Notes on the Hauter experiment: A journey through the inner world of Evelyn B. Chestnut

by Bernice Grohskopf

1975 ATHENEUM PUBLISHING HARDCOVER

135 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Dichotomy Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

So you know how sometimes a book you read as child sticks in your brain. It wasn't even necessarily that good of a book, or sometimes even particularly noteworthy, but the very fact that you can't remember the name or Author drives you crazy?

For years I have been trying to remember this book that I read as around age 11 or 12. I remember it being in the "science fiction" section of the Juvenile books. I remember the cover being a piece of notebook paper, and I remember it being about a girl who wakes up in some kind of detention center. (and I remember a tiny thing about the end that I won't share because it's all spoilery).

So months ago I posted a query on the "What's the Name of that Book" group, but didn't really get any responses. But last week, while reading other peoples entries, someone mentioned this book as a possible answer. After looking at it, I was excited that this could be THE book.

I wasn't able to find any pictures of the cover online, but was happy to learn that my library system had 3 copies of this book (nice as it is long out of print).

After receiving it, the cover doesn't look like I remember, but it does have a piece of notebook paper (there could have been more than one cover design) and the story seems to match (though I remember so very little about the actual story), So I'll have to finish it to know for certain.

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Yep, I think this is the book, though most of it I didn't remember, the few details I did matched up perfectly.

The premise was interesting, but I can't say that I cared for the ending.

[lara phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

A childhood book I fondly remembered that I just re-read as an adult about kids in a weird boarding school with no adults and highly structured lessons where the protagonist is happy with all the great stuff she's learning, but misses her parents and free will. Would make a great sci fi movie if they changed the disappointing ending.

[Sarah Rigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very influenced by this book when I was a preteen/young teenager. I remember I ended up trying to write my own pastiche of it. The premise about a teenager waking up somewhere and realizing slowly she's in an experiment is irresistible, I think because a lot of teens feel that way about everyday life!

[C Boothman · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your rereading it as an adult because you loved it as a kid you’ll be disappointed

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this several times growing up. It began my interest in books that have a running theme of things being not what they initially seem.