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Amnesia
Alicia wakes up in hospital...to find she's in the middle of a nightmare. Alicia has amnesia. She doesn't even recognize her own face in the mirror. How did she land in hospital? And why won't the doctors tell her anything?
Then Alicia's sister, Marta, arrives to take her home. Surely Marta will help her get her memory back?
But nothing feels right. Could Marta be hiding something from Alicia? Does Alicia's amnesia conceal a terrifying secret? Alicia is afraid to remember - but she could be dead if she doesn't...
Then Alicia's sister, Marta, arrives to take her home. Surely Marta will help her get her memory back?
But nothing feels right. Could Marta be hiding something from Alicia? Does Alicia's amnesia conceal a terrifying secret? Alicia is afraid to remember - but she could be dead if she doesn't...
181 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 7, 2021
Alicia has no recollection on how see has ended up in hospital, she doesn’t even recognise her own face in a mirror.
When her sister Marta arrives to take her home, Alicia hopes this will help aid her recover her memory.
I’ve re-read a couple of Sinclair Smith’s now and apart from The Waitress, they’ve all been really good.
This is amongst Dream Date as being one of the best Point Horror stories.
There’s a real sense of Alicia’s venerability after her complete loss of memory, it’s completely understandable that she clings onto Marta for help.
But it’s obvious that Marta isn’t being completely honest with all her answers and it’s soon clear that it’s not to protect Alicia!
Both characters were really interesting and well written, the story is quickly paced for a younger reader which improved the story as the chapter cliffhangers were very effective.
This would work as a really good TV episode if they had adapted these as a Point Horror anthology series.
When her sister Marta arrives to take her home, Alicia hopes this will help aid her recover her memory.
I’ve re-read a couple of Sinclair Smith’s now and apart from The Waitress, they’ve all been really good.
This is amongst Dream Date as being one of the best Point Horror stories.
There’s a real sense of Alicia’s venerability after her complete loss of memory, it’s completely understandable that she clings onto Marta for help.
But it’s obvious that Marta isn’t being completely honest with all her answers and it’s soon clear that it’s not to protect Alicia!
Both characters were really interesting and well written, the story is quickly paced for a younger reader which improved the story as the chapter cliffhangers were very effective.
This would work as a really good TV episode if they had adapted these as a Point Horror anthology series.
April 26, 2020
I love these Point Horror books. They're fun and easy to read, but they can still be quite creepy!
In this one, Alicia wakes up in the hospital with amnesia, unable to remember anything about who she is. She has terrifying yet vague flashbacks, and cannot remember what they are actually depicting. Her sister arrives to take her home, and things progress alarmingly from there.
The concept of this is really good -- to know that something bad happened to you, and to be trying desperately to remember anything about it would be awful and suffocating. Especially as Marta's (the sister) behaviour starts to unravel- she's controlling and prone to violent swings.
I really enjoyed this, I think it's one of the stronger Point Horror books. 🔪
In this one, Alicia wakes up in the hospital with amnesia, unable to remember anything about who she is. She has terrifying yet vague flashbacks, and cannot remember what they are actually depicting. Her sister arrives to take her home, and things progress alarmingly from there.
The concept of this is really good -- to know that something bad happened to you, and to be trying desperately to remember anything about it would be awful and suffocating. Especially as Marta's (the sister) behaviour starts to unravel- she's controlling and prone to violent swings.
I really enjoyed this, I think it's one of the stronger Point Horror books. 🔪
April 18, 2023
3.5 stars
Love the point horror books as an easy one day read. This one had a good pace and picked up dramatically towards the end. But I found myself getting frustrated at how many red flags the main character was ignoring :')
Alicia awakes from a serious accident with no memories, a girl claiming be to her sister takes her home and starts telling her all about her life. But something is wrong. Martha won't let her leave the house or talk to anyone, is she really who she claims to be?
Love the point horror books as an easy one day read. This one had a good pace and picked up dramatically towards the end. But I found myself getting frustrated at how many red flags the main character was ignoring :')
Alicia awakes from a serious accident with no memories, a girl claiming be to her sister takes her home and starts telling her all about her life. But something is wrong. Martha won't let her leave the house or talk to anyone, is she really who she claims to be?
