INFESTED

Colón weaves a frightening tale of possession in his young adult debut.

No one wants to move across the country to an unfamiliar neighborhood in an unfamiliar city the summer before their senior year, and Manny is especially cross when he learns that his mom and stepdad are moving the family from San Antonio to the Bronx. Though it’s where his Puerto Rican mom grew up and where they still have family, the Bronx is not home, and living in a nearly empty apartment building to help get it ready for new tenants is not how Manny wants to spend his summer. He begins to develop an unlikely friendship with Sasha, an Afro-Latina neighbor protesting the new building, but things are falling apart at home. For starters, Manny begins to sense a looming presence. Then there are the inescapable cockroaches and outbursts of anger that feel completely out of character for him. The novel works on several levels: The new apartment complex represents a potential wave of gentrification as the cockroaches infest the building, even terrorizing Manny, and as a malevolent force seems to take control of Manny’s emotions and behavior. Though regular readers in the genre will likely see the twist coming early on, those who appreciate body horror will find plenty to make their skin crawl.

Creepy-crawly body horror with a dash of social commentary.