Deeply creepy indeed.
When an “atheist Jew from Brooklyn” is expelled from her latest boarding school, her parents send her to “Maine, the WASPiest place on earth,” where she runs afoul of a “deeply creepy island murder cult.”
Seventeen-year-old Lindsay Weinberg isn’t happy to spend the summer engaging in “self-reflection” in “Bumfuck-Nowhere-by-the-Sea, Maine,” with her estranged uncle. Once in the tiny town of Marbury, population 279, Lindsay, who’s bisexual, finds herself trapped at Haven House with “a crucifix-wielding shiksa” who introduces herself as Aunt Irene and a small clutch of other teenagers sent by their parents to work the land, find Jesus, and “return home reformed.” But where is Uncle Levi? Lindsay uneasily starts getting to know her peers: Dalton, “a weird, rich-ass white boy”; Mateo, a gay Latino boy; Gwen, a white girl with a substance use disorder; and Tash, a dark-skinned trans boy with locs. The appearance of uncannily pale siblings Cass and Phin, who live at The Cove, on an island that’s accessible only at low tide, and worship “the Galaxy Goddess” Andromeda, amps up the weirdness. Rose pens an atmospheric horror tale festooned with eerie touches that effectively balance the occasions of out-and-out violence. Less effective is the connective tissue between Aunt Irene’s repellent form of Christianity and the Greek myth of Andromeda. But Lindsay’s trenchant narration—spiky, funny, and thoroughly Jewish—carries readers over this debut’s plot holes.
Deeply creepy indeed. (Horror. 13-17)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9781250387127
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
The Phantom of the Opera served as inspiration, but this wouldn’t last on Broadway.
Stephanie and her family move into an old mansion rumored to have been put under a curse after a turn-of-the-20th-century rich boy meddled with an Egyptian mummy.
After her young sister complains about strange events, high school student Stephanie befriends Lucas, a geeky, good-looking boy, and meets the other members of SPOoKy, the Scientific Paranormal Organization of Kentucky: Charlotte, Wes, and Patrick. Stephanie learns the history of her new home from Lucas, who attracts her romantic attention, but the usually levelheaded girl is soon drawn to Erik, the handsome phantom who first comes to her in dreams. The story is told in chapters narrated by Stephanie, Lucas, and Zedok, whose identity is initially a source of confusion to Stephanie. Zedok appears wearing different masks, “personified slivers” of his soul, representing states of mind such as Wrath, Madness, and Valor. Meanwhile, until gifted singer Stephanie came along and he could write songs for her, Erik’s dreams were thwarted; he wanted to be a composer but his family expected him to become a doctor. In the gothic horror tradition, Erik’s full background and connection with Zedok are slowly revealed. Romantic dream sequences are lush and swoon-y, but the long, drawn-out battle to end the curse, aided by a celebrity clairvoyant, is tedious, and the constant introduction of Erik’s different personae is confusing. Most characters default to White; Patrick is Black.
The Phantom of the Opera served as inspiration, but this wouldn’t last on Broadway. (Horror. 13-16)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11604-3
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
Though this debut feels unevenly paced, the writing is strong, and the author shows promise.
When an ancient evil descends on her city, one girl considers the sacrifices required to thwart it.
The city of Vaiwyn is alive; the streets are its veins, and its heart beats like a clock. Mina Strauss’ family has a long history of protecting both the sentient city and its inhabitants. The city’s five Vesper Bells were forged by the Lost Alchemist generations ago to hold back a great evil—if a bell tolled 13 times, that evil would be revived. A Strauss stands guard at each bell, cutting the clappers that grow back every night. Mina inherited her bell earlier than anticipated when her beloved father died of the Talus Pox. Now she contends with the weight of that responsibility—and her cold, distant mother’s persistent disapproval. Mina finds solace with Max, the boy she’s slowly been falling in love with, and she’s with him the night her bell tolls 13 times and unleashes terror upon Vaiwyn. Mina is desperate to save the people she loves from imminent destruction, but there’s more to Vaiwyn’s history—and her own—than she knows. Despite strong prose, the exposition-heavy beginning and a few overly telegraphed plot twists hamper the narrative’s pacing. Still, readers will likely be drawn to the original concept, complicated family dynamics, and well-articulated depth of demisexual Mina’s developing relationship with Max. Most characters read white.
Though this debut feels unevenly paced, the writing is strong, and the author shows promise. (content warnings) (Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781250322807
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
