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Gallows Hill
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Role-playing takes on a terrifying cast when 17-year-old Sarah, who is posing as a fortune-teller for a school fair, begins to see actual visions that can predict the future. Frightened, the other students brand her a witch, setting off a chain of events that mirror the centuries-old Salem witch trials in more ways than one.
Role-playing takes on a terrifying cast when 17-year-old Sarah, who is posing as a fortune-teller for a school fair, begins to see actual visions that can predict the future. Frightened, the other students brand her a witch, setting off a chain of events that mirror the centuries-old Salem witch trials in more ways than one.
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 7, 1997
191 people are currently reading
1968 people want to read
About the author
Lois Duncan
68 books2,002 followersLois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz) was an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.
Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.
Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.
In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.
Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.
The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).
Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.
Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com
Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.
Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.
In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.
Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.
The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).
Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.
Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
November 2, 2025
"In that instant of dislocation, as she fought to maintain her equilibrium and keep from tumbling headfirst into the pit of darkness, a voice seemed to shout directly into her right ear".
"Guilty as charged" it bellowed. "Away to Gallows Hill".
Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan
This is sure different then most of Duncan's books. This is a seriously creepy little read that combines both historical and contemporary fiction.
Sara has just settled in to a sleepy town in Missouri with her family. It doesn't take her long to discover the town isn't quite what she thought it was.
It is a very conservative very close knit town and Sarah is regarded with suspicion that quickly turns to hostility and then to paranoia and outright hysteria. This reaction is very much like the Salem Witch Trials as Sara becomes regarded with more and more hostility, mimicking the past, which becomes intersperced with the present, in more ways than one..
This book is contemporary but mixed with the past and the Salem Witch Trials. Although this story is fiction, what happened in Salem is not and Duncan really does well in switching from past to present.
The tension is unbelievably high and please do not expect light reading. This becomes really dark really fast.
I enjoyed this story. It isn't in the same league as a "Daughters of Eve" but it is well written and compelling..as well as genuinely creepy. If one likes spooky YA, this would be a good fit.
"Guilty as charged" it bellowed. "Away to Gallows Hill".
Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan
This is sure different then most of Duncan's books. This is a seriously creepy little read that combines both historical and contemporary fiction.
Sara has just settled in to a sleepy town in Missouri with her family. It doesn't take her long to discover the town isn't quite what she thought it was.
It is a very conservative very close knit town and Sarah is regarded with suspicion that quickly turns to hostility and then to paranoia and outright hysteria. This reaction is very much like the Salem Witch Trials as Sara becomes regarded with more and more hostility, mimicking the past, which becomes intersperced with the present, in more ways than one..
This book is contemporary but mixed with the past and the Salem Witch Trials. Although this story is fiction, what happened in Salem is not and Duncan really does well in switching from past to present.
The tension is unbelievably high and please do not expect light reading. This becomes really dark really fast.
I enjoyed this story. It isn't in the same league as a "Daughters of Eve" but it is well written and compelling..as well as genuinely creepy. If one likes spooky YA, this would be a good fit.
December 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this one. The characters acted like real people and not just annoying, pain in the butt teens. The story was interesting and kept my attention. If I had read this when I was a teen- oh boy! I could see a Witch Trials and New Age obsession happening earlier than it did. Now I wish I had read more Lois Duncan in my YA years.
April 29, 2016
read : can't remember lol middle school sometime
re-read : September 2015
re-read : September 2015
December 14, 2021
I really enjoyed this! I found the characters believable and I either liked them or didn't (but the ones I didn't I knew I wasn't supposed to). Some that I didn't like ended up being not as bad as initially thought, gray. Has mysticism, reincarnation, Salem witch trial relation. I had a good time with this. Read on Hoopla.
March 15, 2019
This was really well-written and I loved the suspense build-up!
January 8, 2012
The author of 'Stranger With My Face' has done nothing to make me like her anymore, in fact she's made me become weary of her novels.
In 'Gallows Hill' we are introduced to Sarah Zoltanne, who moves into a small conservative town named Pine Crest. After many terribly uninspired incidents, she is accused of being a witch.
