Dread Locks: Dark Fusion # 1 [Hardcover]

Neal Shusterman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dark Fusion | Publication Date: May 5, 2005

Dread Locks is the first entry in the Dark Fusion series from master storyteller Neal Shusterman. He cleverly weaves together familiar parts of fairy tales and Greek mythology to tell the story of fourteen-year-old Parker Bear, rich and utterly bored with life—until a new girl arrives in town. Tara’s eyes are always hidden behind designer sunglasses, and her hair, blond with glimmering spirals, seems almost alive. Parker watches, fascinated, as one by one Tara chooses high school students to befriend; he even helps her by making the necessary introductions. Over time, her "friends" develop strange quirks, such as drinking gallons of milk, eating dirt, and becoming lethargic. By the time Parker realizes what Tara is doing, he is too embroiled to stop her. In fact, she has endowed him with certain cravings of his own. . . .To say more would spoil the spooky fun of this wild thriller—let the twist speak for itself and leave you still as a statue.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Shusterman brings a new and unique perspective to the old Medusa story. Parker Baer, 14, has plenty of material possessions but is bored. Then Tara, with her spirals of golden hair and dark sunglasses, moves in next door. Within a short time, Parker's family and friends are sick and behaving strangely. When Tara takes him on a death ride that takes them over a cliff and neither is injured, the horror of her power becomes clear to him. As the situation becomes grimmer, the teen is forced to confront her with bone-chilling, spine-tingling results. Exotic and strange Tara keeps readers on the edge of their seats with her unconventional behavior and unusual perspective on everyday life. The plot twists and turns move the story toward an unexpected end. In a horrifying climax, Shusterman delivers the moral of the tale, unusual in itself, for most books of this genre rarely deliver a message so powerfully. However, it is the gross-out factor that readers will remember. Eating kitty litter with milk, statues with fingerprints, and other unexplained (until the very end) behaviors will keep readers turning the pages even as they shudder to think what will come next. The book's front cover will attract teens, and the title perfectly fits the story. A good addition for those libraries with horror lovers who have moved on from R.L. Stine's "Fear Street" series (S & S).–Molly S. Kinney, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Shusterman's latest offering in the Dark Fusion series (which draws on folktales and mythology) is based on Medusa. Fourteen-year-old Parker Baer is a spoiled, bored, rich kid who is fascinated by the new girl next door. Tara Herpecheveux is British, with thick, curling, golden hair like glowing dreadlocks, and she always wears sunglasses. She quickly becomes the person to know at school, but those she takes an interest in fall ill with a strange sickness: their skin and eyes go gray, a notable lethargy takes over, and their limbs turn to stone. Readers will quickly figure out that Tara is actually Medusa and that she has decided to give Parker a Gorgon's gifts. The real question is, will Parker resist? Don't expect subtlety or character development, but this fast-paced, short read will be a big hit with fans of Darren Shan, of the Cirque du Freak series. Debbie Carton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 164 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (May 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525475540
• ISBN-13: 978-0525475545
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,701,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Neal Shusterman is the author of many novels for young adults, including Unwind, which was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers, Everlost, and Downsiders, which was nominated for twelve state reading awards. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows such as Animorphs and Goosebumps. The father of four children, Neal lives in southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I laughed, I cried, and I predicted the ending more than 100 pages prior to the end of the book, June 26, 2005

By 

occultoscriptor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dread Locks: Dark Fusion # 1 (Hardcover)

Tara is nothing like Parker ever expected. With her reflective sunglasses, golden dread locks, and mysterious personality, who couldn't resist her? On the other hand, is Tara directly related to the mysterious illness affecting students at the private school? Suddenly everyone is drinking a ton of milk, lethargic, and having cravings for... weird things. By the time Parker realizes whats happening, he's already in too deep...

Even though I predicted the ending on page 43, I still read the rest because the writing was very good. Once I started the book, I literally couldn't put it down. I finished it in about an a hour. The characters were thoughtful and (except for Tara) realistic.

On the other hand, the ending WAS a bit predictable. I think the author left in one too many hints. The ending was extremely depressing (for me).

Overall, I loved the book while I was reading it, but afterward, I wasn't so sure...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Three Bears and Mythology?, June 15, 2005

By 

Lexy with a Y (Wherever the heck I feel like) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dread Locks: Dark Fusion # 1 (Hardcover)

This book was pretty good, although very predictable. I did enjoy the part where he goes into someone's house and the author makes it sound like goldie locks. You know, who ate this, who sat in that, and who slept in this. I did like that, but part of the story had to do with Greek mythology, so I didn't quite get how that tied in. Oh, and also. I didn't really like the ending. It's kind of stupid, like the author couldn't think of anything so he just jotted that down. But I guess it's okay if you think about it for a minute. Despite my complaints, overall it was a pretty good book.

5.0 out of 5 stars David's Book Review On Dread Locks, January 1, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dread Locks: Dark Fusion # 1 (Hardcover)

In this thrilling book, Dread Locks by Neal Shusterman, a girl moves into the neighbor hood where Parker Baer lives. The girl's name is Tara, and Tara is no ordinary girl. She has a very big secret. Tara makes many friends at school but the people that Tara befriend develop strange quirks including drinking gallons of milk, eating dirt, and becoming lethargic. Soon, something strange starts to happen to Parker.
My favorite part of Dread Locks was when Parker found out what Tara really was.
I recommend this book to people who like thrillers and a good page-turner.