September 7, 2021
One-Line Review: DO trust your own instincts.
Full Review:
I should mention before I start that, six years ago, I did in fact suffer from what the doctors called "absolute personal retrograde amnesia" which is what Alicia in this book suffers from. Personal as opposed to global, meaning that personal memories are gone but not things like eating or speaking or the knowledge of who the presidents were or the equation for photosynthesis. Absolute meaning that ALL the personal stuff was gone, not just bits and pieces. Retrograde meaning it was everything before the accident, rather than anterograde, which would be short-term stuff since the accident.
(There, you learned something today.)
If I'd remembered this book, I'd have been freaked out. Luckily, my memory wasn't working.
Heh, some brain-damage-humor for you there.
Anyway, onward.
Sinclair Smith is probably the only Point Horror writer who could have pulled this off. Christopher Pike (who doesn't have any books in the British PH series) could have made a good book out of it, but he'd have ended it up with Alicia being a cyborg or something. The other authors would have flopped it. But Smith is inventive enough with her / his (still haven't managed to find an author bio online) plots that s/he made it work beautifully.
Spoilers don't really matter, as the suspense doesn't concern the who but the what, when and how.
Alicia wakes up in hospital, not knowing anything about herself and unable to recognise her face. She only knows her name because of the bracelet she's wearing. After a few days, the doctor tells her that her sister has come to take her home. When she sees her sister Marta for the first time, Alicia is terrified, but she manages to shrug off this visceral reaction and embrace Marta as her kin and kith.
When Marta gets Alicia home, she seems a bit bossy and controlling, but nothing too awful. But as time goes on, she becomes angrier and more controlling of Alicia, forcing her to dress, eat and act in ways that Alicia supposedly always did, but that feel totally unnatural to the new her. Marta manages to convince Alicia that Alicia was unbalanced before her head injury; that she destroyed all the family photos and stole things and generally acted like a psycho - even though it's Marta who now goes around smashing plates and killing canaries. But Alicia doesn't have the memories or the friends to say otherwise. Until one day she realises that Marta isn't her sister at all...
Hoo boy. I'm glad I didn't have to go through anything as bad as poor Alicia, because that was some creepy stuff right there.
Alicia's a fun character, and easy to empathise with, not just because of her predicament but also because you get a nice feel for her while she's learning about herself. And Marta is quite terrifying. If you've ever lived with a mentally unbalanced person of this type, you'll know that Smith got it spot on.
Amnesia was a delightfully chilling read. Straightforward enough for younger readers (a nice change after reading Richie Tankersley Cusick's The Mall!) but suspenseful enough to entertain older teens (or adults). Very well played, Sinclair Smith.
Verdict: Frighteningly realistic.
Full Review:
I should mention before I start that, six years ago, I did in fact suffer from what the doctors called "absolute personal retrograde amnesia" which is what Alicia in this book suffers from. Personal as opposed to global, meaning that personal memories are gone but not things like eating or speaking or the knowledge of who the presidents were or the equation for photosynthesis. Absolute meaning that ALL the personal stuff was gone, not just bits and pieces. Retrograde meaning it was everything before the accident, rather than anterograde, which would be short-term stuff since the accident.
(There, you learned something today.)
If I'd remembered this book, I'd have been freaked out. Luckily, my memory wasn't working.
Heh, some brain-damage-humor for you there.
Anyway, onward.
Sinclair Smith is probably the only Point Horror writer who could have pulled this off. Christopher Pike (who doesn't have any books in the British PH series) could have made a good book out of it, but he'd have ended it up with Alicia being a cyborg or something. The other authors would have flopped it. But Smith is inventive enough with her / his (still haven't managed to find an author bio online) plots that s/he made it work beautifully.
Spoilers don't really matter, as the suspense doesn't concern the who but the what, when and how.
Alicia wakes up in hospital, not knowing anything about herself and unable to recognise her face. She only knows her name because of the bracelet she's wearing. After a few days, the doctor tells her that her sister has come to take her home. When she sees her sister Marta for the first time, Alicia is terrified, but she manages to shrug off this visceral reaction and embrace Marta as her kin and kith.
