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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Salem Main Library | TEEN Polatin, D. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
" Devil in Ohio kept me up until 3 a.m. with the lights on-in a good way. It's a haunting thriller for readers who like fear, humor, and heart in one package."--Meredith Goldstein, advice columnist and feature reporter for The Boston Globe , author of upcoming YA novel Chemistry Lessons .
"Gripping, urgent and addictive, Devil in Ohio balances the dark exploration of cults with a compelling and often humorous take on teen social dynamics. This is the debut you won't want to miss."--Aditi Khorana, author of critically acclaimed The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky
When fifteen-year-old Jules Mathis comes home from school to find a strange girl sitting in her kitchen, her psychiatrist mother reveals that Mae is one of her patients at the hospital and will be staying with their family for a few days. But soon Mae is wearing Jules's clothes, sleeping in her bedroom, edging her out of her position on the school paper, and flirting with Jules's crush. And Mae has no intention of leaving.
Then things get weird.
Jules walks in on a half-dressed Mae, startled to see: a pentagram carved into Mae's back. Jules pieces together clues and discovers that Mae is a survivor of the strange cult that's embedded in a nearby town. And the cult will stop at nothing to get Mae back.
Author Notes
Daria Polatin is the creator, showrunner and executive producer of Devil in Ohio , a Netflix Limited Series starring Emily Deschanel and Madeleine Arthur, based on her best-selling novel of the same name. Daria was a writer/co-executive producer of Stephen King's Castle Rock , where her episode "The Laughing Place" was named one of Entertainment Weekly's Best TV Episodes of 2019. Additional TV credits include Jack Ryan , Hunters , Heels , and Shut Eye .
An award-winning playwright, Daria wrote and directed her new play Palmyra at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre, which ran on CTG's Digital Stage. Her plays have been produced across the United States and internationally. She is a founding member of The Kilroys, the advocacy group for gender parity in the American theater.
Under her 1001 Pictures banner, Daria continues to write and produce propulsive stories that challenge and entertain. Daria is of Egyptian descent, grew up traveling on five continents, loves hiking and inventing recipes, and lives in Los Angeles with her family. Devil in Ohio is her debut novel.
dariapolatin.com
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-Fifteen-year-old Jules is determined to be a famous photographer, and the first step is to get on the school newspaper where her crush is the editor. The teen finally lands an interview for the paper when her mother brings home a mysterious girl named Mae, and Jules's boring life becomes significantly more eventful. At first, Jules feels sorry for Mae because she has clearly been abused; but after a couple of weeks, she enjoys having a female friend and the recent popularity that comes with knowing the new girl. However, as Mae's presence slowly begins to affect Jules's friendship with her best friend Isaac and her parent's marriage, she starts to question the identity of her new housemate. This thriller relies heavily on Mae's motivations-is she a naive abused girl or is she a manipulator? The unreliable antagonist is a staple in this genre, especially when the character is fully developed and keeps readers engaged and constantly guessing. Mae, however, is underdeveloped, and at times her behavior is unrealistic. The supporting cast, including Jules' sisters and Isaac, is also underdeveloped and doesn't drive the plot forward. Although the novel has some relatable themes, such as people's reliance on social constructs, the overall narrative lacks nuance. Teens will find the ending too abrupt and anticlimactic. VERDICT Not recommended.-Dawn Abron, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Jules Mathis, the 15-year-old protagonist of playwright/TV writer Polatin's uneven debut, leads an unremarkable life until her psychiatrist mother, Suzanne, brings a patient home with her from the hospital. Sixteen-year-old Mae Dodd recently escaped from a satanic cult in nearby Tisdale, Ohio. Suzanne claims that Mae will only be staying with them for a few days, but it becomes clear to Jules that Mae isn't interested in leaving. In addition to monopolizing Suzanne's time and attention, Mae takes over Jules's room, borrows her clothes, and starts dating her crush. When the cult begins targeting the Mathis family in an effort to recapture Mae, Jules is forced to wonder just how much her mother is willing to sacrifice in order to protect the girl. The setup is intriguing, but underdeveloped characters (including cult members who come across like cartoon villains), a slow-moving plot, and an abrupt and oblique conclusion keep it from being fully realized. Jules's first-person narrative alternates with third-person chapters focused on her mother; although Jules's hurt and frustration are understandable, Suzanne's dedication to Mae is less so as events spiral out of control. Ages 13-up. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Jules's family has taken in Mae, a former cult member who is one of Jules's mother's psych patients. The longer Mae stays, the more Jules feels like Mae is taking over her life. The intriguing premise promises suspense, but there's no tension in the slow pace, and the focus is spread across so many elements that nothing gets explored in depth. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Polatin weaves a thrilling and suspenseful story in her debut, inspired by true events. Jules Mathis' life is thrown into turmoil after her psychiatrist mother invites Mae a patient, cult survivor, and troubled young girl with a pentagram carved into her back to stay with their family. Jules becomes resentful when it seems like Mae is purposely crowding Jules out of her own life, and, to make matters worse, Mae's presence in the Mathis household corresponds with significant upheaval in their lives. Jules' parents begin constantly fighting; Jules is almost kidnapped; and her mother is involved in a mysterious car accident. Are these things unfortunate occurrences or are they directly linked to Mae? While Jules' character development could have been more thorough and the ending of the book wraps up too quickly, the thrilling twists and turns, suspenseful mood, and dark subject matter make for an enjoyably scary read. Eager readers will keep turning pages to discover Mae's secrets and her connection to the Mathis family.--Davenport, Enishia Copyright 2017 Booklist