Dread Locks (Dark Fusion Series #1) » (Reprint)

Neal Shusterman is the author of many novels for young adults, including Unwind, which was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers, Everlost, and Downsiders, which was nominated for twelve state reading awards.  He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows such as Animorphs and Goosebumps. The father of four children, Neal lives in southern California.

Fifteen-year-old Parker Baer is bored with his entire perfect life. But when Parker finds Tara, a strange but beautiful girl sleeping in his bed, his life turns upside down. Exotic-looking, with long, glimmering spirals of golden hair that seem almost alive and eyes that are always hidden behind sunglasses, Tara lives by herself in a house full of statues. Parker watches, fascinated, as the charismatic Tara picks students at the high school to befriend and wraps them around her little finger. As her "friends" start developing strange quirks, like drinking gallons of milk at a time and eating dirt, only Parker realizes what Tara is up to. But she s endowed him with certain cravings of his own. . . . Can he stop her destructive game in time, or is he doomed to be under her spell forever?

Author Biography: Neal Shusterman lives in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT

A spoiled-rotten 14-year-old named Parker Baer (bear, get it?) finds his life changed forever when a mysterious new neighbor shows up in his bed (even though he's not in it at the time). Tara has strange blond curls and always wears mirrored sunglasses, and Parker finds that he is irresistibly drawn to her, even when he realizes that she just toys with people—and worse. He becomes her lackey and introduces people at their fancy private school to her, and then watches them develop strange cravings and grayish skin tones, then slowly become petrified and die. Parker sees the upside, of course, as Tara is a great weapon to turn on his enemies. But when his brother and sister become her victims, and he realizes that he himself is becoming a monster like Tara, Parker knows that he must stop her. But how, and what must he sacrifice? This updated melding of the tales of "Goldilocks" and Medusa, from the author of many other novels for YAs in various genres, is a fast-moving, spine-chilling story that horror and fantasy lovers will relish. Upcoming titles in Shusterman's new Dark Fusion series include Red Rider's Hood and Duckling Ugly. (Dark Fusion). KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Penguin, Dutton, 176p., Ages 12 to 18.