Why is Rachel the only one to sense the evil that surrounds Julia?
From the moment Rachel's cousin Julia arrives that summer, she se... read full description
From the moment Rachel's cousin Julia arrives that summer, she se... read full description
reviews
Jan 13, 2009
Jennifer
rated it: 
Still freakin' scary and still one of my best 7th grade booktalks. Lois Duncan knows how to work the fear nerve!
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Aug 12, 2011
Sherri
rated it: 
Fifteen-year-old Rachel’s life gets turned upside down when her orphaned 17-year-old cousin, Julia, from the Ozarks moves in with them when her parents are killed in a car accident. Not only does Rachel have to share her bedroom with her unfamiliar cousin, but Julia quickly wins over Rachel’s brothers and parents who are entranced by her charming ways. Only Rachel seems to notice the new unusual happenings, like how the friendly family dog immediately dislikes and bites Julia or how Julia’s tone
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Jun 08, 2011
Carolina
rated it: 
Summer of Fear is one of several stories written by noted author Lois Duncan (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Hotel for Dogs) famous for her young adult novels. It is told in the first-person from the perspective of Rachael, a teenage girl living an idyllic life in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the late 1970's.
Rachael enjoys a loving, close-knit family (including two brothers), a best friend, and a dog named Trickle. Despite her hangups about her curly red hair, Rachael also has a cute More...
Rachael enjoys a loving, close-knit family (including two brothers), a best friend, and a dog named Trickle. Despite her hangups about her curly red hair, Rachael also has a cute More...
Apr 07, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
After Rachel's aunt and uncle die in a car accident, her orphaned cousin, Julia, comes to live with the family. Rachel tries to be welcoming, but there's something about Julia she doesn't quite trust. It may be the fact that everyone is Team Julia all of a sudden and Rachel feels left out, but she's pretty sure there's more to it than simple jealousy. After a little research, she starts to suspect that Julia's actually a witch (and it's a little more like The Craft than, say, Sabrina the Teen
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Aug 07, 2009
Heidi
rated it:
I've been inspired to read a bunch of books from my childhood. During jr. high I went on a major Lois Duncan kick, including the nonfiction work about her daughter's murder. Rereading Summer of Fear instantly made me feel like I was 13 again... the good part of 13 of course.
Rachel is your typical teenager, discovering love, planning a great summer, and then her family gets the bad news. Enter cousin Julia who throws the proverbial wrench into the works. But no one believes Rachel whe More...
Rachel is your typical teenager, discovering love, planning a great summer, and then her family gets the bad news. Enter cousin Julia who throws the proverbial wrench into the works. But no one believes Rachel whe More...
Feb 06, 2010
Mo
rated it:
After talking to my friend, Lisa, yesterday about grade school flashbacks, I decided to pick this up and see if it's still as creepy as I remember. It's pretty cheesy so far, but I can definitely see why I enjoyed it so much as a kid.
Update: I just finished the book, and while it certainly had more impact when I was younger, it was still really fun to read. I can see why one reviewer commented that "Wiccans will hate this," because it drags out pretty much every negative s More...
Update: I just finished the book, and while it certainly had more impact when I was younger, it was still really fun to read. I can see why one reviewer commented that "Wiccans will hate this," because it drags out pretty much every negative s More...
Apr 05, 2011
Marleny
rated it:
who is julia? what does she want with rachel's life? is she julia at all? these are the questions rachel thinks of ever since julia arrived. her eyes , so intense, are haunted . holding many secrets. witchcraft! witchcraft is everywhere, especially where julia is from!!! rachel an innocent teenager who preaches nothing but the truth to her family and friends is thought nothing but jealous. this is so far from the truth because julia is evil. rachel lost her boyfriend, her best friend, and
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Jun 05, 2010
Emily
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 27, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
This one gets 5 stars not only because it's an awesome story, but because it was the first Lois Duncan book I ever read. Back on a lazy mid-1970's weekend, a friend loaned me this great book she'd just read. I devoured Summer of Fear, then went out and bought a copy of own. I still have it, and it's so worn and bedaggled that it's falling apart. In fact, I have every book she wrote before and after, and most are in the same condition. I connected with Duncan because she got it. She got the insec
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Apr 06, 2010
Alice
rated it:
Rachael's cousin Julia is going to be living with her family. Julia's parents died in a car accident and Rachael's parents took her in. At first, Rachael likes Julia but as the story goes on, Rachael starts to become suspicious. Julia has "stolen" Rachael's best friend, her boyfriend, and her bedroom. Rachael then discovers that this Julia was not her real cousin. She is a witch.
I think that this book is good, and it's for people who like mystery books. i think that i can connec More...