Let me start off by saying the book was a mess. Plot ideas were everywhere, characters were unreal and dull, and karma and reincarnation themes were written badly. The novel seemed forced a lot of times, and was often very aggravating. None of the characters talked like regular people, especially the teenagers. The character motifs were also so unbelievable that I was left disgusted and annoyed. I found I didn't care much for the main character, and when the climax threatened her life, I really did not care whether she was saved or not.
The themes of reincarnation and karma are used so very sloppy. So I don't reveal spoilers, I won't press it any further, but believe me when I tell you: you will roll your eyes.
In 'Gallows Hill' we are introduced to Sarah Zoltanne, who moves into a small conservative town named Pine Crest. After many terribly uninspired incidents, she is accused of being a witch.
Let me start off by saying the book was a mess. Plot ideas were everywhere, characters were unreal and dull, and karma and reincarnation themes were written badly. The novel seemed forced a lot of times, and was often very aggravating. None of the characters talked like regular people, especially the teenagers. The character motifs were also so unbelievable that I was left disgusted and annoyed. I found I didn't care much for the main character, and when the climax threatened her life, I really did not care whether she was saved or not.
The themes of reincarnation and karma are used so very sloppy. So I don't reveal spoilers, I won't press it any further, but believe me when I tell you: you will roll your eyes.
March 1, 2011
Very good story and very well told. My second Lois Duncan and I think I'm going to make a habit of her for a while. I very much enjoyed the style of her writing as well as the story.
It's not complex or challenging to read but there wasn't a second during which it failed to hold high interest for me. I'm very fond of stories that have their origins in the Salem witch trials and speculate on reality and blur the line between what may or may not be true. Or extend the Salem experience across time and portray an effect on the present, many generations after the fact, which is what Gallows Hill does. The history was accurately and unobtrusively interspersed through the story. I found the idea of en masse karmic fulfillment interesting. The effect of the forces that were driving the characters was an excellent justification for the otherwise perhaps maddening actions of a couple of the secondary characters. I had a good emotional connection with the main character and the dialogue and interactions were more believable than in many things that i've read. There was just so much that was good about this. I can't wait to share this.
It's not complex or challenging to read but there wasn't a second during which it failed to hold high interest for me. I'm very fond of stories that have their origins in the Salem witch trials and speculate on reality and blur the line between what may or may not be true. Or extend the Salem experience across time and portray an effect on the present, many generations after the fact, which is what Gallows Hill does. The history was accurately and unobtrusively interspersed through the story. I found the idea of en masse karmic fulfillment interesting. The effect of the forces that were driving the characters was an excellent justification for the otherwise perhaps maddening actions of a couple of the secondary characters. I had a good emotional connection with the main character and the dialogue and interactions were more believable than in many things that i've read. There was just so much that was good about this. I can't wait to share this.
September 14, 2015
This is one of the Lois Duncan books that I somehow missed and believe me, I am kicking myself for this.
This is one of her most fun books and I was also completely tense the whole time reading it. (It doesn't help that the creepy town that Sarah and her mom moved to is basically one of those places where you know everyone knows something that you don't, and where any sort of mistake could have dire consequences.)
While reading it, I was expecting Sarah to be ostracized (the town and school are full of small-minded people) but I didn't think the danger would be any more than some pretty pointed snubbing. (Yeah, shame on me; I should've known better.)
Instead, the mob mentality started to take effect and things got incredibly suspenseful and scary.
I think this is now in my top five of her books. (Locked in Time, Down a Dark Hall, Summer of Fear, Stranger in my House and now this one. Daughters of Eve is a close sixth.) I love Lois Duncan's books so, so much.
Recommended.
This is one of her most fun books and I was also completely tense the whole time reading it. (It doesn't help that the creepy town that Sarah and her mom moved to is basically one of those places where you know everyone knows something that you don't, and where any sort of mistake could have dire consequences.)
While reading it, I was expecting Sarah to be ostracized (the town and school are full of small-minded people) but I didn't think the danger would be any more than some pretty pointed snubbing. (Yeah, shame on me; I should've known better.)
Instead, the mob mentality started to take effect and things got incredibly suspenseful and scary.
I think this is now in my top five of her books. (Locked in Time, Down a Dark Hall, Summer of Fear, Stranger in my House and now this one. Daughters of Eve is a close sixth.) I love Lois Duncan's books so, so much.
