The Coffin

Nightmare Hall #19

by Diane Hoh

Finding herself locked in a soundproof room by a madman, coed Tanner tries every means of freeing herself, causing her terrifying captor to lock her in a coffin-shaped box that offers a slim chance for escape--or eternal imprisonment. Original.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, YA Horror, Mystery

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Diane Hoh is the author of fifty-seven novels for young adults. She grew up in Warren, Pennsylvania but currently resides in Austin, Texas. Reading and writing are her favorite things, alongside gardening and grandchildren.

Reviews

[JESSICA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was frickin awesome. but it frightened me. Lol. It remind me of my younger days (reading R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike) This book was fast-paced and on the edge of your sit suspense. What happens when Tanner's strict professor father leaves for vacation?? Room to breath... But before she can enjoy herself - there is someone lurking, watching and waiting to pounce.. The only negative I will say, couldn't stand "Sandy!" She was suppose to be a best friend (yeah right!) If I was Tanner, she would have been kicked to the curb!

[Paula Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favourite book in my favourite 90s YA series! Suspenseful and claustrophobic, this builds to a genuinely gripping, heart-pounding climax! Diane Hoh never put out a dud thriller in my opinion, and this is one of her best.

[b.andherbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this series when I was a teen. Scary, with ridiculous premises, and just enough kissing to keep me interested. Right up there with the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine. I'm so sad because I think my mother gave my collection away :(

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun trip down memory lane! This one was just as good as I remembered it being.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think any of this book took place at Nightmare Hall.

* Tanner is a freshman at Salem University because her father is a professor there so she gets free tuition. She has to live with her father though, not in dorms.
* Her father goes to Hawaii for some sort of event and for a vacation and leave Tanner home alone - although there is a housekeeper-Mavis Sills (Silly).
* Tanner goes home the first night but Silly isn't there as expected. Then she's hit over the head by a masked man, thrown in the soundproof music room, and told that she'll stay there.
* The masked man leaves a note explaining that Tanner has gone to see her mother, but her boyfriend Charlie doesn't believe it, and neither does her friend Jodie. The police don't care
* Charlie is then knocked over by a motorbike on the sidewalk outside Tanner's House, and Jodie is taken and thrown in the basement
*Tanner learns that the man holding her has murdered Silly, but she struggled to find a way to escape the locked room.
* Eventually she tricks the man holding her into the coffin he built for her in the music room and escapes. Just as Charlie comes to rescue her again.
* The man holding her was her friend Philip who her father had had admitted to a mental care facility, but they released him when the money ran out.

[Baylee Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t read a book in like 3 years before I read this because I thought all books were boring. Turns out I was just reading the wrong books because this one was very entertaining. It was super suspenseful and made me actually excited to read. After reading it I fell into the booktok rabbit hole and now I have so many books my bookshelf is basically sobbing. Thanks for the reading obsession The Coffin

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read and fairly creepy.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abit darker than the others but really enjoyed this one. Great suspense!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny in an unrealistic way

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really good young adult thriller. It had lots of suspense and good characters.

[EmilyP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I've read it many times. It's a great story with interesting characters and plot. It builds tension really well and the climax is wonderful.

[Tanesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

What awful friends Tanner has with the exception of Jodie and Charlie. Close friend suddenly disappears out of the blue leaving behind a suspicious note? No biggie, we don’t need to contact police. Another friend who was highly suspicious about the first friend’s disappearance is deliberately run down by a vehicle? It’s just a coincidence, stop being paranoid no need to worry. A third friend suddenly disappears while investigating first friend’s disappearance? She’ll turn up just wait and see.

It blows my mind how unconcerned and willfully ignorant Tanner’s group of friends are to the events in this book. What’s even more mind-blowing is the fact that she remains friends with most of them by the end of this book, if I was her I would start weeding them out of my circle.

[Jessie Wilkens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember this one being one of my favorites from the series as a kid. But reading it as an adult, it is ridiculous and the protagonist very irritating. Made me want to lock her in a box too.

[Elizabeth Hubble · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing I didn't like about this book is the fact that everyone was still friends with Sandy at the end. While she wasn't the culprit, she certainly wasn't a good friend.