When Marta gets Alicia home, she seems a bit bossy and controlling, but nothing too awful. But as time goes on, she becomes angrier and more controlling of Alicia, forcing her to dress, eat and act in ways that Alicia supposedly always did, but that feel totally unnatural to the new her. Marta manages to convince Alicia that Alicia was unbalanced before her head injury; that she destroyed all the family photos and stole things and generally acted like a psycho - even though it's Marta who now goes around smashing plates and killing canaries. But Alicia doesn't have the memories or the friends to say otherwise. Until one day she realises that Marta isn't her sister at all...
Hoo boy. I'm glad I didn't have to go through anything as bad as poor Alicia, because that was some creepy stuff right there.
Alicia's a fun character, and easy to empathise with, not just because of her predicament but also because you get a nice feel for her while she's learning about herself. And Marta is quite terrifying. If you've ever lived with a mentally unbalanced person of this type, you'll know that Smith got it spot on.
Amnesia was a delightfully chilling read. Straightforward enough for younger readers (a nice change after reading Richie Tankersley Cusick's The Mall!) but suspenseful enough to entertain older teens (or adults). Very well played, Sinclair Smith.
Verdict: Frighteningly realistic.
October 30, 2022
Re-Read Oct 2022
Alicia wakes up in hospital, only she doesn't know her name, or why she's in hospital. She gradually pieces together that she was found wandering on the highway with a head injury & no idea how she got there. The doctor informs her that as her injuries were fairly minor, she can be discharged & that her sister is coming to take her home.
As soon as Alicia sees her sister, Marta, she has a bad feeling about her, but puts it down to the nightmares she has been suffering. When they get home, she doesn't recognise the house or her room, or any of her clothes. Even worse, she doesn't feel like the kind of person Marta describes her as & this causes friction between the sisters, & Marta seems to have one hell of a temper when upset.
Re-reading this again, I stand by my 2018 judgment of it being just an okay read. It's quite dark in some parts for the age range, there's the death of a bird (not graphic thankfully) & a physical fight & chase scene near the end, but also rather predictable. I've amended the rating slightly to 3.5 stars (rounded up).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2018 Re-read
Teenager wakes in hospital to find she can't remember who she is. Things get worse when her sister turns up and takes her home. First one in my 2018 reread of my teenage self's favourite series, Point Horror. This one was never one of the best in my opinion, but it was an OK read.
Alicia wakes up in hospital, only she doesn't know her name, or why she's in hospital. She gradually pieces together that she was found wandering on the highway with a head injury & no idea how she got there. The doctor informs her that as her injuries were fairly minor, she can be discharged & that her sister is coming to take her home.
As soon as Alicia sees her sister, Marta, she has a bad feeling about her, but puts it down to the nightmares she has been suffering. When they get home, she doesn't recognise the house or her room, or any of her clothes. Even worse, she doesn't feel like the kind of person Marta describes her as & this causes friction between the sisters, & Marta seems to have one hell of a temper when upset.
Re-reading this again, I stand by my 2018 judgment of it being just an okay read. It's quite dark in some parts for the age range, there's the death of a bird (not graphic thankfully) & a physical fight & chase scene near the end, but also rather predictable. I've amended the rating slightly to 3.5 stars (rounded up).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2018 Re-read
Teenager wakes in hospital to find she can't remember who she is. Things get worse when her sister turns up and takes her home. First one in my 2018 reread of my teenage self's favourite series, Point Horror. This one was never one of the best in my opinion, but it was an OK read.
October 8, 2015
This isn't my first Scholastic YA thriller, but it is probably the most disappointing. It started off with so much potential. A girl wakes up in hospital with amnesia. She has no idea who she is. The story could go anywhere from there but it was obvious from the start where it was heading and there weren't any of the shocking surprises that I've come to expect from these books.
I felt very disconnected from the story. I didn't care about Alicia, maybe that stems from the fact that she didn't know herself, so I couldn't know her either, or maybe it was just the way the story was told. Either way, you can't be thrilled if you don't care. I was more annoyed than anything while reading this book because all of the characters were so incredibly stupid! They believed everything they were told without question! It just wasn't believable. I'll be avoiding Sinclair Smith's other scholastic thrillers in the future.
