Sarah By Teri Polen

Sarah by Teri Polen

Published by Black Rose Writing in 2016

Pages 190

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal

Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.

A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah's death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.

Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn't in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house - but exorcising her isn't that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.

My first impression of this book came from its cover and the knowledge that this is the debut of Teri Polen. I was reminded of ghost stories in pop culture movies and thought this could go one of two ways: a suspenseful and terrifying ride or end up a complete flop.

As the story begins we are immediately met with the inner dialogue of Cain Shannon and begin to understand his everyday high school problems, particularly in the dating department. This gives the reader plenty of time to adjust and prepare for the conflict that is coming. It almost seems like your typical cut and dry exposition but, considering the length of the work being shorter, Polen's writing begins to create settings but also fairly rounded characters and situations with depth. Cain is immediately relatable in his sarcastic and witty thoughts, filled with humor edged with truth that every teen can relate to. Primary character relationships are entertaining and even wholesome at times, balancing the much darker contemporary tones the novel has: from bullying and body-shaming to physically assaulting people. 

When the spooks and eerie situations begin, a theme of characters stating the obvious begin to appear but, while this would normally give the book a stale taste, Polen crafts the story so that it actually adds an element of self-awareness. Rather than being outright terrifying, there is a sense of impending dread and tension as characters know what they probably should and shouldn't do and make decisions based on that comprehension. It reminds the reader that these characters are just teens, just like the intended reader and that grabs you and holds you in the story.

"Neither one of us remembered much about Sarah, but she was right about the cliques at school. Like you needed to belong to one of them to validate your existence..."

What I found most surprising, and eventually the most captivating, aspect of the work was how morals were utilized and how Cain, and even his friend Finn, mature in their understanding of people and of themselves. Without the paranormal elements this story could easily be something along the lines of a contemporary mystery. 

Overall, Sarah is a 4 out of 5, in my opinion. The social commentary of school status, popularity, even gender and the amount of privilege that accompanies each of these themes makes this a compelling read but also how Polen uses her knowledge of horror to create a multi-dimensional tale filled with chills and an edge.