Duncan wrote the novel after an editor suggested she try a gothic thriller aimed at young adults, making it the only gothic novel of her career. Interestingly, the book underwent significant revisions to satisfy editorial concerns; for instance, a spirit channeled by one of the girls was changed from poet Alan Seeger to Emily Brontë to address potential feminist critiques regarding the gender balance of the ghosts and their victims.

In 2011, the novel was updated for modern readers, adding details to explain why the characters couldn't simply use mobile phones or the internet to escape their predicament. The 2018 Film Adaptation

: Writers at Horror Homeroom highlighted the story's "Female Gothic" themes, where a powerful headmistress serves a patriarchal system of long-dead male "masters" who continue to exploit living women. Key Characters and Their Haunted Talents