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The rugged west coast of Ireland seems like the perfect place for a holiday. Then everything starts to go wrong. Colin is aware of an awful smell coming off the land, a smell of death and decay... Colin and Prill were looking forward to a holiday of fun and adventure in Ireland. It would have been perfect if only they hadn't had to drag along their "odd" cousin Oliver. But Oliver, it turns out, isn't their biggest problem. Almost from the moment they arrive, Colin feels sick from an awful smell, so powerful and horrible that it seems to be rising from the land of the dead. At the same time, Prill is visited by a strange creature creeping into her dreams. Who is she, and what does she want? Only Oliver seems untouched by the danger. As the hot summer days continue, their terror mounts and their baby sister becomes critically ill. Oliver links the present horror with the terrible famine in Ireland of the 1840s - and the strange occupant of the nearby caravan, whose land was lost then through eviction - and he must bring about the reconciliation to save himself and his cousins.
A summer holiday on the Irish coast descends into terror when two siblings and their cousin encounter a malevolent presence linked to the Great Famine. Colin and Prill arrive in Ireland expecting a standard vacation, but their plans are derailed by the arrival of their cousin Oliver and an inexplicable, pervasive stench of decay. As the siblings face physical illness and haunting dreams, they realize that the land itself holds a grudge from the 1840s. The narrative follows their struggle to survive as they uncover a connection between their current plight and a local resident whose family history is marked by historical eviction.
The premise suggests a narrative that blends contemporary adolescent tension with the weight of historical tragedy. The focus on sensory details, such as the pervasive smell of decay, serves to ground the supernatural elements in a visceral reality. Readers likely find the connection between the modern-day protagonists and the 1840s famine to be the core driver of the story's suspense. The work appears to prioritize the psychological impact of the setting on the characters, creating a sense of mounting dread throughout the summer. This structure indicates a story that uses the landscape of Ireland as an active participant in the unfolding mystery.
Page Count:
160
Publication Date:
1995-01-01
Publisher:
Collins
ISBN-10:
0006926037
ISBN-13:
9780006926030
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