Daughter of Darkness

The kids sense that there's something different about Midnight Place—an eerie sensation that won't go away … a terror that turns out to be all too real. When exotic Lin Jasandy moves to Midnight Place, Cass Fuller is immediately wary of her. And when Lin seems to have a strange power over Cass's friend Rick, Cass finds herself involved in terror.

From Publishers Weekly

Lake's supernatural thriller sustains interest, although several heavily descriptive passages slow the momentum. Cass, a self-deprecating 15-year-old, lives in a New Jersey suburb with her father, a policeman, and her mother, a writer. At a Halloween party, the girl becomes upset that Rick, an occasional date, seems involved with Lin, a new student. The unfriendly beauty alarms Cass, especially when Lin warns her to "stay away." Best friend Meg thinks the girl is merely possessive of Rick, but Cass isn't so sure; Lin lives, after all, on Midnight Place, an ordinary-looking yet spooky block. Then pal George is pushed down some stairs, classmates Viv and Jewel become ill and Cass is almost trapped in the girls' locker room. It isn't until she reads her mother's article on demonology that these and other perplexities become clear. Despite a wildly contrived resolution, the story features a strong, likable heroine and plenty of suspense--pluses sufficient to satisfy devotees of the genre. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-12-- In this supernatural mystery, Cassandra Fuller, 15, is increasingly anxious about the unresponsive new girl, Lin Jasandy. After the family arrives in town, strange things happen. Cass's friend George breaks his leg in a fall but claims he was pushed, and she is shadowed by a haunting presence that whispers things like "Stay away." In the end, Cass and a friend find the Jasandy house filled with valuable collectibles, and at last recognize Lin for what she is, a demon spirit summoned by Jasandy, an antique dealer, to frighten people into selling him their treasured possessions. With a smoothly flowing style marked by detailed descriptions but some cliches, Lake builds anticipation and suspense. Unfortunately, the characters are not well developed, and the somewhat implausible plot lacks imaginative intrigue and realistic complications. It's disappointing that Cass's father, a policeman described quite fully at the beginning, never plays a role in the outcome. Teen readers may, at first, be drawn by the darkly mysterious setting and mood, but many will find that the formulaic story, artificially loaded with elements of horror, does not live up to their expectations. --Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, Kingwood, TXCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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