Customer Reviews

The DRIFTER : THE DRIFTER

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Drifter is a book about a girl named Carolyn. Her dad reecently died and her and her mom are left with only eachother to relie on. They are having Fincanial problems and are basically in a money pit. Suddenly her mother finds out that Carolyn's Aunt Hazel died and that she left her huge masion. This was like a calling for Carlyn's mom, and she jumped on the oprtunity to go and start over there. She had her mind set on making this huge masion a Guest house, and maybe that would bring in some money. The next think Carolyn's knows it, she is sitting in the living room in the old creepy masion. She wasn't very close to her aunt, but she remembers her being a little crazy. The house was old and scary, and had something about that just told her that there was something else happening in the house that she didn't know about just yet. A boy named Nick showed up on her door that day. He was dropping off some groceries from the only grocery store in the whole town and started telling her about what really happened to Aunt Hazel and what's going on in the house. He said that nobody really knows how Aunt Hazel died, but the old, quiet, evil house keeper, Nora, found her by the sea cliffs by the house. The cliffs were practically next to the house and with all the fog from the roaring sea next to the house, the fog made it hard for somone to see where the cliffs are. They believed that Aunt Hazel slipped and lay there for hours and finally gave up. Poor Nora found her there, too. The Nick told her legends of a sea captian leaving his wife to go to sea and she fell in love with someone else while he was gone, becaus eshe thought he would never come back, like he promised. But when he did he got so mad that he murdered the two of them in the Widow's Walk, the balcony on the top of the house. In the next few days she became more and more scared of the frightening house, and wierder and weirder things were happening. One colf foggy day a stranger showed up in the house. He wanted a place to sleep and promise to help around the house to get it ready for the Guest House, Carolyn's mom was so excited she put him up for the night right away, with no hesitation. Joss stayed with them and worked around the house like he said, but there was something about him that made Carolyn a little uptight around him. He had deep, black, slanted eyes that made her throat get a knot in it. Still, strange and horrible things kept happening in the house, and Carolyn was convinced that the legends and stories were true, but nobody would belive her. People around her weree getting hurt, noises were creepoing trhough the house, and things were alwyas showing up and disappearing. She knew something was going on, and she, herself was now on the verge of death, and the truth was unraveling. Who was causing all this and were the stories true???

Here is the description on the back of the book:

"HORROR HOTEL
Glanton House was Carolyn Baxter's new home, the haunted island retreat her widowed mother was determined to transform into an inn. As if in answer to her prayer, tall raven-haired Joss Whitcomb appeared at their door and offered to be the handyman in return for room and board. But Carolyn was wary. Joss was dark, compelling, dangerous. He was still a stranger, even after he saved her mother from a near-fatal accident. And now they were alone together in the eerie house he seemed to know so well. He knew the legend of a jealous sea captain doomed to kill again and again. But did he hear the ghostly whispers echoing through the halls at night? Did he know the unseen eyes that followed her every move? Who was Joss? Why was he here? How could she trust this devastating drifter when she feared for her life..."

I just finished reading this book, and now I am kicking myself; I almost didn't read it because the cover makes it look stupid! Boy was I wrong! It takes place in an old house up on the edge of a cliff on an island, where Carolyn and her mom have moved after they inherit it from their aunt Hazel. Carolyn's mom plans to turn it into an Inn, but people don't think that will work because of the creepy stories behind it. Then a drifter named Joss comes along, who asks to stay at the big house and earn his keep by fixing up the place. Joss creeps Carolyn out--but at the same time, she can't seem to pull her eyes away from him--and he sure seems to know a lot about the house.

This book is one that will spark the attention of anyone looking for a suspense thriller. It has a spooky setting that will leave you wishing you hadn't read it at night, but it's so good, you just can't resist the temptation. Carolyn is a sweet, innocent girl who is interested in the romantic stranger Joss. But is Joss all he seems to be? And what is the real story behind the murderous pirates. Carolyn must find out before it is too late. The ending will surprise anyone. I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. Although this book was not my absolute favorite, I would reccommend it to anyone who loves horror, romance, and mystery.

Ok, this wasin't my fav book by R.T.C but, it was still good. what I mean by that is, I have read 9 books by her and, this isin't the best out of them. but, that is just because I didin't like the whole ghost thing. it Did have a great twist at the end though, (as all of her books do) The end was a little confusing for me, though. I didin't understand who the letter was from. I still don't. But, in a way, it was a little romantic I guess. But, I still recemend it. Also, if this book is the first you have read, or are going to read, don't judge all her boks by this one. Trust me. While this book was still good, she has written much better ones.

