Scary Books & Scarecrows!

Looking for a few good horror stories to tingle your spine and keep you awake at night? I’ve read these three in quick succession.

The Testament. Margaret Atwood’s long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. While I read the original book and saw the movie, I’ve been somewhat addicted to the Hulu television series. With news reports continuing to deliver stories of limits on abortions, curtailment of health care, and democracy spiraling out of control, reading more about Gilead doesn’t always feel like fiction.

Pursuit. Joyce Carol Oates delivers a tight, tense tale in fewer than 230 pages. Abby leaves the morning after her unconsummated wedding night and walks in front of a bus. Is it an accident or a deliberate move? Her husband stays by her side during her recovery – physically and emotionally as he helps her unravel the trauma of her childhood.

The Institute. Stephen King’s latest moves fast. Twelve-year-old Luke Ellis has special powers- he has the ability to use telekinesis. He’s kidnapped from his family’s home (his parents are murdered), and taken to a remote area in Maine, to the Institute. He meets other children who are either telekinetic or telepathic. They are subjected to many physical and mental tests—not too unlike those employed by Nazis- with the goal of removing the special powers and using them for national security purposes. Chilling.

 

All three deal with children being subjected to evil by adults and separated from their parents. Perhaps not the stuff of happy fiction, but a reminder of the reality too many kids face.

 

On a more cheerful note, I walked through downtown Madison, Ct. recently with my mother and admired the scarecrows created by local businesses, schools and civic groups.