Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls [Hardcover]

Mary Downing Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 17, 2012

Based on an actual crime in 1955, this YA novel is at once a mystery and a coming-of-age story. The brutal murder of two teenage girls on the last day of Nora Cunningham’s junior year in high school throws Nora into turmoil. Her certainties—friendships, religion, her prudence, her resolve to find a boyfriend taller than she is—are shaken or cast off altogether. Most people in Elmgrove, Maryland, share the comforting conviction that Buddy Novak, who had every reason to want his ex-girlfriend dead, is responsible for the killings. Nora agrees at first, then begins to doubt Buddy’s guilt, and finally comes to believe him innocent—the lone dissenting voice in Elmgrove. Told from several different perspectives, including that of the murderer, Mister Death’s Blue-Eyed Girls is a suspenseful page-turner with a powerful human drama at its core.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Kirkus  Best Teen Book of 2012

 

* "An engrossing exploration of how a murder affects a community."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

"This is a thinking-teen's mystery."--Bulletin

 

"Hahn emphasizes the universality of growing up and facing death."--Horn Book

 

* "This wrenching novel offers an aggregate portrait of the effects of loss and grief, including both the strengthening and dissolution of relationships."--Publishers Weekly,  starred review

 

"This creepy tale slowly and craftily builds tension . . . It has the added feature of offering a unique snapshot of life in the 1950's."--School Library Journal

 

"The veracity of this tragedy raises the stakes for readers who are already fans of Hahn's supernatural fiction, and the coming-of-age component of Nora's shattered naïveté is all the more searing."--Bulletin

From the Author

This is the most difficult book I've ever written, mainly because it is based loosely on my own experiences as a teenager. Writing it brought back memories as intense as the day they happened. When I sat down at the computer, I traveled straight back into the past. I remembered the words of songs I'd never really forgotten, poetry and books and movies, the clothes we wore, the things we talked about -- and thought about, my feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, my increasing religious doubts, my uneasy relationship with my mother, and so on. Since it is unlike my other books, I challenged myself  to experiment by using the present tense and employing multiple points of view-- very liberating. When I finally finished the book, I was very nervous about its reception. Would kids read it thinking it was a typical middle school ghost story? Would some be offended by Nora's leaving the Church? Or by her curiosity about sex? Or the smoking and drinking? Would people who remembered the murders be upset by my factionalized treatment of the events set in motion that June morning in 1955? Well, I told myself, we write the stories we have to write. And this is the best book I've ever written. At least I think so. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; 1 edition (April 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547760620
• ISBN-13: 978-0547760629
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #762,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children's librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Review from Esther's Ever After August 26, 2012

By Brenna

Format:Hardcover

Confession: I've had a longtime obsession with crime stories. I blame my family (and too much old A&E TV shows as a child, and maybe a few too many years of CSI more recently) for this. I'm fascinated by it. I'm horrified and disturbed at times. But there's nothing scarier than some of these real life stories.

Needless to say, Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls caught my eye for exactly this reason. And I think it was also because of this that led to my unfortunate disappointment with the book as a whole. It really wasn't the crime story I was hoping for, not at all.

Reasons to Read:

1.A coming of age story:

I might have liked this book more if I had had a better idea that I was supposed to expect a coming of age story rather than a crime story. And it's a fascinating look at one turn of events that tragically impacted a large number of people. But our narrator, Nora, finds this stage of her life to be almost completely defined by this murder - it really does end up triggering a number of life changing decisions and realizations for her.

2.The setting: 1950s small town:

I absolutely loved the vintage feel of the book - from the pop culture, the little bits of fashion talked about, the ideas, the struggles, the societal changes, etc. It was fascinating for me to read about and a time period that YA doesn't typically feature.
The real problem with this book for me though was that it didn't feel like fiction. Instead, it felt more like a memoir which makes sense if you read the Acknowledgements of the book, where Mary talks about how this book was inspired by an event which actually happened to her as a teenager. And she lays out the truth of what happened - which is actually VERY, extremely close to what happens in the book. So rather than feeling like fiction, Mister Death read to me like (a biased) account of Mary's experiences with the murder of two teen girls she knew.

And normally this wouldn't be an issue. Except for when it comes to who the killer is - Nora has doubts that the ex-boyfriend, Buddy, killed the girls even though the entire town believes it was him. Mary explains how she has the same doubts, so this read to me (without seeing any real evidence of who committed the murders) as if this book was supposed to portray (what she believes to be) what ACTUALLY happened, even if no one believes it. Then the book was labelled as "fiction" in case anyone was upset by the message.

I'm not a fan of this. But regardless, I still felt like much of the book revolved around external experiences rather than the murder itself, which is why I wanted to warn you that it really isn't a crime story. After the murders occur, the story breaks off to Nora's life. About her relationship with boys, about her doubts regarding her faith, and growing up and losing friends. But I had a difficult time piecing it all together, and along with the numerous other points of view (there were 8 in total, I believe, including Nora's) made the story feel far too convoluted for me.

Review copy received from Thomas Allen & Son Ltd for my honest review; no other compensation was received.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem Of A Book July 30, 2012

By April VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Han' is a well-written historical fiction YA novel about the murder of two girls which shakes a small town in the 1950s. Nora, the main character, is at the heart of Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls'. Nora is friends with the victims, Cheryl and Bobbi-Jo and hangs out with them the night before their murders. The deaths of the two girls come as a shock to Nora. Much of Elmgrove, the Baltimore suburb in which this book is set, believes Cheryl's ex, a ne'er do well named Buddy was the killer, but Nora has her doubts, which the book explores.

The structure of Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls' is quite interesting. The book is divided into alternate point of view chapters with letters as well as diary entries. Further, we also get the point of view of the killer which is incredibly creepy. The narrative structure lends itself quite well to exploring themes of tragedy and growing up.

Tragedy changes Elmgrove. The residents' sense of safety is shaken. Those close to it experience deep hurt and pain, as is typical to the grieving process. Yet, we also get to see Nora's reactions to those who sensationalize the tragedy, those who are kind to her because they want the lurid details. Mary Downing Hahn' does a fair job portraying the very real emotions and different faces that tragedy can wear.

Perhaps the best part of Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls' is the dynamism of Nora as a character. She starts out as quite an immature young girl, with her biggest worry being if the popular jock notices her or not. Then we see Nora deeply questioning different aspects of her life as an outcome of the murders. Nora does question her faith as well, but in a respectful manner. I think that a lot of teenagers will be able to identify with Nora's turning points and with her questioning, even if tragedy has not struck their lives.

In all, Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn 'is a book that stands out. It is fast-paced, engaging and thought-provoking. While Mister Death's Blue Eyed Girls' may not have the fanfare of bigger YA releases, it is a gem of a book that I absolutely would recommend for readers who enjoy true crime as well as historical fiction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! July 5, 2012

By Ali

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book! It wasn't as scary as I'd expected, but still was a great story. I would definitely recommend this book!