I felt very disconnected from the story. I didn't care about Alicia, maybe that stems from the fact that she didn't know herself, so I couldn't know her either, or maybe it was just the way the story was told. Either way, you can't be thrilled if you don't care. I was more annoyed than anything while reading this book because all of the characters were so incredibly stupid! They believed everything they were told without question! It just wasn't believable. I'll be avoiding Sinclair Smith's other scholastic thrillers in the future.
March 29, 2016
Source: I read this book online via Open Library.
Cost: Free
Title: Amnesia
Series: Point Horror
Author: Sinclair Smith
Overall Rating: 3 stars
This is the first ever Sinclair Smith book I've ever read and I liked it, their style is quite different from that of RL Stine and Diane Hoh. It's more simple, it's coherent all the time and very easy to follow. This story follows Alicia who wakes up in hospital not knowing where or who she is, and when she hears that her sister is here to take her home, she's thrilled.
But it's not her sister, she knows she isn't.
And why does she seem so possessive and controlling?
The reason I think I didn't like this book was because the story line reminded me of the Michael Polish film, Unconscious. The storylines were quite similar only with sisters and not spouses. I don't think I really liked that film, and the similarities sort of made me not enjoy this book.
Cost: Free
Title: Amnesia
Series: Point Horror
Author: Sinclair Smith
Overall Rating: 3 stars
This is the first ever Sinclair Smith book I've ever read and I liked it, their style is quite different from that of RL Stine and Diane Hoh. It's more simple, it's coherent all the time and very easy to follow. This story follows Alicia who wakes up in hospital not knowing where or who she is, and when she hears that her sister is here to take her home, she's thrilled.
But it's not her sister, she knows she isn't.
And why does she seem so possessive and controlling?
The reason I think I didn't like this book was because the story line reminded me of the Michael Polish film, Unconscious. The storylines were quite similar only with sisters and not spouses. I don't think I really liked that film, and the similarities sort of made me not enjoy this book.
January 28, 2019
Genuinely scary, mostly because it's a rip off of Misery with a good bit of We Have Always Lived in the Castle thrown in. One of the better Sinclair Smith Point Horror books.
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
January 21, 2014
I remember reading this book when I was in middle school and I had fell absolutely in love with it. I felt like I was reliving the events of the main character and I was silently rooting for her to overcome her diagnosis. I felt the ending was a little rushed but that didn't stop me from giving it such a high rating.
January 23, 2023
I wonder what I was expecting from this Sinclair Smith book...
It's not awful but it wasn't amazing.
The blurb on the book gives just a hint of a spoiler anyway. No really but it may also be that I have read so many of these Point Horrors - they aren't that hard to decipher.
A girl named Alicia wakes up in a hospital with amnesia. They only know her name is Alicia because of the bracelet she was wearing. Covered in blood and stumbling around on the highway from some sort of accident.
Soon the doctor treating her, Dr. Kellogg, says that her sister Marta has come to take her home. Her last name is Taylor and they live in a town called Grimly.
Marta doesn't tell Alicia much at first because she says the doctor told her not to but soon she tells Alicia that their parents died in the same accident she was in that gave her amnesia and it was four months ago.
Arriving home doesn't jog anything for Alicia and she has Marta taking care of her like she were a small child. She's in a delicate state mentally and her ankle got twisted walking away from the accident but there is no TV, radio, CD player or even a record player to listen to music in the house.
The house is immaculate and filled with knick-knacks but Alicia's room has no personality and neither does her closet. Everything is bland and brand-new, not even worn in at all, and Alicia is starting to think there is something else her sister isn't telling her.
You (and I clearly) know that Marta isn't Alicia's sister. She notes that she and Marta look nothing alike and Marta is described as big-boned and sturdy while Alicia has violet eyes, brown hair and could be a model.
Alicia points out there are no framed photos of her about the bric-a-brac in the home but Marta has a photo album full of pictures when they were young girls between 5-7 years old up to being older.
