In a modern retelling of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, Francine Prose’s new novel The Turning transports readers to a
haunted island. Jack has been
hired by a wealthy man to babysit his niece and nephew, Miles and Flora, for
two months until school starts.
The children, whose parents died when they were very young, are living
with are living in their family estate on an isolated island with the family
cook, Mrs. Gross. Despite the fact
that there is no Internet, television, or phone reception on the island, Jack
takes the job in hopes of earning money to go to the same college as his
girlfriend, Sophie. The
novel is narrated in the letters Jack and Sophie send each other.
From the ferry ride to his new job, Jack receives ominous
warnings about his destination. An
elderly couple tells him that nearly a hundred years earlier, a young couple
from the island tried to run away and elope because the woman’s father did not
approve of the match; tragically, their boat capsized and they drown, leaving
the island with a haunted legacy.
Jack finds this story spooky, but he is reassured about his decision to
come when he meets Mrs. Gross. She
is a warm, calm and attractive woman who convinces Jack that there is no merit
to the wild rumors about Crackstone's Landing. He
finds Miles and Flora to be very different from most children but well behaved
and friendly enough. As Jack
settles into life on the island though, he senses that something is not
right. He is troubled by the
strange stares that the children constantly give each other, the locked room in
the house, and the two strangers only he can see on the island. As he tries to
get to the bottom of these mysteries, he discovers that there is indeed
something evil at Crackstone's Landing.
If you had not read Henry James’s original story, you
probably would find The Turning to be
a spooky, enjoyable horror story. For those who are familiar with The Turn of the Screw, this
interpretation will be a disappointment.
Prose never fully captures James’s creepiness and the ending falls
flat. The problem is in the
epistolary format, which does not allow the tension to build. The pacing feels too rushed; one minute
Jack is fine and in the next letter he is completely mad. Though there are plenty of scary
images, reader doesn’t have the opportunity to feel Jack’s fear and terror.
Despite the shortfalls, middle grade readers looking for
ghost story will enjoy The Turning. Recommend it to those you liked Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
or The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray.
3 out of 5 stars
Grades 7 and up
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