Monster
More than anything, Nash Staley wants to be Head Girl. She wants to be the biggest fish in the pond, the one they all look up to.
But then she gets word from her parents that her beloved brother has gone missing while on his gap year, and suddenly impressing the Headmistress at her remote boarding school is the last thing on her mind.
As her parents leave the country to join the search, Nash is stuck at school over Christmas. Five other girls are staying too, similarly abandoned by their parents: Maggie, the rebel; Dianna, the suck up; Clarice, the bully; Regan, the misfit and Tabby, the baby.
Then, one by one, sinister events begin to unfold. Matron goes miss-ing. A snow storm cuts the power. And a large black shape is seen stalking the grounds. Is there a monster outside, trying to get in? Or has the monster always been inside, biding its time until it can finally show itself?
Now is Nash's chance to prove to herself and all the others at Bathory School for Girls that the Head Girl badge should have been hers.
If she can survive long enough to claim it, that is…
Mallory Towers meets Psycho in this gripping and often chilling mystery from C.J Skuse, the high mistress of dark YA humour.
Praise for Monster
'Monster is another rollicking adventure … but you might not want to read the final chapter alone in the house . . . or while you're eating . . . as you find out the truth about the Beast of Bathory. Great fun.' – Martin Chilton, Telegraph's Best YA Books 2015
'CJ does it again, with a boarding school story packed with tension…Nobody captures the darkness of teenage nightmares quite like CJ Skuse.' – Sophia Bennett, author of The Look
'This book is a skillfully crafted rollercoaster of excitement, fear and shocks' – Reading Zone
'The book has one of the best endings I've read.' – The Bookbag, 4.5 stars
'Fiendishly dark, with a sense of humour. CJ Skuse always inspires deep author envy.' – Keren David
‘It's an absolute page-turner! I gobbled it up in one sitting, and it kept me guessing right till the end. A deliciously creepy horror story, served up with CJ's trademark humour.’ – Cat Clarke
