Downers Grove is a 1999 American coming-of-age horror novel by Michael Hornburg. Its plot centers on the last two weeks of teenage girl's life as a high school student growing up in Downers Grove, Illinois.[1] The novel was originally published by William Morrow and Company in 1999, and reprinted in 2001 by Grove Press.[citation needed]
 First edition cover art | |
| Author | Michael Hornburg |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Bildungsroman, horror novel |
| Published | July 21, 1999 (William Morrow) April 9, 2001 (reprint; Grove Press) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 240 |
| ISBN | 978-0-688-16528-4 |
| LC Class | PS3558.O6873 D69 1999 |
Plot
editCrystal Methedrine Swanson, known as Chrissie, is a teenager in Downers Grove, Illinois, about to graduate from high school. Her father has disappeared, while her brother has become a heroin addict, and her mother has begun dating a bizarre man. As her graduation nears, Chrissie and her close friend, Tracey, worry about a curse surrounding the high school that has led to multiple students dying each year. After nearly being raped at a party by one of the school's football players and harassed after, she worries she may become the next victim.
Reception
editPublishers Weekly gave the book a positive review, calling the novel "disquieting in its timeliness."[1] Robin Henley of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "If the story and setting sound like territory that has been well-trod, that's because it has been, but what makes this novel a welcome addition to the canon of coming-of-age literature is the voice Hornburg has created for Chrissie. Hornburg knows the rhythms of teenage world-weariness, a self-possessed patter that often belies the terror of straddling the worlds of adulthood and childhood."[2]
Adaptations
editThe novel was adapted by Bret Easton Ellis into a film in 2015.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Downers Grove". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Henley, Robin (August 1, 1999). "A Touching Look At Teens Coming Of Age In Downers Grove". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Spiegel, Janel (October 26, 2015). "Interview: Author Michael Hornburg". Horror News. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
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