Project 17

Reader reviewed by LunaMoth

 loved this book! i finished it in two sittings, i could not put it down! It starts off with Derik, then transitions to the point of views of the other five students. Mimi - a goth girl who isnt moody or drugged out or likes what stereotypicly is expect of goths. Chet - the clown with a dark secret. Liza - the perfect, modelesque girl whos goal is to become a doctor. Greta (AKA Ashley) and Tony - two theatre/drama performers and an item.

I enjoyed seeing everything from the others POVs, the story flowed very well when they transitioned to another POV picking right up where the other left off, it was stylized well. During the book youll really get to know the personalities of the cast. Depending on your preferences you will be siding with one more then the other, I personally liked Mimi the best and Liz the least.

The setting of the book is dark, dreary and with the occasional smarmy quip (curtosy of Chet mostly). It really sets the mood  and makes the mental hospital all the more creepy. The book has its mushy cliche themes (everyone ends up with someone..) but that can be overlooked even if it was predictable.
If you pay attention closely you can find a hidden morale to the story: Things (nor people) are what they seem on the outside or what you have heard of them.

The cover for Project 17 depicts Derik and i am guessing Liz descending into the hospital and the monotone black/blues give it a ghostly feel, which is fitting. If you find this book at your local library or bookstore i recomend you check it out, if you like ghost stories or just a light read youll like this one.

Reader reviewed by Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books)

Laurie Faria Stolarz truly knows how
to speak teenager. She does an excellent job creating these characters
that have such distinct voices and personalities. There is definitely a
sort of Breakfast Club feel to everything, but its not overdone at
all. Each character has a purpose, even if its minimal, and they each
add an emotional aspect that makes the story that much better.

Reader reviewed by WilowRaven


As
it happens at times, the synopsis of a book doesn't really do it
justice. If I had picked up this book randomly and read the back cover,
I might not have bought it. Good thing I first came across it on a blog
review :)

I really liked Project 17. Best part in my opinion, is
the fact that Danvers State Hospital is an actual place, or was, before
it was partially demolished and turned into condos. Can we say creepy?
Do a Google search - you'll find some amazing pictures and descriptions
of the place. It was empty for 14 years and I know of a few people who
were among the brave trespassers during that time. From what I have
been able to learn of the place, a lot of the random facts about
Danvers that Stolarz includes in the book are true -- the practice of
lobotomies, the use of hydrotherapy, the underground tunnels, and the
fact that until it's renovation, patient files could be found discarded
among the ruins. Also, I found a picture online of a broken American
flag window, which one character comes across while exploring. Makes me
wonder if Stolarz found the same image I did. In any case, it seems
that she did her research.

As a novel, Project 17 is the story
of 6 teenagers, brought together for various reasons, who attempt to
spend the night at the abandoned facility before it is torn down. Each
chapter is told from the point of view of a different character. We
have our main protagonist Derik. For him, the film he is attempting to
shoot is his way out of a predetermined life in the family business.
Chet's just looking for a good time while Liza needs some
extracurricular activities on her resume to get into her dream college.
Mimi has a personal agenda while Tony and Greta hope to become the next
best reality TV stars. A strange mix of personalities but once they are
alone at the hospital, they find they must work together in order to
survive.

Project 17 is a great 'haunted house' thriller but in
the end, the story is more about the characters discovering things
about themselves and each other then it is about ghosts and mystery.
5 stars

Young Adult Thriller
Hyperion Books (www.hyperionteens.com)
Published December 2007
248 pages

Reader reviewed by Kaycee Joy

The main character, Derik, does not want to be stuck taking over
his parents diner. He has a passion for film making and decides to
enter a film contest in hopes of changing his future. He needs a cast
that is brave enough to go to his movies setting, the Danvers State
Hospital which is an abandoned asylum. Each of the five class mates he
lures into the project has their own reason for joing the project.
Mimi, the goth, wants to find proof of her grandmother in the hospital. Lize, the scholar, needs extracurricular activities on her college application.
Greta (Ashley) and Tony are a drama club couple who each want their
time in the spot light. And Chet, the clown, wants a night away from
his drunk of a father. Once inside the asylum, while filming, they all
start having their own freak experiences and feel the hospital needs them there. Relationships are built in this night of horror that changes most of their lives. It was a very fast and easy read with some genuine goosebump moments.
Don't read it at night! I've never read a "scary" book, so I have
nothing of its type to compare it to. But, I believe it was generally a good
read.

