Project 17

by Laurie Faria Stolarz

High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1423121244
• ISBN13: 9781423121244
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Project 17 reader review

"Why is the door closed? We didn't close it," states Tony. A scream rips through the walkie-talkie. "Somebody's there." When Derrick enters a filming competition, he has one set in mind: an overnight in the abandoned asylum. This ancient mental house is known for its bizarre cases, torture, and lobotomy. Based on location of filming, Derrick ends up with and unlikely bunch: the comedy act, Goth, intelligent beauty, and the drama geeks couple. What starts off as a good time, takes a turn to the worst when people go missing, and communication with a deceased, sick-mind may be the only thing to save them. This haunting story will have you crying and freaked. Author, Laurie Faria, puts together another well-crafted novel, with enchanting characters, personalities, and plot. I completely recommend this book to people who enjoy unique plots (subjects barely touched), and love to be frightened. CAUTON: DO NOT READ AT NIGHT: I did that once and feared noises the entire night! Truly, this story stays with you. It had me laughing with comedian Cheat, as well as anxious with Derrick and Liza. When done, I thought the book ended exactly the way it needed to, and I had so much respect for Laurie Faria, who touched me with her masterpiece.

HEY.....Was this good?

Okay, I have to be honest. I've had an extreme bookie lull lately. Which means everything I pick up is just not keeping me. I picked this up because it was missplaced on the bookshelf and I looked at it. I am not a young adult, but it sounded good; it passed the first-few-pages hook and even though I've been FREEKIN DESPERATE lately----this was 2:00 in the morning on a work night GOOD. Realistic, creepy, spooky, eyes-wide-open turning the pages and very emotionally moving. So even though this is short, trust me: YOU WILL REMEMBER THIS ONE.

So good!

I couldn't put Project 17 down until I was done! I am a fellow YA writer and a huge fan of Laurie's. Her characters are so real and flawless. She never has a single plot hole. And the plot was a real page turner. I had to find out what was going to happen, staying up much past my regualr bed time and with the risk of creepy dreams in order to finish it! Highly recomend this to teens and adults!

AMAZING SUPERNATURAL BOOK

This Author has once again outdone herself. Project 17 is an amazing book that doesnt suffer from the boring Cliche of many supernatural movies that share the same theme. The story starts out with the character of Derik, a teen with a reputation as a heartbreaker, who is intrigued by the old saniterium in his town. Its rumors to be haunted prompt him to spend one night in the place before it gets town down. His hopes are to win a video contest so that he might persue a career in video instead of being stuck to his parents resturant. With the help of some classmates, the six teens sneak in one night armed with a video camera and the dream of catching a ghost on film. Little do they know what they are dealing with I loved this story for one main reason. And that is the fact that its not full of sex and gore like most of these stories. All these kids are basically good and dont go in on a dare or for a party. They go simply to make a film. Theres no gore either, its more of suspense, knowing theres a ghost and seeing it lead up to all the ghostly encounters. This book has exceeded all my expectations and everyone who likes the paranormal and a little romance should read this.

Gave me goosebumps

Project 17 is a page-turner. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop until I was done at one in the morning. Even after I was done I had to keep the light on for a little longer. Most of the events in this book aren't openly scary like a crazy axe murderer chasing everyone around. It's more of a subtle creepy, so that you can almost feel someone unseen behind you, breathing down your neck. That, in my opinion is, much scarier because your never really quite sure what to expect. This book will keep you up, reading wide eyed, late into the night.