I think that this book is good, and it's for people who like mystery books. i think that i can connec More...
Jul 12, 2011
Totally not as terrifying as when I was a little kid, but I think that's because I remembered the ending. It cracked me up with all the updated things though! It was written in 1976 but now there is talk of email and throughly explaining what a darkroom was and why her mother didn't believe in photoshop...probably because it wasn't invented yet. Still gobbled this up. Kids don't know what they are missing growing up without Lois Duncan. I hope these re-releases wind up in some good hands and hel
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Jan 09, 2011
Rozena
rated it:
Rachel finds out that her Aunt and uncle died in a car accident. Rachel's parents went to go get Julia. So her cousin Julia has nowhere to go and stays with Rachel's family. Julia stays in the same room Rachel does. Rachel's friendly dog, Trickle isn't that friendly to Julia. He would never growl but when Julia got here he started growling at her. Trickle never bit anyone but he bit Julia. Julia doesn't seem to care that her parents are dead. She has never cried when Rachel's family menti
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Feb 19, 2009
Maximillian
rated it: 
This book was very bad it was so predicatable even tho i didnt read this for school one of my reactionary logs would have to have been about how predictable the book was im mean come on who couldnt have gessed the the sister was the one its just like any other horror or mystery movie/book i think that the athor could have whent in to way much more detail!! And could have tryed to have at least try to hide the facts that lead to the mystery i mean practicly the beging of the book gave out most of
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Jan 21, 2012
Zoie
rated it:
I wish this book had been titled something more original, but I love the book. It's about a girl whose creepy cousin comes to live with them after a "freak accident" with her family. I guess that's all that I can say without ruining it for you.
It's one of those books that takes a bit to get into (and by a bit, I mean a bit, not half the book), but once you get to the end, you start ignoring eating and homework and bedtimes.
Language- Yes, but not the prof More...
It's one of those books that takes a bit to get into (and by a bit, I mean a bit, not half the book), but once you get to the end, you start ignoring eating and homework and bedtimes.
Language- Yes, but not the prof More...
Aug 29, 2010
Steph
rated it:
Summer of Fear was written in 1976 for young adults and has won several book awards:
California Young Reader Medal for Vermont Young Readers Award, Vermont Young Readers Award and the New Mexico Young Readers Award. I chose to read this book for my "Lifetime of Books" challenge. If I hadn't had that challenge, I'm certain I never would've read this book. That being said, it was an entertaining read. I borrowed the audio version from the library and, although the narrator's vo More...
California Young Reader Medal for Vermont Young Readers Award, Vermont Young Readers Award and the New Mexico Young Readers Award. I chose to read this book for my "Lifetime of Books" challenge. If I hadn't had that challenge, I'm certain I never would've read this book. That being said, it was an entertaining read. I borrowed the audio version from the library and, although the narrator's vo More...
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Aug 10, 2007
Kate
rated it:
I read this book in middle school along with Duncan’s other horror/fantasy novels and became obsessed with the paranormal. Like the main character, Rachel, I combed the library for information about witchcraft, astral projection, and psychic detection. I remember flying through Summer of Fear, reading late into the night to find out Julia’s real identity, gasping aloud at the outcome, and feeling soothed by the happy ending.
As an adult, the effect was almost the same. I read Summer More...
As an adult, the effect was almost the same. I read Summer More...
Apr 19, 2010
The story is about a girl, Rachel Bryant, who lives with her family in Northern California. Because her mother's sister, brother-in-law, and housekeeper die in a car crash, the couple's daughter, Julia comes to live with them. She seems to begin to put spell over everyone she meets, pulling all of Rachel's family and friends away from her. This book is creepy and I am some what afraid to watch the movie version of this book. I ahd funreading it.
May 15, 2009
Pretty Odd.Angieee;(:
rated it:
This book is by Lois Duncan. It is about Rachel and her Family. Rachel is living an okay life. She's going out with the boy she likes andis nicknamed "Rae". She has accepted Julia to come in her family. She's spending time with Julia as well as Rachel's best friend Carolyn. Julia has come to RAchel's family's home because her parents were killed in a car wreck off a mountain. It is said that Julia doesn't really care.
Aug 17, 2011
Katelin
rated it:
To be honest, I don't remember at all what this book was about. I just remember I LOVED the story and was up all night reading it back when I was in middle school. I remember I could not put it down. I remember being obsessed with it. I remember reading more books by Lois Duncan because of it(and not enjoying the others even remotely as much as this one).
I just cannot for the life of me remember the plot any more.
I just cannot for the life of me remember the plot any more.
