The Society (Forbidden Doors, Book 1)
Gr. 7-9. With the recent death of their father and the memory of their former life in Brazil still fresh, Becka and Scott begin the year at their new U.S. school with trepidation. It's not the usual adjustment problems they have to worry about, however; it's their discovery that a local bookshop is the hub of a cult that uses a Ouija board and charms to lure students into the arms of evil. When they realize what's at hand, Scott and Becka turn to Christianity and to the Bible to find a solution, and in so doing, they come to understand their own beliefs better and learn how they can use their faith to help others. Although Myers' fast-paced plot is quite bumpy (it jumps back and forth between Becka and Scott's experiences), his characters are nicely drawn contemporary kids (especially junior-high student Scott, who has a good sense of humor and lots of self-assurance, which gets tested), and there are some sufficiently scary scenes (without the usual gore) to appeal to some of the Stine/Cusick/Pike crowd. The ending clearly sets things up for a sequel, but that won't stop kids from enjoying this as a single title.Stephanie Zvirin--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.