Marta does everything for Alicia but if she gives any kind of comment that sounds ungrateful, Marta goes off and throws things and breaks things. Soon she starts letting the house get a little unkempt and starts to get moody.
I feel like I'm reading a teenage version of Stephen King's Misery except it's not an author being kept by a crazy fan. Marta talks like Annie Wilkes, is built like Kathy Bates but this is like Honey Perkins from The Best Friend. Instead of wanting to be Alicia like Honey wanted to be Becka out of revenge Marta is playing a game where she can have the perfect sister instead.
Where as Misery is compelling because Paul Sheldon is trapped in the house, Alicia can sneak out of the house once her ankle heals for awhile until Marta discovers she's been going out and goes even more psychotic.
Alicia meets a teenage boy named Mark Phillips and he thinks Alicia looks familiar and she starts to remember vague details. He clearly has an infatuation with Alicia but Alicia keeps having dreams about a dark-haired boy on a motorcycle that is not Mark and they clearly are in love.
There's also a man with a scar on his face following Alicia about town and we have no idea who he is. His identity is not cleared up until the beginning of the third act. We finally learn about Marta then as well and who Alicia really is.
The climax is okay and it seems like we get an open ending but there is still one more chapter left and we get loose ends tied up despite the one thing I did like. A fake out but also that it clearly shows a teenager in one of these books ACTUALLY NOT BEING OKAY and having PTSD from a traumatic experience.
It's refreshing and then we get a quippy ending line :( *sigh*
I have one more Sinclair Smith book to tackle and considering the last one was good and this one was meh I have no idea what to expect.
If you haven't read Amnesia you can to garner your own opinion of it. As for me, I wish I could forget this book.
It's not awful but it wasn't amazing.
The blurb on the book gives just a hint of a spoiler anyway. No really but it may also be that I have read so many of these Point Horrors - they aren't that hard to decipher.
A girl named Alicia wakes up in a hospital with amnesia. They only know her name is Alicia because of the bracelet she was wearing. Covered in blood and stumbling around on the highway from some sort of accident.
Soon the doctor treating her, Dr. Kellogg, says that her sister Marta has come to take her home. Her last name is Taylor and they live in a town called Grimly.
Marta doesn't tell Alicia much at first because she says the doctor told her not to but soon she tells Alicia that their parents died in the same accident she was in that gave her amnesia and it was four months ago.
Arriving home doesn't jog anything for Alicia and she has Marta taking care of her like she were a small child. She's in a delicate state mentally and her ankle got twisted walking away from the accident but there is no TV, radio, CD player or even a record player to listen to music in the house.
The house is immaculate and filled with knick-knacks but Alicia's room has no personality and neither does her closet. Everything is bland and brand-new, not even worn in at all, and Alicia is starting to think there is something else her sister isn't telling her.
You (and I clearly) know that Marta isn't Alicia's sister. She notes that she and Marta look nothing alike and Marta is described as big-boned and sturdy while Alicia has violet eyes, brown hair and could be a model.
Alicia points out there are no framed photos of her about the bric-a-brac in the home but Marta has a photo album full of pictures when they were young girls between 5-7 years old up to being older.
Marta does everything for Alicia but if she gives any kind of comment that sounds ungrateful, Marta goes off and throws things and breaks things. Soon she starts letting the house get a little unkempt and starts to get moody.
I feel like I'm reading a teenage version of Stephen King's Misery except it's not an author being kept by a crazy fan. Marta talks like Annie Wilkes, is built like Kathy Bates but this is like Honey Perkins from The Best Friend. Instead of wanting to be Alicia like Honey wanted to be Becka out of revenge Marta is playing a game where she can have the perfect sister instead.
Where as Misery is compelling because Paul Sheldon is trapped in the house, Alicia can sneak out of the house once her ankle heals for awhile until Marta discovers she's been going out and goes even more psychotic.
Alicia meets a teenage boy named Mark Phillips and he thinks Alicia looks familiar and she starts to remember vague details. He clearly has an infatuation with Alicia but Alicia keeps having dreams about a dark-haired boy on a motorcycle that is not Mark and they clearly are in love.
