Shea Ernshaw the author of The Wicked Deep and Winterwood.At Tor.com she tagged five "YA books [that] were inspired by real world myths and legends and unexplained tales," including:
Conversion by Katherine HoweRead about another entry on the list.
Inspired by true events, Conversion is the story of several friends attending St. Joan’s Academy who are inexplicably struck by a strange condition which causes the girls to suffer from uncontrollable tics, seizures, hair loss, and coughing fits. In this fictional portrayal, the cause of their condition is linked to Salem, Massachusetts.
But this book was based on the real-life events that took place in a high school in Le Roy, N.Y. where high school students begansuffering from similar ailments. The community of Le Roy feared it might be pollution or poisoning of some kind, but it was eventually determined to be a case of “conversion,” a disorder where a person is under so much stress that their body converts it into physical symptoms. Also known as hysteria.
Whatever the cause, this fictional book based on the events in this small town in N.Y. is a perfect read for fans of stories the explore the boundary between fact and fiction. I couldn’t put this one down!
Conversion is among Darren Croucher's top five dual YA narratives that bridge history and the present day, Meredith Moore's five top YA thrillers and Anna Fitzpatrick's top four books "featuring small towns, teen girls, intimate friendships on the border between love and hate, and brutal murders."
--Marshal Zeringue
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