Customer Reviews

Are You in the House Alone?

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The scariest kinds of stories are the ones that could easily happen to you. Unfortunately, Are You in the House Alone? is one of them. It is the story of a high school junior named Gail who is relentlessly stalked, then raped. Her rapist doesn't bother to disguise his identity -- he doesn't need to, because he knows he won't be brought to justice by a society which views sexually active women as "asking for it."

But the terror doesn't end there; after recovering from her physical injuries, Gail has her emotional scars repeatedly ripped open at her high school, where she is forced to see her attacker every day, never knowing if...or when...he will strike again.

This a daring premise for a young adult novel; thankfully, Peck doesn't soften it by making the tone shrill, preachy or simplistic. Like any good suspense story, each and every one of his characters have complex motivations that drive them to make sometimes surprising and often tragic decisions.

But the real secret to this book's excellence is its plot: tight, seamless, and riveting. As terrifying as the story is at times, you simply HAVE to push your fears aside and find out what happens next.

The icing on the cake is Peck's talent for creating a chilling atmosphere that is almost gothic without being over the top. Read the prologue and you'll see what I mean. His portrayal of high school is particularly insightful -- the students range from rich, popular athletes to working class intellectuals to ostracized bohemian artists; you'll probably recognize some of them from your own school.

I highly recommend Are You in the House Alone? for anyone wanting a scary read that will keep you looking over your shoulders for weeks after.

I read this book when I was fifteen, and I think it would make me sick if I were to read it now. But more about that later. The main character, Gail, is not portrayed as a saint but rather as a sexually active sixteen year old-this makes it hard for some people, I suppose. Secretly, whether we will admit it or not, it's harder for some of us to empathize with a sexually active character who, as the rapist points out, isn't even wearing a bra when he attacks her. Grr, darn that Richard Peck, exposing our prejudices!

Honestly, Gail isn't a very likable character. She's kind of selfish, kind of manipulative, kind of meanly sarcastic...I think that's why I liked her so much. She's real. When she starts getting threatening notes and phone calls, she doesn't know what to do, and so, as most people would, she doesn't do much of anything. At this point we're screaming at the book to try to get her to do something, because we know what's coming. But the greatest strength of this novel is that it makes us wonder what we would do in a similar situation.

The most frustrating thing about this book is that it seems to carry the message that there's nothing we CAN do. Gail tries to defend herself but fails. She tries to punish the man responsible, but fails. Maybe that's reality, but not only is it extremely frustrating, it's a BAD message to send to victims:Don't try to prosocute your attacker, the justice system is against you. I don't think that's necessarily the message that Mr. Peck was trying to get accross, but that's how I felt when reading the book. That's why I can't give this book more than three stars. It's good, the characters seem real, but it's hard to like any of them, and by the end you're pulling your hair out over the unfairness at all. Maybe I should give the book extra points for eliciting such a strong emotional response-I can see that I'm not alone, given the other reviews on this site. In that case, give it four stars. This book is compelling, and it's definately worth reading, but be forewarned about these messages before you read: the justice system is often unjust, it's hard to find people you can trust, and survival is a difficult and painful process.

This is a dramatic, true-to-life book. The characters are believable, the aftermath played out perfectly, and the story tense and tautly written.

Yes, the book is about rape. Yes, there's injustice in the book. And I suspect that's very much the author's point. There is a lot of injustice in life, and you have to choose your battles wisely to have an effect on it.

And as to the girl not pressing charges because the guy's rich ... sadly, that's all too real. Most of us figure out very young that money matters. It matters in rape too. Since the girl in the book wasn't wealthy herself, severely injured, or a virgin, her attacker would most likely never have been convicted. Sad, revolting, but extremely true, and very well handled.

I read this book when I was fifteen, and I think it would make me sick if I were to read it now. But more about that later. The main character, Gail, is not portrayed as a saint but rather as a sexually active sixteen year old-this makes it hard for some people, I suppose. Secretly, whether we will admit it or not, it's harder for some of us to empathize with a sexually active character who, as the rapist points out, isn't even wearing a bra when he attacks her. Grrr, darn that Richard Peck, exposing our prejudices!