Recommended.
February 7, 2025
Where to begin?
Let’s start with the basics: the writing is terrible. It’s a book for young adults and it’s understandable that the goal would be for the language to be simpler than in an adult-oriented novel, but there’s a difference between simpler and hit-you-over-the-head-because-you-might-be-too-stupid-to-understand-otherwise. Simple sentences, over-explanation, intensive specificity.
This also carries over to the dialogue, which is stilted and unnatural, like the type of conversation you’d get in a B-movie from the 1950s. This book came late in Lois Duncan’s career and, in part, the world had likely passed her by. An author has a responsibility, however, to do the research necessary to counteract that as much as possible. So do an editor and publisher for that matter. Hard though it may be, sometimes it’s necessary to tell a noted author, “This isn’t good.”
The characters are all on the same wavelength. Most are pretty flat and don’t have depth or background to explain their behaviours. They’re conveniences. And to a man, they’re all dislikeable. In part, this is deliberate. But there’s a difference between a Roald Dahl-style exaggerated villain and a character who’s cruel or dumb for the sake of narrative utility. These characters were universally the latter.
As for the plot, there’s potential in the modernized Salem Witch Trials storyline, but it feels rushed, as though Duncan felt the need to finish in 20 chapters, even if she hadn’t fully fleshed out the prospectively supernatural elements of the tale yet. Because there ARE supernatural elements…but by the end, they’re effectively forgotten in order to rush the story to its conclusion.
On the whole, this novel was a fledgling idea that was published as such. Definitely not worth the time, for young adults or adults, alike.
Let’s start with the basics: the writing is terrible. It’s a book for young adults and it’s understandable that the goal would be for the language to be simpler than in an adult-oriented novel, but there’s a difference between simpler and hit-you-over-the-head-because-you-might-be-too-stupid-to-understand-otherwise. Simple sentences, over-explanation, intensive specificity.
This also carries over to the dialogue, which is stilted and unnatural, like the type of conversation you’d get in a B-movie from the 1950s. This book came late in Lois Duncan’s career and, in part, the world had likely passed her by. An author has a responsibility, however, to do the research necessary to counteract that as much as possible. So do an editor and publisher for that matter. Hard though it may be, sometimes it’s necessary to tell a noted author, “This isn’t good.”
The characters are all on the same wavelength. Most are pretty flat and don’t have depth or background to explain their behaviours. They’re conveniences. And to a man, they’re all dislikeable. In part, this is deliberate. But there’s a difference between a Roald Dahl-style exaggerated villain and a character who’s cruel or dumb for the sake of narrative utility. These characters were universally the latter.
As for the plot, there’s potential in the modernized Salem Witch Trials storyline, but it feels rushed, as though Duncan felt the need to finish in 20 chapters, even if she hadn’t fully fleshed out the prospectively supernatural elements of the tale yet. Because there ARE supernatural elements…but by the end, they’re effectively forgotten in order to rush the story to its conclusion.
On the whole, this novel was a fledgling idea that was published as such. Definitely not worth the time, for young adults or adults, alike.
October 19, 2025
A creepy YA tale about witches, high school bitches and the perils of tinkering with the supernatural.
September 10, 2023
Sarah just moved to Pine Crest with her mom. She instantly didn't like it and wanted to go back home, but her mother insisted on staying so she could be with Ted.
She doesn't get along with Ted's daughter, Kyra, and she isn't really making any friends. Although, she prefers it that way. But then, Eric Garrett comes to Sarah with an idea - he wants her to be a fortune teller at the high school fair. Sarah finally agrees. She wears a Gypsy custom with an earphone hidden underneath to get information about the people who are coming to her for a reading.
But strange things start to happen with the paperweight she used as a crystal ball. Images appear and tell her things that she couldn't possibly know.
I like to read books about Salem, whether they are fiction or non-fiction. I thought this one was amazing and unique. It's set in modern times and is about teenagers who live in a very conservative small town. It is sort of like a modern-day Salem Village. But the book deals with the idea of reincarnation and is used very well. That is what I think is unique about this book; it is about Salem, but it's about people who lived in the past and were reborn and must live their karma from Salem. It was an interesting idea to use, and it worked very well.
