Daemon Hall (review)

Ian Tremblin, a controversial horror writer, takes five high-school students into dreadful Daemon Hall where the five, who are winners in Tremblin's contest for young writers, will retell their tales and whoever lasts the night—er, tells the best story—will win the opportunity to be published in Tremblin's Macabre Master series. Once inside the haunted hall, each young author must re-read their entry and then tell an original spine-tingler, and one candle is extinguished after each tale is told. Five young writers start the story tour; one goes to the bathroom, and then there are four. Nance offers a smoothly written, clever framework for relaying ten scary stories, and horror fans will appreciate classic elements like the spooky house that seems to be alive, the evocation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, and the one guest who must be left behind. The stories themselves are riffs on familiar themes—arachnophobia, babysitting, and crazy bus drivers, just to name a few—but they're lively and a few even offer creatively formatted interpretations in poetry and email/chat-room exchanges. There are no subtleties here, but these tales are enjoyably creepy and straight-up fright-night fun for readers ready to take the next thrilling step after San Souci's Double-Dare to be Scared (BCCB 7/04).