Review: Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

• Age Range: 12 – 18 years, 7-12th grade
• Series: Bloody Mary
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (September 2, 2014)
• ISBN: 9781423185192

Everyone is familiar with the Bloody Mary urban legend. Teenage friends Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna have researched the rules.

Positioning mattered. Salt mattered, too, because it purified against evil. Water mattered. Hand-holding mattered. Even the number of girls mattered.

The first time they summon Mary, what follows is terrifying.

The mirror filled with fog, like condensation after a hot, steamy shower. But the fog was on the other side. The wrong side. Droplets of water streamed down the glass, cutting black rivulets through the gray. . .

Yet once is not enough for Jess and she demands that her friends join her in summoning Mary again. This time, however, the consequences are dangerous: their summoning circle is broken and Mary comes through the glass in the mirror. Shauna barely escapes Mary’s murderous grasp, scratches from Mary’s nails down her back serving as evidence. They think they are safe from Mary but quickly learn that once Mary has tasted blood, there is no escape.

Mary can appear in any shiny surface, including windows, picture frames, and glasses. Her wrath is inescapable and the girls find themselves in a battle for their lives. Their friendships are torn apart as it becomes apparent that Jess’s motivation to evoke Mary’s spirit are personal.  With the guidance of survivor of Mary’s wrath, the girls must  learn what sparked Mary’s murderous rampage if they have any  hopes of ending it.

What a chilling read! I’ve been a fan of horror since I was a teen and I thought I was able to handle most anything. Apparently not!  This book had me terrified from the beginning. Monahan has created a cast of characters so real, their behavior and friendships so genuine it was easy to become invested in this group of teen girls.

The author uses letters from the “original” Mary to her sister to share the story of how Mary came to be this terrifying urban legend.  The actions that led up to her evolution into an urban legend are quite chilling. The monster Monahan creates in Mary is so chilling, leaving me terrified to be in the presence of mirrors after dark or to read this novel if I was home alone.

While many of the questions behind Mary’s creation were answered, there were many unanswered questions by the end of the book. That said, it is my understanding that this is but the first book in a series. Cue happy dance!

Fans of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike will be thrilled to know that this title evokes the same terror as these horror greats. I had flashbacks to my teen years, reading Fear Street in the dark, with only a flashlight to guide me. A must read for horror fans of all ages, this is a book that will definitely be making the rounds this Halloween season. Highly, highly recommended.