Honestly, Gail isn't a very likable character. She's kind of selfish, kind of manipulative, kind of meanly sarcastic...I think that's why I liked her so much. She's real. When she starts getting threatening notes and phone calls, she doesn't know what to do, and so, as most people would, she doesn't do much of anything. At this point we're screaming at the book to try to get her to do something, because we know what's coming. But the greatest strength of this novel is that it makes us wonder what we would do in a similar situation.

The most frustrating thing about this book is that it seems to carry the message that there's nothing we CAN do. Gail tries to defend herself but fails. She tries to punish the man responsible, but fails. Maybe that's reality, but not only is it extremely frustrating, it's a BAD message to send to victims:Don't try to prosocute your attacker, the justice system is against you. I don't think that's necessarily the message that Mr. Peck was trying to get accross, but that's how I felt when reading the book. That's why I can't give this book more than four stars. I really think it deserves five stars. It's good, the characters seem real, but it's hard to like any of them, and by the end you're pulling your hair out over the unfairness at all. Maybe I should give the book extra points for eliciting such a strong emotional response-I can see that I'm not alone, given the other reviews on this site. In that case, give it five stars. This book is compelling, and it's definately worth reading, but be forewarned about these messages before you read: the justice system is often unjust, it's hard to find people you can trust, and survival is a difficult and painful process. Peck must be commended, however, for being so brutally honest.

This book is an incredible book for women everywhere. This story of a young girl who gets raped is timeless and classic and absolutely truthful, sparing no insults to our judicial system or society on this issue. I think every young girl, woman, and especially mother should read this story if they haven't yet! The truth about rape is, it's not fixable, it's not the victim's fault, and it's not a rare occurance-it happens everyday. Richard Peck does an amazing job in telling the truth from the victim's point of view.

The original copyright of the book is 1976 and that's the problem. It was written for the times. If a girl got raped, her reputation was put on trial. Was she asking for it? Did she deserve it in some way? She had to be prepared to be dragged through the mud in court. She had to deal with her attacker getting off scot free, facing him again in school. Almost 30 years later you want to scream at the cops who bully her, scream at the lawyer who discourages her from prosecuting, scream at anyone who wants to sweep it under the rug. No one should read this book after reading "A Long Way From Chicago" or "A Year Down Yonder" and expect the same lightness and warmth. This is a dark story. An ALA award winner I believe. A good read, but be prepared. Not for middle schoolers in my opinion.

Richard Peck has never been one to skirt around issues. He is a horror writer in the sense that he faces true-to-life things like censorship, teen drinking, popularity, suicide and rape head on. This particular book is about rape, and the frustration of being the victim. I was a little shocked at the premise of the book, as all of the descriptions I read (e.g. the back cover of the book) did not hint that this was a serious horror book. But Peck is very good at getting into the mindset of teenages and high school life, even those of 25 years ago. One can hope that situations have improved since he first wrote this book. Also, as I read I was able to fully immerse myself into the character of Gail--I felt her fear, her rage, the unreality of the whole situation, and then her resolution to keep going in the end. This book *is* for older readers--I would give it to high schoolers or older. When needing a book that deals with a serious social issue, Peck is a good bet.

Yes, the book is dated. It was published in 1976, and it shows. But Richard Peck did a commendable job writing a book aimed at teens dealing with a serious issue, which has sadly become more prevalent in recent years. The fact that the protagonist, Gail, is intimately involved with her boyfriend, Steve (of whom her parents disapprove), is something that, in that day and age, would rank against her after she is raped by Phil Lawver, the boyfriend of her close chum, Alison. Because the boy is the son of the most prominent family in town, Gail and her parents feel that they could never go up against his wealth and influence.

