Mary: The Summoning

Gr 7–10—Shauna, Jess, Kitty, and Anna all gather in the bathroom in Anna's house, ready to summon Bloody Mary. Jess, the leader of the group, starts chanting while the other three girls are anxious to be done with the ritual. None of them really expects anything to happen, until a hand appears in the mirror. Elated, Jess cannot wait to try again, but this time, she changes things around. Mary appears in the mirror, but instead of being contained, she starts to come out. She grabs Shauna, cutting her skin and trying to pull her back into the mirror with her. Soon, Mary appears in any shiny surface, and the girls' lives are in danger—Shauna most of all. As Shauna starts to dig into Mary's legacy, she learns there may be ulterior motives for summoning her in the first place. Descriptions are vivid, especially details about Mary and her hauntings. The story has enough creepy elements that will linger with readers, though the amount of violence does not make it suitable for squeamish students. This modern take on the popular urban legend is definitely not for the faint of heart. As the first book in a series, the novel concludes with many loose ends, which hopefully will be tied up in the next installment.—Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL