• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Seventeen-year-old Sherri arrives in Lewton excited to start a summer job working as a student reporter. Instead of a thriving community, she finds a creepy ghost town. Most of the local stores have been boarded up, and their now zombie-like owners are working at the new big-box superstore, Shopwells. Sherri takes it upon herself to investigate what is going on but hopes her new romance will not get in the way.

Rachel Sa is a freelance writer and journalist. Growing up in Mississauga, Ontario, she knew she was destined to become a writer at the age of 10 when she received her first rejection letter from a New York publishing house. Rachel now holds a Master's Degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. Her first book, What Rachel Sa: A Field Guide for Parents, was a collection of her newspaper columns and published in 2002. The Lewton Experiment is her first novel. Rachel lives in Toronto with her fiance Bruce and her fabulous kitty, Leia. She is at work on novel #2.

Rachel Sa's profile page

• Commended, Resource Links "The Year's Best"

"Sa's plotting is clear, clean, and hugely enjoyable. The story rips along at a good pace, often making use of snappy and humorous dialogue. The characters, particularly Sherri, jump off the page: they're recognizable types, but full of zing and energy...Sa cleverly transforms the big-box store phenomenon from a complex issue into a problem that can be solved by one resourceful girl...A highly entertaining thrill ride."

Quill & Quire

"Readers who dislike big-box stores and distrust their corporate culture will enjoy this juvenile mystery...[Rachel Sa] works in plenty of suspense and action."

The Winnipeg Free Press

"This fun mystery read with a touch of romance and investigative journal writing will appeal to aspiring writers."

Reading Today Online

"An easy, fun read."

Library Media Connection

"A useful comment[ary] on our consumer society...It is a fun read, and really, really creepy in spots!"

CM Magazine

"[T]he plot is interesting...[and ] the story line will keep readers entertained."

School Library Journal