This bood was great. I liked it better then Someone At The Door. It had so many twist and turns. One min you know what is going to happen and the next you dont. This is one book I know you will love

After completely enjoying the last two RTC books I read I found this one to be a complete let down. I know these are nothing more than trashy 90's teen pulp novels but even setting the bar that low this book fails, and it even went so far as to make me actually angry while reading it. I can forgive vapidness in teen fiction but I can't forgive out right negative messages.

Carolyn Baxter and her mother move into a house in a remote part of the US with hopes of rebuilding it into a bed and breakfast after her father suffers a fatal heart attack. As soon as they get to the house they start hearing stories about it's dark and twisted past which make adjusting to her new home rather difficult for Carolyn. Things all seem to be going ok until a handsome drifter shows up at their house and offers to do some repairs in exchange for being able to stay in the house, and then the whole thing suddenly becomes a parent's and teen's worst nightmare.

Parents, and would be parents alike, I ask you to envision the following scenario if you will. A stranger shows up on your door step with no last name, no work history and starts making eyes at your daughter. Do you

1) Tell him to get the hell out, you'll hire a licensed work contractor thank you very much and please stop looking at your under aged daughter before you call the cops.

2) Tell him you might be able to work out some arrangement but he will have to stay in servants quarters at the bottom of the house.

3) Invite him to stay right across the hall from your unprotected teenage daughter?

Why if you said 3 you might just be Carolyn Baxter's mother! Ooh, ooh let's play again.

So after setting up an adult male stranger right next to your daughter's bedroom said daughter comes to you and confesses she feels extremely anxious and frightened in this person's presence and does not feel safe around him. Do you

1) Listen respectfully to her fears and tell the man that you're very sorry but he must go.

2) Talk with her and work out a safe situation for her where she is protected but the man can still work.

3) Guilt trip her for having any reservations and then make a sly remark about her having sexual feelings for him before saying that you hope she's not planning on whoring herself out to other male guests once your business is up and running.

Well, can you guess which one Mrs Baxter chose?

I understand that parents are supposed to fulfill a certain degree of vapidness in teen novels, but what in the heck is RTC trying to say here? That if you are a teenager no one will listen to you and adults don't take your safety seriously? As if most teens don't have enough going on to worry about as it is!

The rest of the book is completely nonsensical and only possessed minor entertainment value. I'm giving it one more star because the ghost scenes were actually pretty creepy, but over all this completely lacked the charm of her previous works.

Carolyn Baxter's father recently died. Soon after, her mother gets word that her aunt died and her house was left to them. Mrs. Baxter is set on transforming the home -- Glanton House -- into an inn. They need a stronger financial income, so they hire a drifter to fix up the house. This adds to Carolyn's wariness about the house. After all the ghost stories, the creepy housekeeper (Nora), and now the new drifter, what is Carolyn going to do? Joss is tall, dark, and handsome and seems to be there when accidents happen -- rescuing people. Then again, could he be creating them?.....

"The Drifter" was a pretty good book. I love Richie Tankersley Cusick, but this story is her weakest one so far. It didn't hold my interest at all, and the ghostly scenery didn't intrigue me. While there were a couple thrilling parts, they weren't very shocking or surprising....Cusick just incorporated too many ghost stories, which I didn't like. Overall, especially if you're planning on reading this book, and this book only, you should read it. But, if you're going to read all of Cusick's books, put this one on the bottom of your list!......

Also recommended:
a.) "Secret Santa" by D. E. Athkins
b.) "The Train" by Diane Hoh
c.) "Slay Bells" by Jo Gibson
d.) "Starstruck" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
e.) "Vampire" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
f.) "Double Date" by Sinclair Smith
g.) All R. L. Stine young adult thrillers
h.) All books by Joan Lowery Nixon

this was the first book i ever read by RTC and i loved it! You could practically fall in love with the characters. Ever since I read the Drifter i've been collecting all her books and now i have all of them except for El Dia de Los Incents. I really need to get my hands on the new one wich will be comming out soon"the house next door" All RTC's books are great i recommend all of them but especially The Drifter, Summer of Secrets, Trick or Treat, Someone at the Door, and The Lifeguard.

I've read other books by RTC and this is one of the good ones (others are "Silent Stalker" and "Someone At The Door"). The only think I had a problem with was the whole "ghost" story being told, and told, and told throught the book. I was kind of getting bored reading about the captain and his wife. Although the story about Carolyn and Joss were good, I was rooting for them! The end for me was semi-predictable...I knew some of it, but was totally thrown for the other half! Interesting read and you'll have more questions at the end of the book that you thought, and it makes you think. Good job!

I really love Ms. Cusick's writing, and this book is incredible. The characters are all so real, it's like you're actually inside the story. I would recommend it to anyone.