Holubitsky, K. (2004). The hippie house. Victoria: Orca.
Summary
Emma, her brother, and their friends are enjoying an ideal summer, with their own private gathering place on their family's farm. As this cabin becomes more popular with the local youth, it is dubbed "The Hippie House." As summer winds down and school resumes, the Hippie House becomes less used, and is largely forgotten. However, when a local young woman goes missing, and is found a month later in the Hippie House, Emma's family is haunted by the constant reminder of her brutal murder. As months pass without finding the murderer, their small community becomes more and more nervous.
Emma, her brother, and their friends are enjoying an ideal summer, with their own private gathering place on their family's farm. As this cabin becomes more popular with the local youth, it is dubbed "The Hippie House." As summer winds down and school resumes, the Hippie House becomes less used, and is largely forgotten. However, when a local young woman goes missing, and is found a month later in the Hippie House, Emma's family is haunted by the constant reminder of her brutal murder. As months pass without finding the murderer, their small community becomes more and more nervous.
Evaluative comments
The Hippie House juxtaposes an almost idealized youth with an unthinkable crime. As the story progresses and the mystery remains unsolved, Holubitsky slowly builds a tenser tone that matches the tension in the book's small town. By taking the time to establish characters before the book's turning point, Holubitsky also effectively demonstrates the strains and changes of the characters' relationships with family, neighbours, and acquaintances, and how quickly former trusts are questioned and forgotten. Indeed, in many ways, the focus of the novel is as much on how the book's events affect the characters as it is about solving the mystery. The balance between these two aspects grounds the book in reality, and allows the reader to experience the drawn out mystery along with the characters.
The Hippie House juxtaposes an almost idealized youth with an unthinkable crime. As the story progresses and the mystery remains unsolved, Holubitsky slowly builds a tenser tone that matches the tension in the book's small town. By taking the time to establish characters before the book's turning point, Holubitsky also effectively demonstrates the strains and changes of the characters' relationships with family, neighbours, and acquaintances, and how quickly former trusts are questioned and forgotten. Indeed, in many ways, the focus of the novel is as much on how the book's events affect the characters as it is about solving the mystery. The balance between these two aspects grounds the book in reality, and allows the reader to experience the drawn out mystery along with the characters.
Suggested audience
Grades 7-10
Grades 7-10
Reader’s advisory notes
Appeal terms - Plot-driven, bleak, creepy, disturbing, suspenseful, compelling
Read-alikes - Northern Light, Jennifer Donnelly
Appeal terms - Plot-driven, bleak, creepy, disturbing, suspenseful, compelling
Read-alikes - Northern Light, Jennifer Donnelly
Booktalking hook
Read passage on pp. 100-102
Read passage on pp. 100-102
Reason for inclusion
Katherine Holubitsky is an award winning Canadian YA author.
Katherine Holubitsky is an award winning Canadian YA author.
Category
Canadian, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Canadian, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
