You read the introduction which speaks about numerous characters in detail that are never mentioned again. And this is a recurring issue. There are characters throughout this book that serve little to no purpose. If you took them out it really wouldn't make much of a difference.

But what about the main plot? Well, the main plot is essentially about a son taking issue with his mother's remarriage. I wish I could say you can see both or even one side of the argument but this really isn't the case.
Between the tactlessness of the mother and selfishness of the son you are left feeling unsure of who to side with and so ultimately end up not warming to either of them. I don't necessarily think you have to like and agree with a protagonist but when they happen to be as bratty and selfish as this one it doesn't spur you to read on. And nor do any of the other characters. Some are just bland and blatantly used as plot devices whilst others are just unlikable.

Despite all these issues with the first half I was determined to plow on in the Hope's that the second half would bring about a more interesting read and satisfying conclusion. Instead what I got was more argument and teen angst, a fairly pointless supernatural subplot, the return of a seemingly omnipotent character that was supposedly a big deal but had little to do with the plot thus far and a messy, jumble of a conclusion that actually concluded very little.

In fairness this is a difficult topic to cover and many of the scenes involving the protagonist feeling left out of the new family dynamic are well written and may be useful to those going through the same thing. As well as this the author does a decent job of building atmosphere. But ultimately a mess of plots and subplots, irritating and unlikeable characters and a significant lack of conclusion lead to an incredibly unsatisfying book that doesn't seem to understand what it is that it wants to say. All of this leads me to believe that 1981 must have been a terrible year for children's and young adult literature.

[Brian Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

Style over plot/structure...

I suspect this book won its laurels from its voice, which (at its best moments) recalls the adolescent angst of The Catcher in the Rye. The characters are all very well fleshed-out, but I was left disliking the protagonist who suffers from a roaring Oedipus Complex. His hatred of his mom's new husband might have been more understandable had this gentleman been wicked or contemptible. Instead, he is one of the most sympathetic characters of the bunch -- a chubby harmless artist, a genial hippo. As for horror, look elsewhere -- the scarecrows don't show up until more than halfway through the book, almost as if they were an afterthought when the writer was composing his first draft. And if you're expecting a resolution with a proper catharsis, you will be disappointed.

Overall, it was a disappointing read, especially as the author was new to me and I had high hopes based on the awards his books had won. I might try him again based off his unique voice, which does nicely capture a teen's POV.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic from Robert Westall, but a lot more savage and scary than the Machinegunners; amongst other things, he brilliantly captures the nastiness of the relentless teenage bully. Some of the mo-holds-barred content surprised me ... for a book published in 1981.

[Cheryl]

Carnegie.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. I picked it up for the 'spooky' element of the walking, threatening scarecrows but I was surprised by how mundane most of the book is with the supernatural element appearing late, escalating fast and leaving the reader on the edge of their reading seat.

I don't think the online book descriptions do this 1981 Carnegie medal winner any favours. Yes, Simon is angry that his mum is getting remarried and sure, he hates his new stepfather. What I was not prepared for however was the depth of Simon's depression, dissociation and is suffering from such acute psychiatric grief over the death of his idolised father, that he is emotionally isolated from himself and the world around him.

This is a chilling book! But it is not chilling because of the scary scarecrows at the end, it is chilling because we read it from Simon's perspective and as most readers will recognise Simon's dissociation (even kids today are brought up to recognise emotional health issues). The almost unbelievable way in which Simon's mother handles him during her new attachment...

Anyway - as the blurb on the book says, Simon is forced to go on holiday with his mother, who he now hates and loves and is desperately lonely about now, his kid sister who loves her new stepfather, and the stepfather in question. Through Simon's eyes we see how hard the stepfather is trying, but Simon just despises him.

Simon is fascinated by an old, abandoned mill which suits his mood by being creepy. There is a sinister coatrack (I know, not a phrase I would have thought of either) with three coats and hats. Simon investigates the sad and murderous story associated with both the mill and the mill house.

There are some truly disturbing themes here and it is exceptionally well written. For the modern reader, in my opinion, it is more suited to adult consumption.
And, it is Robert Westall, so of course there are cats...

[BurritoChris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in my thirties now but I read this in Year 7 English with a teacher who did not like me. When we got to the mention of Simon's mum's trug, I said 'typo' aloud, as I assumed the book meant to say 'rug'. My teacher said that was a very ignorant thing to say and never forgave me.

Anyway the book is better on a second read as a person with far more reference points and easy google access. Some of the terms used were nonsense even when I was eleven, I have no idea how children today would understand what is going on a lot of the time. 'Up on a fizzer' and most other military lingo threw the fuck out of me.

Other than the archaic Beezer-esque vocabulary, the book is very nicely written. While I can't 100% relate to Simon's teenage anger, I can understand it. He's going through some shit and sees that he isn't being good to the people around him, but can't help it. It's conflicting and complex. It works. Also the parts early on where Simon is hoping no part of his life will stand out at school so that he won't get bullied for it felt familiar.

There is something about the Scarecrows' link to the specific story of the millers that doesn't really do it for me, though. Having Simon being haunted by ghosts works as an allegory for anger, but the connection to Those People feels to me like it undercuts some of that. When it is a literal ghost story, the book feels a little less effective. But the conclusion is satisfying and it was really fun unlocking lost book memories.

