THE GIRL IN THE BOX

by Ouida Sebestyen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1988

Deliberately evoking Cormier's I Am the Cheese in a portrait of a teen-ager trapped by mysterious circumstances--which are only partly revealed in a nonsequential narrative--Sebestyen (Far from Home) has written an extraordinary thriller. Jackie is confined in a lightless concrete box where she was thrust by an unknown man who left her with food, water, and the typewriter she happened to be carrying. In the letters she touch-types to the police, her parents, her English teacher, and her friends Zach and April, she gradually reveals herself: a well-loved child of parents in modest circumstances, a gifted writer but an indifferent student, April's loyal friend since childhood--devastated to discover that April and new friend Zach have for months had a private relationship beyond their close trio, and have kept it from her. And--though Jackie is never set physically free in these pages; the assailant remains a mystery; and the conclusion may be read as a tragedy--Sebestyen's stunningly affirmative denouement should make a provocative comparison to Cormier's book for years to come. Like Anne Frank, Jacklyn McGee's courage and humanity shine through her self-revelation. A story that's impossible to put down.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 165

Publisher: Joy Street/Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S