Description
'Sometimes being me feels like wearing a Halloween costume. One that doesn’t fit. One I can’t ever take off.'
Esther is special. She’s different to all the other girls. That’s because she’s one of the Special Ones – four young spiritual guides who live together in a remote farmhouse. The Special Ones are not allowed to leave, of course, but why would they want to? They live under his protection. But Esther is pretty sure she shouldn’t be here. She’s a fake. She has no centuries-old wisdom, no genuine advice to offer her eager followers. She’s like an actor caught up in an endless play; she must keep up the act if she’s going to survive. Because the moment he suspects Esther’s not who she’s meant to be, bad things will happen. And he’s watching, every moment of the day.
The Special Ones is a powerful and claustrophobic cult book like no other, exploring ideas of control, belief, and finding a reason to live.
Review
Four people, ‘The Special Ones’, are kept in a remote farm house and are unable to leave.
They are watched day and night and must adhere to all ‘his’ rules and live a very simple life with no modern amenities. They must pretend to be Harry, Esther, Lucille and Felicity - four people in an old photograph with a psychopath controlling them all.
But what happens when the current Harry and Esther escape his clutches? Will they finally be free and what about the girls left behind?
This is a wonderful psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages until the end. Em Bailey is rapidly gaining a reputation for highly entertaining novels.
Perfectly suited to Year 9 girls and up who like to be kept on the edge of their seats.
Reviewed by Michelle