Gail begins receiving threatening and perverted notes at school and anonymous, menacing phone calls whenever she's alone, whether at home or babysitting. Not knowing who turn to, she receives no help from Alison, who chooses to look away. One night she is attacked by Phil, and her attorney, who is clearly on her side, but is fully aware with the law and legal tactics of the time, tells her what she's up against if she should choose to go to trial. The dated material surfaces here, because in this day and age, a victim's sexual history is no longer admissable in court, thanks to rape shield laws. Gail, however, has no such option. It's her word against his. There were no witnesses. She was not a virgin. The attacker did not force his way in. (She let him in because she knew him). However, how she deals with the turmoil as she physically recovers, returns to school and battles to keep control of her life is the real eye-opener. She sees things far more clearly than she did before. And she has an unexpected ally in her drama teacher, Madame Malevich. It also becomes clear that Phil is not going to stop when another teenage girl is assaulted and left for dead. Gail helps Alison come to her senses. But still, as far as we know, Phil is not really punished. By the book's conclusion, he is gone from town, but no one knows except for rumors swirling.

Again, the statement the book is bringing up again and again is why the law protects the rapist and not the victim. How is the victim to blame? How is the perpetrator allowed all the rights, while his victims have none? I did find it especially powerful when Gail's lawyer tells her that she did nothing to deserve what happened to her. Although we have come a long way since "Are You In The House Alone?" appeared on the bookshelves, some attitudes toward rape have not changed. Perhaps reading this novel will enlighten some people. Any survivor of sexual assault is to be comforted and commended for their strength and their courage.

Having read several of Richard Peck's other books, I was surprised by this book as the plot unraveled. Not that writers whould stay within one genre or style, but this book is very different from those that Peck is most famous for writing.

Written as a young adult novel, I was expecting more of a ghost story/haunted house type angle in the plot. Instead the monster turns out to be the main character Gail's best friend's boyfriend. Phil Lawver's demented charcter is first revealed in the rape scene in which Gail's stalker reveals himself. Written in the late 70's, the law did not always protect sexually active women. As some have implied in their reviews, this may have been the message of Peck's book. The victim is continually the victim.

The plot is nicely developed though I felt it was rushed with the intent of making it fit into the narrow requirements of the young adult genre. There are so many more questions that could have be answered with more precise details. As a work of advice, I would be a little uncomfortable giving this book to some young adults. Had it been a movie, it might score an "R" rating. Still, this topic should not been hidden from the conscious mind. Dialogue should remain active on the dangers faced by women.

Have you ever been in the house alone? Do you get scared when you hear weird noises? Does the dark scare you? If so, then Are you in the House Alone is just the book for you! This book is 2 thumbs up. This book is about a girl named Gail, who is 16 years old. Gail's life is going good so far, she's doing good in school and has a boyfriend. But from then on things just keep on getting weirder and weirder.
First off, Gail's friend Alison asked Gail and Steve to go with her to Phil Lawvers house who is Alison's boyfriend for a date. Even though Gail is not found of Phil or his family she and Steve go for Alison. After dinner with the Lawvers Steve and Gail decide to go for a walk and talk about things. The next day things start to get weirder and weirder at school. Gail starts to get anonymous letters from someone saying I know what you did and you're going to pay for it. One night when Gail is babysitting she feels like someone is watching her, so she calls Steve and asks him to come over but he's not home so he can't. Later on when someone comes to the door and knocks Gail doesn't even think to look she just opens the door and lets Phil Lawver in who claims that he needs to use the phone. Gail falls for the trick and Phil starts to call her all these names and tells her that he's the one that has been watching her and knows all of her dirty little secrets. When Ms. Montgomery comes home she finds Gail on the floor knocked out, but you have to read the rest to find out what happens next.
I like this book because you never know what to expect or what's going to happen next. I liked the book also because of the way that her family believed in her and thought that what she was doing was the right thing. I also like this book because when Phil trys to act like nothing happened Gail confronts him and he leaves her alone. I hope that you take the time to read this interesting book.