The book could be pretty intense at times, and the people in Pine Crest made me angry. A lot of the people in the town were very close-minded and didn't believe Sarah at all. It was very irritating, and I think one of the characters that made me angry the most was Ted. He was very controlling and wanted everything his way. Most of the adults in town that were close-minded seemed to be very childish. I liked Sarah and Charlie, as well as his parents.
It's an amazing book. I loved it, and it's now one of my favorites by Lois Duncan. All I can say to Lois Duncan is well done! You wrote a very good book.
She doesn't get along with Ted's daughter, Kyra, and she isn't really making any friends. Although, she prefers it that way. But then, Eric Garrett comes to Sarah with an idea - he wants her to be a fortune teller at the high school fair. Sarah finally agrees. She wears a Gypsy custom with an earphone hidden underneath to get information about the people who are coming to her for a reading.
But strange things start to happen with the paperweight she used as a crystal ball. Images appear and tell her things that she couldn't possibly know.
I like to read books about Salem, whether they are fiction or non-fiction. I thought this one was amazing and unique. It's set in modern times and is about teenagers who live in a very conservative small town. It is sort of like a modern-day Salem Village. But the book deals with the idea of reincarnation and is used very well. That is what I think is unique about this book; it is about Salem, but it's about people who lived in the past and were reborn and must live their karma from Salem. It was an interesting idea to use, and it worked very well.
The book could be pretty intense at times, and the people in Pine Crest made me angry. A lot of the people in the town were very close-minded and didn't believe Sarah at all. It was very irritating, and I think one of the characters that made me angry the most was Ted. He was very controlling and wanted everything his way. Most of the adults in town that were close-minded seemed to be very childish. I liked Sarah and Charlie, as well as his parents.
It's an amazing book. I loved it, and it's now one of my favorites by Lois Duncan. All I can say to Lois Duncan is well done! You wrote a very good book.
April 10, 2013
It's strange when you remember a movie you once saw, remembering vivid scenes perfectly in your head; so you know the movie exists for sure, but cannot for the life of yourself remember what it was called.
So then you google keywords, doing a little searching, only to find that what you remembered as a movie is actually a book you once read and no movie of it exists. And you have the revelation that you did indeed read this book, and you suddenly remember that the book was so good that you thought it should have been a movie. But it isn't. And it never was.
What I remember is that the book was good enough to make me feel the words come off the page and come to life, so that years down the road when I remember the concept of the book, I believe it had been a movie that I watched and not just a book.
I was on the edge of my seat as I read Gallows Hill. This book should be a movie. Why it is not, I do not know.
So then you google keywords, doing a little searching, only to find that what you remembered as a movie is actually a book you once read and no movie of it exists. And you have the revelation that you did indeed read this book, and you suddenly remember that the book was so good that you thought it should have been a movie. But it isn't. And it never was.
What I remember is that the book was good enough to make me feel the words come off the page and come to life, so that years down the road when I remember the concept of the book, I believe it had been a movie that I watched and not just a book.
I was on the edge of my seat as I read Gallows Hill. This book should be a movie. Why it is not, I do not know.
October 17, 2015
After realizing the TV movie I've Been Waiting For You was based on a book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I remember watching the movie when it aired somewhere around '97 and I enjoyed it. However, after reading Gallows Hill, I was a little disappointed in the fact that the movie didn't stick to the original story. It was completely different from what I was expecting and that's not a bad thing.
I liked that fact that there were more scenes in the book involving the Salem witches. Lois Duncan even provides us with a few book titles to look up for further reading on the real Salem Witch Trials. This book provided more information into why Sarah Zoltanne moved from California in the first place. I also liked the addition of her friend Charlie, it made the tale more interesting.
This is a YA classic. Easily read and enjoyable. If you're looking for something to read for Halloween that has just a touch of creepiness, I would suggest Gallows Hill.
I liked that fact that there were more scenes in the book involving the Salem witches. Lois Duncan even provides us with a few book titles to look up for further reading on the real Salem Witch Trials. This book provided more information into why Sarah Zoltanne moved from California in the first place. I also liked the addition of her friend Charlie, it made the tale more interesting.
This is a YA classic. Easily read and enjoyable. If you're looking for something to read for Halloween that has just a touch of creepiness, I would suggest Gallows Hill.
