Downers Grove (novel)

1999 novel by Michael Hornburg

Downers Grove

First edition cover art

Author| Michael Hornburg
Language| English
Genre| Bildungsroman, horror novel
Published| July 21, 1999 (William Morrow)
April 9, 2001 (reprint; Grove Press)
Publication place| United States
Media type| Print
Pages| 240
ISBN| 978-0-688-16528-4
LC Class| PS3558.O6873 D69 1999

Downers Grove is a 1999 American coming-of-age horror novel by Michael Hornburg. Its plot centers on the last two weeks of teenage girl's life as a high school student growing up in Downers Grove, Illinois.[1] The novel was originally published by William Morrow and Company in 1999, and reprinted in 2001 by Grove Press.[citation needed]

## Plot

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Crystal Methedrine Swanson, known as Chrissie, is a teenager in Downers Grove, Illinois, about to graduate from high school. Her father has disappeared, while her brother has become a heroin addict, and her mother has begun dating a bizarre man. As her graduation nears, Chrissie and her close friend, Tracey, worry about a curse surrounding the high school that has led to multiple students dying each year. After nearly being raped at a party by one of the school's football players and harassed after, she worries she may become the next victim.

## Reception

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Publishers Weekly gave the book a positive review, calling the novel "disquieting in its timeliness."[1] Robin Henley of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "If the story and setting sound like territory that has been well-trod, that's because it has been, but what makes this novel a welcome addition to the canon of coming-of-age literature is the voice Hornburg has created for Chrissie. Hornburg knows the rhythms of teenage world-weariness, a self-possessed patter that often belies the terror of straddling the worlds of adulthood and childhood."[2]

## Adaptations

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Main article: The Curse of Downers Grove

The novel was adapted by Bret Easton Ellis into a film in 2015.[3]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Downers Grove". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
2. ^ Henley, Robin (August 1, 1999). "A Touching Look At Teens Coming Of Age In Downers Grove". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
3. ^ Spiegel, Janel (October 26, 2015). "Interview: Author Michael Hornburg". Horror News. Retrieved January 22, 2017.

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