The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

From the publisher: Delia's new house isn't just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females -- an insane asylum nicknamed "Hysteria Hall." However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself. But the house still wants to keep "troubled" girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia becomes trapped. And that's when she learns that the house is also haunted. Ghost girls wander the hallways in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia learns that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, too, harbors shocking truths within its walls -- truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free. And she'll need to act quickly -- before the house's power overtakes everything she loves. Katie Alender brings heart-pounding suspense, gorgeous writing, and a feminist twist to this tale of memories and madness.

This month, the GPL Chapter Chompers Teen Lit Book Club read The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender.  Book club members gave this one mixed reviews, primarily because of dissent over the aforementioned "horrifying way" that the heroine, Delia, becomes trapped in Hysteria Hall. It is nearly impossible to discuss this without including spoilers, but let's just say: some of us felt reeeaaalllly strongly that the book would have benefited from Delia remaining, um, untrapped, while others felt that Delia's trapped state added an additional layer of emotion to the story. Members also felt that perhaps the book could have been scarier, less rushed in the end, and would have been just fine without the addition of the obligatory semi-romance thrown in for good measure. That all being said, though, the group enjoyed that the book was a quick and fun "popcorn" read, and that there were so many interesting female characters (both dead and alive!) to choose from.

The Chapter Chompers 5-point book rating system is as follows:
1 (lowest ranking) = 1 pizza
2 = 2 pizzas
3 = 3 pizzas
4 = breadsticks
5 = legit unitado

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall received a rating of 2.75 pizzas. It is available now in libraries and bookstores.