August 2, 2019
This was an interesting read about karma, reincarnation, and psychic connections. I didn’t take it too seriously, just as entertainment (especially since the facts weren’t always correct, like Christianity supporting/believing in karma as Charlie said…nope). At least twice, the book suddenly changed points of view in the middle of the chapter from Sarah to Kyra, which threw me off a little. I liked the character of Charlie, and I really sympathized with Sarah when no one would believe her. I enjoyed the fortune-telling scenes where she would see things in the paperweight—it was a cool scenario, her pretending to be a gypsy fortuneteller and then actually seeing something about the person she was doing a “reading” for.
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April 11, 2013Let's look at all the ways this book is deeply problematic, shall we?
1. All the usual horrible things about "gypsies."
2. "She's adopted, but nobody's supposed to know."
3. "She was Hungarian and very exotic-looking."
So those are the big ones, but also, this just isn't like the cool (though sometimes just as problematic, coughexoticnativeamericanscough), creepy plots I remember from reading Duncan as a kid. This book was just lamely plotted and dull. :-(
1. All the usual horrible things about "gypsies."
2. "She's adopted, but nobody's supposed to know."
3. "She was Hungarian and very exotic-looking."
So those are the big ones, but also, this just isn't like the cool (though sometimes just as problematic, coughexoticnativeamericanscough), creepy plots I remember from reading Duncan as a kid. This book was just lamely plotted and dull. :-(
January 24, 2015
Zajímavá knížka :)) Doporučila bych ji spíš teenagerům, pro mě byla docela dost předvídatelná... ale čtení jsem si užila, líbí se mi autorčin styl psaní :)
Více v mé videorecenzi: http://knihankov.blogspot.cz/2014/08/...
Více v mé videorecenzi: http://knihankov.blogspot.cz/2014/08/...
Read
December 7, 2019oh Lois, i am so fond of your koo-koo woo-woo ways
November 23, 2017
Great book, especially if you are into the Salem Witch Trials. Sarah and her mom move from Ventura, California to Pine Crest, a small town on the East Coast. But from the moment Sarah gets there something seems off. She makes only one true friend in the town: Charlie. After Sarah does some fortune-telling at the school carnival, a school kid named Eric asks her to do it on the down-low for money. But Sarah begins to see real things in the paperweight- things that her peers in Pine Crest do not want to hear. So begins the slow and steady ascension from the town being Pine Crest into Salem. Charlie explains to Sarah about past-life regression and how they must all live out what happened to them again back then in order to free their spirits in this life. Charlie was Giles Corey in a past life, the man who put an end to the witch hunts. Sarah discovers she was Betty Parris, the one who started all of the witch hunts. The cheerleaders and others who want to do Sarah in were all various accused Witches in their past lives in Salem. It gets to the point of Sarah being put on a stool with a noose around her neck but, thankfully, Charlie comes to save the Day. This was one of Duncan’s better books. A very enjoyable Halloween read!
November 30, 2023
This book is ok. Reads easily and keeps your interest.
June 24, 2021
2.5 stars
July 23, 2024
Super cheesy but fun Halloween witch background thriller. It can be read in a weekend if you’ re really motivated.
January 12, 2016
Sarah Zoltanne is having to become forced to move from California to Missouri with her mother and her mother's boy friend. even though it was a new experience, Sarah gets picked to be a fortune teller at a school event. Sarah has no idea what she is now in for or is about to experience. When Sarah begins to tell people what their fortunes are they turn out to become real causing Sarah to freak out a little bit. Sarah then starts to have freaky dreams about the Salem witch trials and starts to become even more frightened and curious to why this is happening to her. The book begins to unwind when it reveals how the kids who try and accuse Sarah of being a witch are actually reincarnations of some of the (Christian) people from the Salem witch trials.
My Favorite character in this book was "unfortunately" the main character Sarah Zoltanne. The way she played herself into the minds of the kids around her really impressed me. She was able to convince them to seek out things to prove that Sarah really was a witch and at the same time have them commit illegal acts. The characters were able to make me feel very real and at some times make me feel nervous about what was to come next. ,y favorite part of this book was when Sarah scared one of the kids that was sneaking into her room and told them she was going to put a curse on them. This was a really well written scene because it added a little more mystery to Sarah's character. this book made me laugh at many scenes and at the same time it made me a little tense and quite honestly spooked during certain parts. This story definitely had my attention and kept me turning to the next available page to read.