[Sharon Bidwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this acclaimed YA novel as an adult, without being told Simon’s age, I would have found it difficult to pinpoint. At times, he seems older; other times younger than his 13 years. This is a book about coming to terms with loss. Simon cannot accept his mother has moved on. The ghosts of the story are many but of the psychological kind. Simon’s hate haunts the book as do the characters. Simon idolises the memory of his father, and moments when his inner demons get the best of him both torment him. Whether the ghosts of the ruined water-mill are real is another matter, but they’re real to Simon. The book’s full of tension and misery. Alas, I found it hard to like Simon and hence care about him because of his early attitude in the book where he doesn’t care what happens to his hamsters, even though he cares far more about a stray cat and her kittens later on. It’s a slight point, but one that may annoy some modern readers. Still, the book is compelling and I can see why it’s award-winning, mostly owing to the writing and the atmosphere the author creates.

[Sue Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sourced a copy of this specific edition on the interweb to read as part of my research into a historic link with my village. Westall spotted the scarecrows protecting a local man's turnip patch as he passed through our village in the 1960s. The author turned around and went back to study them in detail and to take a photograph. In a later letter to the scarecrow-maker he congratulated him and explained how much he treasured the photograph as he had never seen such lifelike scarecrows before, and how eventually in the 1970s the photo had inspired him to write this story.

I hadn't come across Robert Westall's children's books, but I found this one quite scary. A little dated in places, but still shocking.

[Trevor Kew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as a possible novel to teach to middle school and it just wasn't the right fit. The language seemed a bit dated (I know that this is set in post-war England, but still...) and the plot just seemed to go in circles until the very (very) unsatisfying conclusion. I did enjoy the characterisation of Joe Moreton, I must say, but even he became a bit too much in the end. The whole novel seemed a bit disjointed overall, with the Scarecrows plot coming in quite late in the story and having very little to do with the earlier half of the book. Wouldn't recommend this book.

[David Gourlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic fast paced book about facing your fears and an intriguing supernatural twist.

Good book for teenagers..

I felt like there could have been s bit more story around Simons 'devils' etc and it was also over quickly at the end. The story leaves you on such a high I was unable to go to sleep straight after and it was 3am!

[KP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was scary, a bit Alan-Garner-esque, with the supernatural and the mundane mixed together. I really enjoyed this and found the last chapter a real page turner.
Robert Westall does tend to leave things a bit open-ended, so I spend time wondering what happened afterwards.

[Andy Verschoyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

High quality scary psychodrama.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning on innumerable fronts.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🌟

[ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ist ein sehr gutes Buch! Definitiv eines meiner Lieblingsbücher! :)

[Peter Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable supernatural story, written by Westall decades ago. Not as unsettling as The Watch house, but just as good now as it was when I was 13.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what to think. The plot was great but a bit too dark. Here are my mixed feelings about this book.

- Excessive use of bloody (why???)
- The plot did not evolve until the last 100 pages, which was a MAJOR setback
- The scarecrows don't appear till the last 100 pages as well... doesn't make a lot of sense, sorry though
- Lots of mystery in the background... why this and why that and why those and why these

Question time!

- Sometimes he liked Joe, sometimes he couldn't stand him.
Sometimes he liked his Mum, sometimes he couldn't stand her.... really, Simon!? Where's stability?
- Who were the devils?
- How did Tris guess about the scarecrows??

[Andrew Grewcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another reread of a childhood tale. This one was part of a series called Puffin Plus, which I think were marketed as what would now be YA. I remember the original cover being quite a lurid painting of Simon in amongst the scarecrows, which was a little on the nose. The story itself manages to combine a child's eye view of family and step-parenthood with the notion of restless, historical ghosts. I read a few other Westall books, which I remember being pretty good, but this one always stuck with me.

[Zayneea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what made me pick up this book, I must have just liked the look of the cover. At times is was really creepy, but at other times it was a bit confusing. Overall though I did really enjoy it which is why it got 4 stars rather than just 3. If ever passing a group of old style scarecrows in fields I will definitely be creeped out but luckily I live in the city so we don't have fields that would have any scarecrows in them.

[Mitchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"หุ่นไล่กา"

มันเป็นวรรณกรรมเยาวชนจริงๆเหรอ ? (สำนักพิมพ์รีวิวไว้ว่างั้น)
เปิดเรื่องมาบรรยากาศก็เครียดแล้ว ยิ่งอ่านไปหลังๆ...เฮ่ย..นี่มันสยองขวัญละป่าวหว่า

หรือว่า วรรณกรรมเยาชน = หนังสือที่มีเด็กเป็นตัวเอก

ชอบสำนวนแปลของคุณสาลินี คำฉันท์ จัง

ปล. ปกของใน goodread อันนี้ดูหลอนดี
ปล.2 ชอบหนังสือเล่มขนาดเท่านี้จัง เล็กพกพาสะดวก

[Konstantin R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

[rating = A-]
Fabulous. A very fast-pace and exciting book. Not to mention, surprisingly, well-written. A boy, Simon, comes to a Mill House with his new step-dad and tensions are higher than the deep blue sky. With the forces of evil closing in (a trio of scarecrows) and the arrival of an old friend things are on an all-high intense-level. Just a...WOW.