Reader reviewed by Becca

     The book Project 17, by Laurie Faria Stolarz, is a great book  for those who love horror novels. It about a boy named Derik who really wants to be a film maker and get out of working at his parents resturant for the rest of his life. Derik gets a an idea for an up coming film contest. He decides to get five people together and film them at the old Danvers State Hospital. But this isn't an ordinary place, this hospital has a history. The hospital was built in the year 1878 for the mental people but was closed and abandoned in the year 1992. Locals say the place is haunted and after all it was rumored that the first lobotomy was performed here. Well dispite all the rumors, Derik gets five people together to stay the night and hopeing this will be his big break for getting into the film industry. Even though it sounds like fun and an adventurous way to stay out late, things start to go haywire and pretty soon no one thinks it's fun anymore.

      This book was great from beginning to end, it was really hard to believe that I finished this book the first day I got it but that doesn't mean that I'll never read it again. Even thought the book might seems scary there are some parts where it gets a little funny. Also Stolarz did an excellent job putting together a group a characters in this book. You have the two drama kids that only care about being on TV, the funny best friend, the perfect straight A student looking for an extra curricular activity so she could get into college, the tough goth girl looking for adventure, and the slacker player filming the entire thing to win the film contest. 

       I loved this book not just because the of the book's theme, but because it told a great story of six teens visiting this haunted hospital and their crazy adventure of the night they shared. Also there is a twist towards the end of the book but I'm not going to say what it is but I really didn't expect it at all I thought the their joureny was going to end differently. So all in all great book, recomend to those who love horror novels.

Reader reviewed by BooksObsession


Summary:

Danvers
State Hospital, the abandoned mental institution on Hathorne Hill, is
rumored to be haunted. Locals in town share stories about the cold
underground tunnels and the unmarked, and forgotten graves surrounding
the hospital. Some even say there are still dead patients' souls locked
inside. Perfect setting for a ghost story, right? On the eve of the
demolition of Danvers State Hospital, six teenagers break in to spend
the night. They plan to film a movie inside to enter in a contest
afterwards. But after coming across patient's records, journals, and
personal belongings, the teenagers start to feel uncomfortable in this
madhouse. These 6 completely different teenagers, each with their own
story, have to work together to make it through the night alive. What
begins as a teasing joke for the teens, unravles into a hectic,
terrifying night of surprises.

"We
each went to Danvers State Hospital, the old abandoned asylum on the
hill, with the intention of spending one night before the place got
torn down. Little did any of us know how haunting the experience would
be. Little did I know that the experience would change my life.
Forever."

Review:

If
you're looking for a quick, scary story, I advise for you to pick this
book. Just looking at the cover of the book caught my attention, and
made me wonder the secret behind the title. The story's characters
reminded of The Breakfast Club, with your mix of popular boy, class
clown, shy unapproachable girl, ego-filled actor, cocky and
materialistic girl, and freaky goth...which kept my attention
throughout the book. What started out as a cheesy horror,
predictable-ending book, quickly changed into an exhilarating, thrill
of excitement. Particular chapters gave me goosebumps, and I constantly
found myself looking behind my back (haha) when I was reading it alone
in my bedroom. Which reminds me to tell you, be sure to read it at
night, to get the full effect. Overall, this novel kept me attentive,
gave me a rush of excitement, and had a convincing ending.

Rating:

Plot: B
Originality: B
Development of Characters: A
Entertainment Level: A
Recommend to others: B
Overall feeling at the end: A
Grade = B+