There’s Someone Inside Your House

There’s Someone Inside Your House  

Title: There’s Someone Inside Your House 

Author: Stephanie Perkins 

ISBN: 9781101590027 

Publisher: Dutton Books 

Copyright Date: 2017 

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Slasher 

Awards or Honors: None 

Reading Level: Older Teens 16 and above 

Plot Summary: Chapter one begins with a young high school girl named Hayley being murdered by a mysterious stranger. Chapter Two jumps to Makani Young, a young girl who lives in rural Nebraska in Osborne with her grandmother after moving from Hawaii following her parents’ divorce. The story follows her struggles with romance and counting down the days until she leaves. Some chapters are devoted to the grisly murder of other students like Matt and Rodrigo. Makani is then targeted for a murder and is nearly killed but manages to escape and identifies the killer. However, her grandma is sent to the hospital with a serious wound. She receives police protection and spends later chapters looking for the murder. While at a Halloween event at school, David, the killer, looks for Makani and kills some of her friends. David delivers a monolog about how he wants to leave Osborne and never come back. However, after a wild chase through a corn maze, an iron folk-art skeleton falls on David and kills him. Malaki survives and realizes she now considers Osborne home.   

Author Background: Stephanie Perkins is a New York Times Bestseller born in South Carolina and who grew up in Arizona. She went to school in California and Georgia and now lives in North Carolina. Perkins is married and has a cat named Mr. Tumnus. She recommends that people who want to be writers to be curious, investigate the world, ask questions, and read as much as you can. She also suggests that any aspiring writer write as much as they can to improve.   

Some of her books include Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After, Anna and the French Kiss, and Summer Days and Summer Nights. Her next book is The Woods Are Always Watching, which she plans to publish in 2021. She describes her writing process as being similarly structured every day so she can stay on task.   

Critical Evaluation: I thought the book was a good book that can be a great teen television series or movie. The plot is fast paced but makes sense and doesn’t lack holes. The plot also provides an intriguing backstory for Makani and characters in the book that gets the reader invested. While some of the plots are like other slasher stories, the story, characters, and location are diverse enough to get readers or watchers interested. The writing is clear and concise and does not meander or leave the reader bored. The book is an exciting horror mystery that will leave the readers wanting to know who the killer is and rooting for Makani.    

Creative Use Library Program: I would have this book be a part of a book club movie night next year. Netflix will be releasing a slasher film based on There’s Someone Inside Your House in 2021. I would have a movie night to watch the movie and then read the book. Or we could have everyone read the book beforehand and then watch the film, depending on what teens want and what your library wants to do. Food and snacks could be available for the movie.   

Book Talk: Makani Young is a teenager from Hawaii now forced to live in small-town Nebraska with her grandmother after her parents’ divorce. As she tries to navigate through romance, loneliness, and yearning to get out of small-town America, students at her high school are being murdered throughout the year. Hayley, Matt, and Rodrigo are just some of the names of teens killed. The killer targets Makani and her grandmother, but she manages to escape. With the town on high alert, Makani must find a way to stop the killer before he tries to finish the job.  

Potential Challenge Issues: There are no challenge issues at this time. Potential challenges might be for violence and graphic description of murders. I would defend it as a creative plot that kids are prepared for at this age.   

Reason for Inclusion: I included this book because it was a fun mystery slasher story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The book is interesting, and I think the story represents many kids who have moved to small towns in America. I thought the plot was fast-paced and was easy to follow. I also thought it was diverse and that teens would like the mystery of solving the murder mystery.   

About. (2020). Stephanie Perkins. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from http://stephanieperkins.com/about  

Perkins, S. (2017).  There’s Someone Inside your House. [eBook edition]. Dutton Books. https://dalycity.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2591510076?active_tab=bib_info