I Will Make You Disappear

by Carol Beach York

The Astin girls should be happy with two summer months in the country stretching before them, but there is an uneasy air in the house their family has rented, with its strange furniture and dark places

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Witches, Childrens

128 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Maggi Andersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crazy drunk man threatens children and attacks them THREE TIMES, and mom barely cares, police say, "he's drunk, sometimes he does things," and they all just say, "oh well." Uh, what? I know the author felt she needed a tangible antagonist (other than the mysterious "witch" who once owned the house), but she missed the mark. The main protagonist is all of a sudden quite obsessed with the occult, completely ignoring the apprehension of her younger siblings and still forcing them to participate, so she's not exactly someone I relate to. This is one book in my husband's collection I am lobbying to have tossed.

[Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this book four stars because it's very good... within the context of what it is - a young readers mystery novel.
A family rents a house for the summer, a woman and her kids, two of which discover a trap door in a shed that may or may not have been used by a witch. The local townsfolk have plenty of stories about the house and there's also a creepy caretaker straight out of Scooby Doo. I will not reveal the reason for the title of the book, suffice to say that it's to do with witchcraft, though the author does a good job of keeping it vague and not too scary.
An enjoyable fast read very suitable for young readers.

[Jenna Andersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could've been worse, that's all I'm gonna say. I think it'd make much better book if it was written today (at least a mention of texting or video games would've given the characters more personality than just "she liked to read") and the story needs work. While it ain't much, I think it's better than a lot of other 70s books. I don't think I'll give this book another thought now that I'm done with it.

[Wyly OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still have my ragged copy of this book from when I was a kid (over 40 years ago). Re-reading conjured memories of nights under a blanket with a flashlight. Mandrake root and pure earth… York’s telling of a typical summer vacation gone weird is perfectly balanced. The kids are simultaneously bored and always active. In the circle is my power… This story is magical and relatable; let it take you, take you, take you…

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Clara and her family spend the summer in a gloomy house that may have belonged to a witch, Clara decides to buy a book about witchcraft.

Good thing: Clara is a very headstrong, curious girl and this leads her into believable actions.

Bad thing: The last third of the book sputters.

If I had read this when I was ten or so, I would have thought the book was scary.

[Amanda]

Another childhood favorite!