I did not like the whole mystic theme of the book. Even though the book itself was well written and interesting it could have been toned down in the level of spookiness.
I give this book a five star rating because of the way the author wrote it. The author included a great story line a long with a creative idea of basically mimicking the old Salem witch trials to present time. I like the chills it gave me from multiple points in the book and different the way it interested me to turn to the next page. I enjoyed this book, but It would not be mt first book that I would recommend to one of my friends.
My Favorite character in this book was "unfortunately" the main character Sarah Zoltanne. The way she played herself into the minds of the kids around her really impressed me. She was able to convince them to seek out things to prove that Sarah really was a witch and at the same time have them commit illegal acts. The characters were able to make me feel very real and at some times make me feel nervous about what was to come next. ,y favorite part of this book was when Sarah scared one of the kids that was sneaking into her room and told them she was going to put a curse on them. This was a really well written scene because it added a little more mystery to Sarah's character. this book made me laugh at many scenes and at the same time it made me a little tense and quite honestly spooked during certain parts. This story definitely had my attention and kept me turning to the next available page to read.
I did not like the whole mystic theme of the book. Even though the book itself was well written and interesting it could have been toned down in the level of spookiness.
I give this book a five star rating because of the way the author wrote it. The author included a great story line a long with a creative idea of basically mimicking the old Salem witch trials to present time. I like the chills it gave me from multiple points in the book and different the way it interested me to turn to the next page. I enjoyed this book, but It would not be mt first book that I would recommend to one of my friends.
October 24, 2015
This definitely reads like a YA novel (no cussing, stereotypical adults, etc) but for the most part it is an engaging plot. Sarah has been thrust into small town Missouri in her senior year of high school. Her mom moved them from California to be with a soon-to-be-divorced Ted. Sarah is set up as a fortune teller/Gypsy at the school carnival and then the creepy stuff starts. The author manages to include the Salem witch trials, reincarnation, and past life regression into the theme. I'm sure that for the right audience it's pretty fun.
Quote I liked:
The idea behind reincarnation is that for most of us one lifetime isn't enough to learn all the spiritual lessons we're signed up for. Karma gives us a chance to retake the classes we flunk.
Quote I liked:
The idea behind reincarnation is that for most of us one lifetime isn't enough to learn all the spiritual lessons we're signed up for. Karma gives us a chance to retake the classes we flunk.
December 2, 2013
Sarah moves from Ventura CA to a small Missouri town with her mother to live with her mom's new boyfriend. It is not a friendly town and when Sarah is approached by the class President to do a fortune-telling act at the school's big festival, she allows herself to be talked into it. Only sometimes she really does see things in the crystal paperweight that was her grandmother's. And this town is conservative and turns against her, only it seems to all be related to The Salem Witch Trials and Karma.
I have always loved Lois Duncan since my teens and I had never read this one. And once again, I am reminded how good and suspenseful her books are.
I have always loved Lois Duncan since my teens and I had never read this one. And once again, I am reminded how good and suspenseful her books are.
February 24, 2011
This story starts with an unusual paperweight that an old woman bought at a shop. She looked into it and when she died she had all of her affairs in order. Now it falls into the hands of her granddaughter, Sarah. Sarah saw a reflection of a yellow dress in her mothers mirror before she bought it. She saw Charlie fall down the stairs before it happend. Is Sarah a witch? Or is she just losing her mind?
This book compliments the extreme suspense and style that Lois Duncan posseses. The story is fantastic and if you are interested in reincarnation, the Salem Witch Trials or the paranormal then this book is definitely for you.
I thought the ending was great!
This book compliments the extreme suspense and style that Lois Duncan posseses. The story is fantastic and if you are interested in reincarnation, the Salem Witch Trials or the paranormal then this book is definitely for you.
I thought the ending was great!
