Teen Fiction - Family & Relationships, Teen Fiction - Horror & Suspense

Possessing Jessie

Name: Possessing Jessie
Author: Nancy Springer
ISBN: 9780823422593

by Nancy Springer

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Overview

Two-time Edgar Award winner Nancy Springer has written a chilling psychological thriller about a teenage girl possessed by her dead brother.

Quiet, cautious Jessie had always lived in the shadow of her dynamic younger brother-her mother's clear favorite. His recent death in an automobile accident stuns all who knew him and leaves Jessie and her mother numb with grief. That is, until the morning Jessie cuts her hair and dresses in Jason's clothes, swaggering out of the house in an uncanny imitation of her brother. Her mother is visibly cheered, and for once, Jessie is the center of attention at school. But each day Jason takes over Jessie more and more. Can she escape his power? Fast-paced, accessible, and truly creepy, this novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Synopsis

VOYA

Jason is dead—that is a fact. His mother has become unresponsive since the accident, not eating, not speaking, and completely ignoring Jessie, Jason's sister, now left behind. So Jessie becomes Jason. At first, it feels strange, wearing his clothes and walking his cool walk. Kids think she is sick. But her mother is delighted to have her beloved son return. Jessie's best friend, Alisha, suspects that Jessie's act is all part of her grief experience and tries to help by tracking down Jessie's missing father. But Alisha is racing against the clock, because very gradually, bit by bit, Jessie really is becoming Jason. This awesomely twisted plot will engage even the most reluctant of readers with its quick pacing and serious creepiness. Character development is scant but hardly necessary. And although some of the condensed plot developments are incredible, Springer masterfully controls the growing suspense. She allows the reader to entertain a variety of possible outcomes, only to pull out an ending that is perfectly unexpected. Springer is well known for her Rowan Hood and Enola Holmes books, but she has also turned out other gripping short novels such as Blood Trail (Holiday House, 2003/VOYA August 2003) and, more recently, Somebody (2009/VOYA April 2009). Recommend her books to readers who are looking for an excursion into light horror or who are fans of short, dramatic fiction such as the Bluford High series. Reviewer: Diane Colson

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Editorials

VOYA - Diane Colson

School Library Journal

Gr 7–10—Jessie is grief-stricken after her brother's death. Her mother has become unresponsive, refusing to eat, and has not spoken to Jessie since the accident. All her life, the teen has failed to win her mother's attention and now she has an idea. Become Jason, dressing in his clothes, adopting his speech patterns and strut. At first it is difficult but as time goes by, it becomes easier especially since her mother is finally talking and paying attention to her. The more Jessie pretends, the more Jason's persona comes forth, until finally she has no choice. Jason, the more dominate sibling, is trying to reclaim his life. The ending is abrupt, leaving readers with an eerie, creepy feeling. Springer has written a twisted story, and while characterization is weak and the story line can be frustrating for those readers who need resolution, this tightly woven novel is fast-paced and will be of interest to readers who like light horror.—Sharon Morrison, Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library, Durant, OK

Kirkus Reviews

Strikingly shallow characters abound in this brief horror-fest. High-school senior Jessie was not responsible for her younger brother's death. Although she loved him, he was arrogant and reckless. After he drives the family car into a tree while street racing, and dies, she is nonetheless left feeling guilty, alone with her grief-stricken mother who won't even acknowledge her presence. What's a girl to do? Jessie cuts her hair, dons her dead brother's clothes and morphs into him, at first playacting, but later allowing her character to be subsumed by his stronger, from-beyond-the-grave will. With the exception of a loyal friend who tries to intervene on her behalf, no one seems to have enough character or sense to do more than mildly object, including Jessie herself. One hopes this isn't an editorial comment on weak-willed girls. The strongest feature of this banal effort is its shortness; even the most reluctant of readers might be enticed to pick up a slender horror novel that delivers, in true Twlight Zone fashion, a chillingly nasty conclusion. (Horror. 12 & up)