THE WITHERS

In Upton’s novel, an epidemic survivor slowly recovers while surrounded by terrifying secrets.

Riatta was one of the victims of “the collapse,” a catastrophic outbreak, mostly in the northeastern United States, of inexplicable organ failure. Many victims received synthetic organs as transplants, but others, like Riatta, received a “diseased” organ; the latter group developed a “scalded-looking” skin condition called withers. Post-surgery, Riatta is staying with Dwight and Elizabeth Thomason in a housing development where many medical professionals live; Dwight, in fact, is the doctor who performed Riatta’s transplant. She’s grateful and helps the couple out by walking their dog and occasionally watching their toddler son. But it’s not all sunshine; a meddling neighbor unnerves Riatta, and strangers stare at her skin in public. Dwight seems standoffish, but Elizabeth, a professional therapist, is affectionate and friendly, and when it turns out that Elizabeth is pregnant, Riatta wants to stay by her side and support her. Elsewhere in the country, horrors unfold: Someone is killing expectant mothers (natural-born babies are rare in this technologically advanced future), and people with withers are targets of violence as well—even from the families of those who have provided transplant organs. There’s a great deal to unpack in Upton’s short but sinuous tale. The character development is rich and complex; Riatta, for example, struggles with the loss of her own baby daughter to the collapse, which heightens the dramatic stakes surrounding Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and the Thomasons’ new hire to help around the house could be trouble. The story ably tackles themes of grief, isolation, and ostracism. Characters are grounded and frequently relatable in a relentlessly tense narrative that has the feel of an unexplainable dread that won’t go away. All the while, the author’s crisp, edgy prose makes even a simple trip to a multimedia art exhibit an emotionally draining experience; Riatta wonders if the art piece is meant to pay tribute to the collapse’s many victims: “The faces swelled and floated before growing smaller and disappearing and welling up again in smoky coils, each face regenerating and blooming before once again dissolving.”

A haunting psychological thriller that fascinates as much as it frightens.