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Robert Westall
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Scarecrows (Definitions S) Kindle Edition

by Robert Westall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 50 ratings
See all formats and editions

There were three people, standing in the darkest place, watching him.

Simon is outraged that his Mum plans to remarry. He can't bear her new fiancé or the way his mother and sister seem to have forgotten his late father. Overwhelmed by hatred and anger he seeks solace in a nearby abandoned water mill. But another, powerful hatred lingers within its walls. And it is about to be unleashed...

Westall's immense talent is evident from the opening line - Simon's anger and unhappiness are tangible, and the Scarecrows' ill-intentions terrifying.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Reading age
    12 - 17 years
  2. Print length
    274 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 7
  5. Publisher
    RHCP Digital
  6. Publication date
    31 Aug. 2011
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  11. ISBN-13
    978-1909531604
  12. See all details
Next slide of product details

Product description

Review

"A hard-hitting book . . . a must-read from this ever popular author" (Teaching & Learning)

"Atmospheric, perceptive and brilliant" (Daily Echo)

"A brooding story about jealousy, hatred, murder and love" (Parents News)

"Powerfully blends an exceptionally chilling drama with a story of insight and compassion about unhappiness" (Julia Eccleshare Guardian)

"Robert Westall is the father of the golden age of children's literature in this century, quite unrivalled in his sharpness of observation and pace of narrative" (Michael Morpurgo)

From the Back Cover

There were three people, standing in the darkest place, watching him.
Simon is outraged by the news that his mum plans to remarry. He can't bear her new fiance or the way his mother and sister seem to have forgotten his late father. Overwhelmed by hatred and anger, he seeks solace in a nearby abandoned mill. But another powerful hatred lingers within its walls. And it is about to be unleashed . . .

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0056GJHE8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ RHCP Digital; New Ed edition (31 Aug. 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 438 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

About the author

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Robert Westall

Robert Westall

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Robert Westall was born October 1929, in Tynemouth, England. His first book, The Machine Gunners, was published in 1975, for which he won the Carnegie Medal. Amongst many more prizes and accolades, he won the Carnegie for the second time in 1980, with The Scarecrows. He died in 1993.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
50 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

eve
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended read!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 July 2020
Verified Purchase
Great read!! My child loved this book!!
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peter
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2023
This is an enjoyable supernatural story, written by Westall decades ago. Not as unsettling as The Watch house, but just as good now as it was when I was 13.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2017
Verified Purchase
Excellent
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Christopher Peter
5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy and compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2023
I don't think I have a favourite book of all time, but if I did then I'd have to say The Scarecrows. I first read it when I was thirteen - the same age as the central character Simon Wood - and it had a lasting effect on me. I recently re-read it and found it just as compelling as an adult. Robert Westall (and this book in particular) is in fact the main reason why my own first two books are in this same genre, i.e. young adult ghost stories, and with some similar themes. He has been a major inspiration for me, more than any other single writer.

Why is The Scarecrows so good? Well for one thing I've always liked ghost stories, but this is so much more than that. It's also a psychological thriller and a powerful emotional drama. Simon is utterly believable as the lonely, angry and confused boy who idolises his late father and sees his relationship with his mother begin to disintegrate after her remarriage to a man he hates. What makes this seem so gut-wrenchingly real is that it's mainly Simon's own inner demons that are tearing his family apart - and as his misery and isolation grows, so the unquiet ghosts in the ruined water-mill across the fields begin to stir, grown in power and move closer and closer ... but what will happen when they finally arrive? The fact that we're never told only adds to the chilling power and tension of the climax.

Simon is the best thing in the book. Westall did brilliantly to paint such a dark, complex and yet sympathetic character. But all the other characters convince too, and in general the quality of Westall's writing is superb throughout, clearly superior to most other writers (childrens' and adults') that I've seen since. It hooks you from the startling first sentence to the rather abrupt, slightly ambiguous ending. And there's the odd flash of humour too, despite the dark themes.

If you have any interest at all in ghost stories, this is a must-read - but even if you don't, still give it a go. It's so much more than a bog standard paranormal yarn. It's best suited to teenage readers - probably not younger - and adults.
One person found this helpful
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Merry Sun
5.0 out of 5 stars Most quizzically excellent!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 June 2003
I have to say that I didn't wholly understand this book. It is very complicated. There are a lot of different plots all tangled together and layers upon layers of meanings!
However the book gripping, detailed and organized. It is 'complete', unlike some books which never answers its own questions. The plots are beautifully devised. Characters real, touching. What can I say? I must thanks my english teacher for choosing it for us. A really marvelous read!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

K.N.R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great night-time read!!
Reviewed in the United States on 19 April 2014
Verified Purchase
Fabulous. A very fast-pace and exciting book. Not to mention, surprisingly, well-written. A boy, Simon, comes to a Mill House with his new step-dad and tensions are higher than the deep blue sky. With the forces of evil closing in (a trio of scarecrows) and the arrival of an old friend things are on an all-high intense-level. Just a...WOW!!!!!!
One person found this helpful
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Eric L.
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on 15 July 2020
Verified Purchase
I was intrigued by the book description. HOwever, the book didn't quite live up to the hype. Disappointing, but OK.
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