July 25, 2016
I was interested in reading some of Lois Duncan's work after reading some articles about her following her passing last month (June 2016). She was a favourite teen author of many now adult and successful journalists who were gushing in their praise of her work and how it played a formative part of their adolescence. I chose this title as it was available on Kindle. If you still have time for teenage fiction and superstitions then you might enjoy this clever and creepy young adult fiction. I found the pace quite slow to start but it did build up to quite a thrilling ending.
January 29, 2017
I love Lois Duncan (R.I.P.) Growing up, her YA suspense novels were always my favorite even though my peers were reading Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine (both too scary for me.)
Written in 1997, this is a fictional story of a teenage girl who is the victim of gaslighting. It was over-the-top (most Lois Duncan books are) but also creepy as hell.
Written in 1997, this is a fictional story of a teenage girl who is the victim of gaslighting. It was over-the-top (most Lois Duncan books are) but also creepy as hell.
October 25, 2018
I hated almost every character in this book and the ending was trash, BUT, I still really enjoyed reading it.
April 7, 2022
After the tragic murder of her daughter, Kaitlyn, Lois Duncan focused her talent in writing on less macabre stories but when she finally came back to the more suspenseful and supernatural stories she was known for...we get Gallows Hill.
There are subjects of witchcraft and psychic abilities, scrying and reincarnation in the book to sort of reflect the place Duncan found herself in trying to solve her own daughter's murder (she even turned to psychics) and it was her last dark themed book. I find it to be cathartic and a wonderful piece of literature.
Sarah Zoltanne has been dragged to the town of Pine Crest by her mother Rosemary due to her relationship with teacher Ted Thompson, whom she plans to marry. The town is very conservative and quite archaic where outsiders are frowned upon if they don't fit to certain "values" and since Ted is still technically married (his wife and he are separated for about the one millionth time) no one seems happy with their arrival...especially Ted's daughter, Kyra.
Kyra and her childhood friend, popular Eric Garrett, decide to have some fun with Sarah and trick her into doing a fortune telling booth despite the principal disapproving of anything "occult-centric". With his good looks, Eric succeeds in convincing Sarah and Kyra feeds her information on their fellow classmates.
The popular cheerleaders and jocks are left a little disturbed at what Sarah tells them, trying not to use so much of the awful things Kyra knows about everyone thanks to her upset mother being a total busybody and being the secretary for the single church in town.
Sarah goes along with this act but soon she can start seeing things within the crystal paperweight she's been using as a crystal ball...terrible things about the town's past and the present troubles brewing in this less than idyllic town. No one else is on Sarah's side except for Charlie Gorman, the overweight bookworm and paperboy, when the popular crowd decide Sarah must truly be...a witch.
In this modern time, it's hard to believe anyone could even think of persecuting Sarah for witchcraft but the local teens have made up their minds and they decide the only way to deal with a witch is the way they did it in Salem all those centuries ago...
Duncan weaves a very intricate story wrought with teenage turmoil of not fitting in, cliques passing judgment in almost a mob mentality, small town small mindedness and the feeling of helplessness in having no one to confide in or believe you. It has a pretty decent ending and is by far better than the TV adaptation we got on NBC which cashed in greatly on the success of the theatrical film based on I Know What You Did Last Summer.
If you want suspenseful drama and less slasher horror, Gallows Hill is a solid recommendation from me.
There are subjects of witchcraft and psychic abilities, scrying and reincarnation in the book to sort of reflect the place Duncan found herself in trying to solve her own daughter's murder (she even turned to psychics) and it was her last dark themed book. I find it to be cathartic and a wonderful piece of literature.
Sarah Zoltanne has been dragged to the town of Pine Crest by her mother Rosemary due to her relationship with teacher Ted Thompson, whom she plans to marry. The town is very conservative and quite archaic where outsiders are frowned upon if they don't fit to certain "values" and since Ted is still technically married (his wife and he are separated for about the one millionth time) no one seems happy with their arrival...especially Ted's daughter, Kyra.
Kyra and her childhood friend, popular Eric Garrett, decide to have some fun with Sarah and trick her into doing a fortune telling booth despite the principal disapproving of anything "occult-centric". With his good looks, Eric succeeds in convincing Sarah and Kyra feeds her information on their fellow classmates.
The popular cheerleaders and jocks are left a little disturbed at what Sarah tells them, trying not to use so much of the awful things Kyra knows about everyone thanks to her upset mother being a total busybody and being the secretary for the single church in town.