There's also a man with a scar on his face following Alicia about town and we have no idea who he is. His identity is not cleared up until the beginning of the third act. We finally learn about Marta then as well and who Alicia really is.
The climax is okay and it seems like we get an open ending but there is still one more chapter left and we get loose ends tied up despite the one thing I did like. A fake out but also that it clearly shows a teenager in one of these books ACTUALLY NOT BEING OKAY and having PTSD from a traumatic experience.
It's refreshing and then we get a quippy ending line :( *sigh*
I have one more Sinclair Smith book to tackle and considering the last one was good and this one was meh I have no idea what to expect.
If you haven't read Amnesia you can to garner your own opinion of it. As for me, I wish I could forget this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2022
Alicia wakes up in hospital with no memory of how she got there or in fact who she is.
Luckily her sister Marta is there to take her home and take care of her.
But Alicia finds nothing with Marta feels right.
Marta scares her and Alicia wonders if her amnesia is because something happened that she is just too scared to remember.
Waking up with no memory of who you are sounds like an absolutely terrifying experience so it's no wonder this YA novel has an unsettling feeling throughout it.
Alicia is a character I felt for and I wanted to know what had happened to her just as much as she did.
This was a really enjoyable read, very fast paced and had a satisfying conclusion.
Luckily her sister Marta is there to take her home and take care of her.
But Alicia finds nothing with Marta feels right.
Marta scares her and Alicia wonders if her amnesia is because something happened that she is just too scared to remember.
Waking up with no memory of who you are sounds like an absolutely terrifying experience so it's no wonder this YA novel has an unsettling feeling throughout it.
Alicia is a character I felt for and I wanted to know what had happened to her just as much as she did.
This was a really enjoyable read, very fast paced and had a satisfying conclusion.
October 13, 2025
We are back to reading another Point Horror. The terror in this one is like no other.
A terror to do with the mind
Imagine waking up from a nightmare into another waking nightmare
Imagine waking to find out you had been in a accident but had lost your memory.
Meet Alicia. She has lived through this nightmare and is happy to share her story with you.
At first she had hope when she was told her sister Marta was taking her home.
Soon alarm bells started ringing. Marta began to behave strangely
Random bouts of anger
The lies
Diary entries.
Slowly Alicia realises she is in danger
Read to find out more
A terror to do with the mind
Imagine waking up from a nightmare into another waking nightmare
Imagine waking to find out you had been in a accident but had lost your memory.
Meet Alicia. She has lived through this nightmare and is happy to share her story with you.
At first she had hope when she was told her sister Marta was taking her home.
Soon alarm bells started ringing. Marta began to behave strangely
Random bouts of anger
The lies
Diary entries.
Slowly Alicia realises she is in danger
Read to find out more
May 11, 2020
Not the strongest plot point of all the Point Horror series of books but nevertheless still enjoyable. I like reading these books when I don't want to invest a lot of time to a full length novel. They are always fast paced and obviously a very quick read. They never disappoint me when I'm looking for the warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. I really enjoyed reading these books when I was a kid so it's like going back in time whenever I sit down with one of these. 👍
August 9, 2020
Alicia wakes up at a hospital and does not remember who she is. The hospital stuff is acting weird but the good news is, her sister will soon come to take her home. Unfortunately she does not remember her sister or their home and it is having trouble to figure out who she really is.
Even though this book felt a little bit more of a thriller than a horror, it was really fast paced and a lot of fun to read. Now I did see the twist coming but I still enjoyed reading the whole story.
Even though this book felt a little bit more of a thriller than a horror, it was really fast paced and a lot of fun to read. Now I did see the twist coming but I still enjoyed reading the whole story.
May 16, 2021
Pretty good YA Thriller. I really enjoy Sinclair Smith. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the final part of the book did not flow. Sometimes you spend too much time on building the beginning and the middle that the end suffers. That is the the case with Amnesia. The ending was rushed and unimaginative. Nevertheless I enjoyed the book!
May 19, 2025
Rereading this Point Thriller book again. I just love the unexpected twists in it, it really keeps you on your toes.
Fear based amnesia is very interesting!
