SO WITCHES WE BECAME

A high school senior must face the dark shadows of her past when a vacation turns into a real-world nightmare.

Nell is spending spring break on a private Florida island, sharing a rented house with her friends Harper and Dia, as well as Harry, Harper’s brother. Nell and Harper have been best friends since childhood, when Nell suffered from sleep paralysis and learned to keep the horrifying shadow in her room at bay by singing. But they’ve been drifting apart recently, especially once Harper started dating Gavin. This vacation is supposed to be a time to focus on their friendship, but when Gavin and his best friend, Christopher, show up, the trip goes sour. One bright spot is the arrival of Tris, whose dad owns the property; she immediately connects with Nell. Everyone becomes stuck on the island when an unnatural and dangerous haze blocks their way out. As the haze draws nearer and inexplicable phenomena occur, Nell uncovers hidden elements of the island’s history and realizes that she must embrace her rage. This unsettling tale successfully uses creepy horror elements to shed light on traumas, while queer romance and forgiving friendships add heart and hope. The deliciously claustrophobic secluded island setting ramps up the intensity and aids in making the story entirely gripping from start to finish. Tris reads Black; Dia is Cuban American, and Nell and the other central characters are coded white.

Eerie and engrossing, this powerful story is about embracing darkness to find the light.