Sarah goes along with this act but soon she can start seeing things within the crystal paperweight she's been using as a crystal ball...terrible things about the town's past and the present troubles brewing in this less than idyllic town. No one else is on Sarah's side except for Charlie Gorman, the overweight bookworm and paperboy, when the popular crowd decide Sarah must truly be...a witch.
In this modern time, it's hard to believe anyone could even think of persecuting Sarah for witchcraft but the local teens have made up their minds and they decide the only way to deal with a witch is the way they did it in Salem all those centuries ago...
Duncan weaves a very intricate story wrought with teenage turmoil of not fitting in, cliques passing judgment in almost a mob mentality, small town small mindedness and the feeling of helplessness in having no one to confide in or believe you. It has a pretty decent ending and is by far better than the TV adaptation we got on NBC which cashed in greatly on the success of the theatrical film based on I Know What You Did Last Summer.
If you want suspenseful drama and less slasher horror, Gallows Hill is a solid recommendation from me.
September 28, 2024
I picked up this book back in elementary school and flipped through it. However, the plot intrigued me enough to the point where I tracked it down as an adult....and was left severely disappointed.
To start, I remembered the prose being interesting, evocative, and descriptive, instead found it to be pretty bland. Nothing bad, but nothing overly beautiful either.
The characters were also relatively bland. I found myself not caring much over any of them, besides finding half the cast severely unlikable. The mother was neglectful to her daughter, and the way she was a doormat to her boyfriend was just unreasonable to a distasteful degree. No mother who (apparently) dearly loves her daughter would suddenly start being as willfully awful, even in the face of new love. Sarah was a pretty mild and uninteresting protagonist; she probably would have appealed to a younger version of myself drenched in ennui, but as an adult I'm frustrated by the inconsistency of her character.
The main thing that put me off was how this book was a weird mix of themes that I could not for the life of me track the thought process behind. I went into it excited, thinking it was going to be a spooky story about mass hysteria with supernatural threads woven in, but then out of nowhere it takes a sharp turn and suddenly you're careening into a bizarre story about reincarnation, karma fulfillment, and past lives. Was it not enough to create a narrative about how paranoia and religious conservatism can push people to act in bizarre ways, whether it be in the late 1600s or in modern day? Did we really have to insert all the meager insights of the first week of a Buddhism 101 class?
The climax scene especially I found almost entirely implausible, and I very nearly closed the book and gave up because of how ridiculous it was. It felt like such a "hey guys being evil is bad actually!!" third act protagonist speech that miraculously gets all the villains to stop being mean and then everything is wrapped up immediately after.
I hope to find a book that lives up to the promise I thought this one had.
To start, I remembered the prose being interesting, evocative, and descriptive, instead found it to be pretty bland. Nothing bad, but nothing overly beautiful either.
The characters were also relatively bland. I found myself not caring much over any of them, besides finding half the cast severely unlikable. The mother was neglectful to her daughter, and the way she was a doormat to her boyfriend was just unreasonable to a distasteful degree. No mother who (apparently) dearly loves her daughter would suddenly start being as willfully awful, even in the face of new love. Sarah was a pretty mild and uninteresting protagonist; she probably would have appealed to a younger version of myself drenched in ennui, but as an adult I'm frustrated by the inconsistency of her character.
The main thing that put me off was how this book was a weird mix of themes that I could not for the life of me track the thought process behind. I went into it excited, thinking it was going to be a spooky story about mass hysteria with supernatural threads woven in, but then out of nowhere it takes a sharp turn and suddenly you're careening into a bizarre story about reincarnation, karma fulfillment, and past lives. Was it not enough to create a narrative about how paranoia and religious conservatism can push people to act in bizarre ways, whether it be in the late 1600s or in modern day? Did we really have to insert all the meager insights of the first week of a Buddhism 101 class?
The climax scene especially I found almost entirely implausible, and I very nearly closed the book and gave up because of how ridiculous it was. It felt like such a "hey guys being evil is bad actually!!" third act protagonist speech that miraculously gets all the villains to stop being mean and then everything is wrapped up immediately after.
I hope to find a book that lives up to the promise I thought this one had.
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