A fascinating book that captures your imagination for its entirety and then releases it to explore new thoughts and feelings, this is a wonderfully clever foray into the difficulties faced by young women on the cusp of adulthood. The story takes place in two time frames in one location, formally called Salem Village now Danvers in Massachusetts. We hear from two inhabitants; Ann in 1706 who makes a confession and Colleen in 2012, in her final year of school and under pressure to perform. The author encourages you to connect the two times, to feel the pain and confusion, to question and evaluate, however there is a twist of mystery in this tale and just as you think you are finding an answer, it swirls off in front of you again. Whilst fiction, Howe explains how her story links to true events in the authors note at the end. This is a fabulous re-imagining of ‘The Crucible’, full of suspense and tension, yet there is a warmth and compassion that makes this a read not to be missed by older teens. ~ Liz Robinson
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Recommendations: |
Senior year at all-girl's Catholic school St. Joan's Academy has just begun, and Colleen Rowley and her friends are feeling the heat. Applications to Harvard, the battle for valedictorian, the high expectations of their parents, meeting boys in Cambridge...all of it has turned school into a pressure cooker.
When beautiful, popular Clara Rutherford starts having loud and uncontrollable tics while her horrified classmates look on, chaos sets in as more and more girls begin reporting bizarre symptoms: losing hair, body vibration, seizures...And then one of Colleen's best friends, Anjali, starts coughing up pins. The media quickly descends on the small town of Danvers, MA, as school officials, angry parents and the board of health scramble to figure out what's going on before it gets worse.
Theories range from a latent Strep virus to environmental pollution, all to no avail. But as Colleen soon realizes, there's one thing nobody has factored in-Danvers, MA was once called Salem Village, the site of a similarly bizarre epidemic among teenage girls over 300 years earlier...
Conversion features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, eBooks of the Month, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommendations
Conversion is available in Paperback, Ebook
Conversion was written by Katherine Howe and published by Oneworld Publications
Conversion has 432 pages