Nov 08, 2009
I kind of liked this book! It's like the Stepsister but it's kind of different. Rachel cousin Julia comes and live with her because her mom and dad died it a collision. Everyone loves Julia except Rachel. She had taken over Rachel's bedroom and stole her boyfriend. Julia acts suspiciously. Rachel thinks Julia is evil and she is but how could she prove it. Is this Julia or somebody else? Read it to find out!
May 12, 2009
estefania.
rated it:
I've never had an assigned book for reading class be as interesting as "Summer of Fear", by Lois Duncan.
As a group, with Angelica, Shirley, and Moises, we all decided to read three chapters a day in the novel, as a way to have it finished by our deadline, but I read this book in two days!
It was almost ridiculous; "Summer of Fear" was so suspenseful and so thrilling that I almost couldn't believe it......
As a group, with Angelica, Shirley, and Moises, we all decided to read three chapters a day in the novel, as a way to have it finished by our deadline, but I read this book in two days!
It was almost ridiculous; "Summer of Fear" was so suspenseful and so thrilling that I almost couldn't believe it......
Apr 28, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
This book was really good. Lois Duncan taking a little detail and making it much more intersecting.Im a person who doesn`t like reading only to books that attarts me the more i read on the more i love it couldnt stop reading it till morning to night.
This book is about a happy family, a witch, a fear, a sadness. Raes cousin julia parents car fell off the cliff off pine three body all burned up
This book is about a happy family, a witch, a fear, a sadness. Raes cousin julia parents car fell off the cliff off pine three body all burned up
Mar 11, 2011
Nada
rated it:
This book summer of fear is full of suspence and drama between the two main characters Julia and Racheal. Julia is what everyone calls an "angel" and also a sweetheart who does everything right. But what nobody knows but reachel is that Julia is out to distore Racheals life and stel her family friends and boyfriend. but when Reachel trys to tell her parents about her sychoe cousion Julia they dont belive her nore well they listen to what she has to say because they think shes a perfect
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Apr 14, 2010
After the death of Julia's parents Julia moves in with Rachel's family. rachel suspects that something is wrong with Julia because she doesn't seem to be upset about her parent's death, instead she takes rachel's family, boyfriend, and friends away from her. rachel discovers that julia is not who she says she is.
I think this book had a lot of suspence and was unpredictable.
I think this book had a lot of suspence and was unpredictable.
Aug 05, 2011
This was was extremely slow to start with. Toward the middle/end it started to pick up, but by that time it was almost like the author ran out of time and rushed the climax. Also, while the dialogue was that of a teen, it was forced casual and still very formal. I can't say it was a total waste of time to read, but it won't be on my list of recommended reads.
Mar 23, 2009
Anna
rated it:
This was a good book.
DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED OR STARTED THE BOOK!!!!
I was really frusterated that none of her family would listen to her when she told them she was a witch. Julie was manipulating them the whole time!! The librarian said it was scary, but it wasn't. It was just...weird. I mean, she was killing people with her voodoo dolls!!!!!
DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED OR STARTED THE BOOK!!!!
I was really frusterated that none of her family would listen to her when she told them she was a witch. Julie was manipulating them the whole time!! The librarian said it was scary, but it wasn't. It was just...weird. I mean, she was killing people with her voodoo dolls!!!!!
Nov 28, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
As always, Lois Duncan always manages to tear my heart out in terror and then put it back in with a snap of relief, to be taken out again. What cruelty that I love, waht I hate, and why I read these books at all, and be scared of the unknown darkness. It's pretty funny, don't you think? Read this book, and get addicted to Lois Duncan forever. I'm serious.
Mar 25, 2011
♥Xeni♥
rated it:
This was a very odd Duncan book, and I think the last one I tried reading by her. It definitely did not compare to either Gift of Magic or Daughters of Eve for me.
The storyline was interesting, but there was just too much of the 'thriller' / 'horror' element in it for me to really enjoy it. I like being scared, but not THIS scared!
The storyline was interesting, but there was just too much of the 'thriller' / 'horror' element in it for me to really enjoy it. I like being scared, but not THIS scared!
Jan 07, 2012
Jae
rated it:
It was delightful to read this old favourite from my teenage years and realize (with more of a sense of what makes for good writing and good storytelling) that Lois Duncan really was as good as I remembered! The "updating" was a bit jarring in the Kindle version, but more in a surprising way than in a bad way.
Jan 13, 2012
Katie
rated it:
Loved this when I was a kid. Sadly, Goodreads doesn't have the awesome/scary cover/edition of the version I read in the eighties. I had to hide the book when I wasn't reading it; the cover creeped me out so much! YA was a lot different back then. I don't know how this stands up to the Millennials.
