The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a horror genre book. I read this book for an assignment for my last year of high school, and I loved it! At first, I was skeptical due to its genre being horror. And let me tell you, I cannot deal with horror at all, but this book was amazing. At the start, the book is slow, but you get attached to it very quickly. Shirley Jackson gives the reader an option: Is the house haunted, or are the characters' minds playing tricks on them?

What I also love about this book is the main character's growth. At the beginning of this book, you get this shy person trying to fit in. But in the end, she just does not care anymore, and she starts to speak her mind. She even says, "This is my life and not yours."

I will admit one downside of this book is that the other characters feel unfinished, and you never quite understand why they are acting mean. The book does not mention their motivations which is upsetting. You also get confused about the characters' mood swings. I must admit I might have emotionally yelled at the characters for being so confusing sometimes. Especially the ending where you just start to hate everyone. But I would definitely read this book again!

If you are like me and scared of horror, step out of your comfort zone and try The Haunting of Hill House. You will not regret it!

Review by: Lauren

Lauren is a teen volunteer at the Granada Hills Branch Library who is a senior in high school from the San Fernando Valley area.

—Rachael Zak, Young Adult Librarian, Granada Hills Branch Library