Review: Say Her Name by James Dawson

Published: Hot Key Books, 2014

Pages: 287

Synopsis: "Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... A truly spine-chilling yet witty horror from shortlisted 'Queen of Teen' author James Dawson."

Rating: **

In my continual quest for something truly scary, I came across Say Her Name in my local library and thought I'd give the potentially scary YA novel a try. While I didn't find this scary, it was well written with the girls boarding school clique and atmosphere feeling genuine and I liked the intertwining of past and present. I thought the newspaper clipping at the end being dated Friday 13th was a nice touch. Bloody Mary folklore has been the inspiration for many books and films and even TV series such as the hugely popular Supernatural. James Dawson's book however puts a slightly different spin on the premise of the urban legend while sticking to the 'original' at the same time. Is the urban legend based on a schoolgirl or Queen Mary I? We'll never know for sure, but Dawson's book makes a good, quick and intense read despite not being overly scary.

Have you read any other Bloody Mary based fiction? Any you'd recommend?

Have you read any horror stories set in British boarding schools you'd recommend? Or have you written one you'd like an impartial review of?

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