Readers who enjoy macabre drama tinged with poignancy will devour this character-driven thriller.
Kidnapped teens face down grief, guilt, and revenge in a twisty battle to the death.
When high school senior Ana Reyes and six of her classmates win a coveted vacation in the school raffle, the last destination they expect is rundown Motel Loba in the middle of the desert. But sinister cell phone messages reveal the truth: They’re each responsible in some way for the fire that killed Ana’s twin brother, Danny, at school one year ago. Now, a stranger has lured them to the remote motel for punishment. Every hour they must banish the guiltiest person among them, who will die—or they will all be killed. The stranded teens are familiar archetypes—jock, goth, stoner, and so on—and the story is invigorated by the third-person narrative that pivots among their viewpoints. The cast presents as diverse in ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and their identities are subtly and naturally cued. As their tangled motives and interpersonal histories emerge, social cliques turn into deadly alliances. The hourly deaths, while deeply jarring, contain minimal gore. Francis’ debut is strongest when centering Ana’s growth through guilt and grief as she battles for survival. It’s undisputably her story, but other characters have their share of heroic, villainous, and even comedic turns. Ending on a hopeful note, the action closes with a nuanced take on forgiveness and redemption.
Readers who enjoy macabre drama tinged with poignancy will devour this character-driven thriller. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781464253249
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
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
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements.
A wary teen wonders if she should run when people come looking for her.
Lucy Smith was raised by her white father, who said little about her mother. Following his death and her stepmother’s abandonment, Lucy entered the foster care system at 14. Her stepmother revealed that Lucy’s birth mom was Native American, but her social worker urged her to keep that quiet. Battered by her time in the foster care system, it’s no wonder that 18-year-old Lucy is cautious when she’s approached by a man who says he’s an attorney who helps Native American foster kids connect with their families and communities. He introduces her to a friend who reveals to Lucy that she knows her Ojibwe maternal relatives—but a wary Lucy refuses her offer to learn more. Someone is stalking her, after all, and the FBI is investigating the bomb that went off in the diner where she worked—an event she’s sure targeted her. This stand-alone from bestseller Boulley, who’s an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, includes characters her fans will recognize from previous works. The action scenes are mediated by ruminations on the failings of the foster care system and strong portrayals of Lucy’s relationship with her father and her complicated identity. Ardent book lover Lucy is a sympathetic narrator whose strong sense of justice is coupled with a deep acceptance of others.
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements. (content warning, author’s note) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781250328533
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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