Creepy enough to induce shivers, but genre-savvy readers may be disappointed.
Six former best friends whose birthdays fall on the Day of Sorrow must defeat the supernatural evil that’s hunting them.
Iz doesn’t really know why she and her five friends stopped being a tightknit group; they were “fated to be friends,” or so it seemed. But at least Reuel, her very closest friend, has never left her. The girls’ birthdays fall on May 3, the day the whole town honors Sorrow, the legendary witch said to have founded their small island community in Louisiana. While celebrating their 16th birthdays beneath Sorrow’s statue in the old cemetery, Iz and Reuel make a blood oath to remain best friends forever. Little do they know, but their blood unleashes something evil and inhuman that isn’t going to stop until it gets what it wants from all six of the girls—something it was promised when their mothers were their age. Reuel is the first to be taken—and she returns deathly ill. Next is queen bee Georgina. With no idea who’ll be next, the girls must put aside their differences and solve this supernatural mystery before it kills them. This formulaic horror novel does have some fun moments despite the often-stereotypical, one-dimensional characters, but predictable mystery beats and overused horror tropes unfortunately weigh down the paper-thin plot and unsatisfying ending. Iz and Reuel are cued white; there’s some diversity in race, ethnicity, and sexuality among the cast.
Creepy enough to induce shivers, but genre-savvy readers may be disappointed. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9780593707760
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Disappointingly uneven.
A group of teenagers sets out to find answers surrounding their sleepy town’s haunted past.
When high school golden couple Brad and Shelley are found dead at the abandoned Carrington Manor, the residents of the quiet California town of Sanera are panicked. Quarterback Brad was at the old house hoping to film the Carrington Ghoul for his show, Truly Haunted. Seniors Cam, Jonesy, and Amber, along with new girl Buffy, decide to solve the murders themselves, leading them to a series of terrifying discoveries. After an explosive beginning, the plot tapers off into an overly repetitive narrative that contains more telling than showing. Debut author Wood creates characters with thoughtfully imagined backgrounds, such as Jonesy’s mom’s alcoholism, that unfortunately aren’t integrated into the plot or explored beyond giving the teens reasons to be away from home. Similarly, many characters have traumatic pasts that will intrigue readers, but those backstories remain underdeveloped. Still, the action scenes and detailed descriptions of Carrington Manor are engaging. The story contains positive queer representation: Amber is bisexual, and Cam and Jonesy begin to acknowledge their feelings for one another in a growing relationship containing touching moments. The accessible writing alternates among several points of view. Most characters present white, and a mention of Amber’s braids may be intended to cue that she’s Black.
Disappointingly uneven. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9798225006143
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
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