Mary: Unleashed by Hillary Monahan Series: Bloody Mary
Published by Disney-Hyperion on September 8, 2015
Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, YA
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Friends Shauna, Kitty, and Jess barely survived Mary's attacks. They lost a dear friend and now continue to shield themselves from any and all reflective surfaces. Just when they thought it couldn't get worse, Jess reveals that she's unleashed Mary into the world, breaking her from the bonds of her mirror. Putting all anger and animosity aside, the girls must bound together to finally put an end to Mary's murderous rage. To do so, they must go to the heart of Mary's past, where it all began: Solomon's Folly. They must finally put Mary's soul at rest. To do so, they have to piece together the mystery surrounding not only her death, but the death of many of those close to her. They are running out of time; Mary is on the hunt and now anyone is a potential victim.
This is the second book in the Bloody Mary series by Hillary Monahan. The first, Mary: The Summoning was a terrifying book that took me back to my youth, where groups of friends attempted to call upon Bloody Mary. In that book, we learned a little about Mary’s backstory but, in this most recent novel, we learn a great deal more about what caused Mary to be a murderous ghost.
Monahan could have followed the tradition of sequels and simply rehashing or doing a replay of the events of the previous book. Instead, she takes readers to the heart of the story, immersing us in a chilling tale of murder, jealousy and deceit. She expands upon what was already revealed in the previous book and takes it to a whole new level. She gives credence to the history of Mary’s death, bringing in urban legends and local lore to craft a truly haunting tale.
Though I didn’t find this one to be as chilling and terrifying as the previous novel, I adored it for the background info on Mary and why she chose to haunt/stalk who she did. Oftentimes, authors craft their own urban legend without providing a reason why, or an origin story. Monahan does so, doing an exceptional job of using local history to tell the tale. I’m hesitant to reveal more; you truly need to read the books to discover on your own.
If you are looking for a haunting series to read this Halloween season, let it be this one. Highly, highly recommended.
Photo credit: Emily Ellsworth
