Hangman's Curse

Did You Know?

• The film adaptation was filmed largely at John R. Rogers High School in Spokane, Washington.
• The film differed greatly from the book, leaving out key scenes and turning Crystal into a main character as Ian Snyder's girlfriend.

Plot summary

In Baker, Washington, high school quarterback Jim Boltz goes insane during a football match, hallucinating a ghost named Abel Frye. The Veritas Project, a Christian investigation team made up of the Springfield family—Nate, his wife Sarah, and their twin children Elijah and Elisha—are sent to investigate. Elijah and Elisha enroll as students while Nate works as a janitor. Nate discovers that three football players have been attacked by Abel Frye after finding a hangman symbol on their lockers; the attacks have left them mad and then comatose. Legend says a student named Abel Frye hanged himself on school grounds in the 1930s and haunts the Forbidden Hallway. Sarah learns from the librarian that no Abel Frye ever attended the school, though a student did hang himself. When Leonard Baynes bullies Ian Snyder, a rumored witch, Elijah intervenes. Nate finds a straw with unknown substances in a victim's locker. The twins sleep in the Forbidden Hallway to record activity. Elisha befriends Norman Bloom after he supports her objection to the Miller experiment. Leonard is attacked by Abel Frye after Sarah hears his name on the recording. The family discovers a secret entrance to the old basement, where they find a small altar to Abel. Cheerleader Shawna Miller suggests Crystal Sparks controls Abel Frye, but Crystal gives cryptic responses. Elisha learns Norman has been bribing jocks to leave him alone. Elijah and Ian are driven from the gym by jocks whose bullying is condoned by football coach Mr. Marquadt.

Reception

Publishers Weekly called Hangman's Curse a quick-paced thriller about the evils of bullying and intolerance, noting that Peretti paints a realistic picture of high school cliques and draws readers along with a compelling performance. They observed that Peretti emphasizes his beliefs without preaching. Elaine Fort Weischedel, writing for School Library Journal, described the Veritas Project as an evangelical Christian X-Files. She noted that the religious aspects do not interrupt the story or become preachy, and that Peretti develops the plot nicely, concluding that young teens should enjoy the fast-paced, atmospheric novel.