I won't give away any spoilers but I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow through some parts as they were making it mundane and boring for a reason.
Fear based amnesia is very interesting!
I won't give away any spoilers but I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow through some parts as they were making it mundane and boring for a reason.
October 16, 2020
At last: Misery + Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, for the less-literate teen!
Kids: if someone is screaming and throwing things for no reason, get out of their house.
It did sort of keep me guessing.
Kids: if someone is screaming and throwing things for no reason, get out of their house.
It did sort of keep me guessing.
April 27, 2018
I read this book as a kid and it terrified me. I haven't had a chance to reread it as an adult but it was very well written for the audience at the time
February 25, 2019
This one was actually quite scary for a Point Horror!
January 1, 2020
For school-age me this was probably a five star read. For old-a#@ me this is a three star read. So I'm splitting the difference and giving it a four.
February 16, 2021
Quick read. A little predictable, but I’ll give it points for originality and that super dramatic ending. Also: they need to sue that hospital.
November 11, 2021
I thought I had read most of the Point Horror books as a kid, but I definitely never read this one.
It was crazy and fun and I just loved it.
It was crazy and fun and I just loved it.
December 13, 2021
Overall it was an ok read, reminded me a bit of Misery, but my passionate hate for Marta made me drop this down to a 2 star rating 😤😉
April 25, 2022
I gave this one three stars because it was pretty predictable who the bad guy was from early on.
September 6, 2023
Love a good stalker story
May 7, 2024
The twist. 👌
February 3, 2025
Even though figuring out who the villain was was easy, I still enjoyed reading this book. Amnesia was really well written & easy to get into.
September 30, 2018
I don't mean to keep comparing books to movies but it's clear that the author of this book got the idea for this book from Stephen King's movie "Misery"
Marta is obsessed with Alicia & pretends that Alicia is her sister. After Alicia is found wandering on the side of the road she is taken to a hospital where the doctors say that she has Amnesia. Marta takes advantage of this and lies to the doctors telling them that Alicia is her sister. She takes Alicia home & refuse to let her go anywhere or do anything for herself. Marta doesn't keep a tv, radio or even a phone in her house. Alicia thinks this is weird but Marta brushes it off & says that those things are a distraction. All she ever allows Alicia to do is do crossword puzzles and eat Liverwurst sandwiches. The similarly between the movie & book is the character's obsession with the victim, the craziness of the character & the character using old words like "Oopsy Daisy!" This books was really good & suspenseful.
Marta is obsessed with Alicia & pretends that Alicia is her sister. After Alicia is found wandering on the side of the road she is taken to a hospital where the doctors say that she has Amnesia. Marta takes advantage of this and lies to the doctors telling them that Alicia is her sister. She takes Alicia home & refuse to let her go anywhere or do anything for herself. Marta doesn't keep a tv, radio or even a phone in her house. Alicia thinks this is weird but Marta brushes it off & says that those things are a distraction. All she ever allows Alicia to do is do crossword puzzles and eat Liverwurst sandwiches. The similarly between the movie & book is the character's obsession with the victim, the craziness of the character & the character using old words like "Oopsy Daisy!" This books was really good & suspenseful.
September 1, 2024
Holds up on a reread. There are some 90's attitudes to mental health in here, but for the most part, it's appreciated that Marta is unwell and needs help rather than she's a monster.
I always find the scariest thing in horrors or thrillers a character who is unpredictable and could potentially do anything. Think Begbie from Trainspotting. Smith does a great job of making Marta genuinely menacing. Saying that, if you've ever had to live with someone like that, certain scenes in here could be somewhat triggering.
I think this book was well done for what it was. The characters are well drawn, I felt Alicia's fear. There is a very claustrophobic feel to the book as Alicia's world has become very small.
I always find the scariest thing in horrors or thrillers a character who is unpredictable and could potentially do anything. Think Begbie from Trainspotting. Smith does a great job of making Marta genuinely menacing. Saying that, if you've ever had to live with someone like that, certain scenes in here could be somewhat triggering.
I think this book was well done for what it was. The characters are well drawn, I felt Alicia's fear. There is a very claustrophobic feel to the book as Alicia's world has become very small.
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