WHO'S ALL GOING (TO DIE)?

A new college student on an athletic scholarship joins an all-expenses-paid wellness trip and discovers danger lurking around every corner.

Eighteen-year-old Ariana Pollard is ready to forget about her problems. Ari was once her high school’s star volleyball player, but her athletic career was put on hold after she sustained a shoulder injury during senior year; even surgery can’t guarantee she’ll be able to play again. Luckily, her new friend, Oakley Stewart, presents the perfect distraction: a week of R&R on Pelican Island, off the coast of Barbados. Oakley’s parents—a Black Bajan hotelier and a white American Pilates teacher—are building a top-tier resort, and the Teenage Dream retreat aims to help guests practice self-care. Along with her cousin Candy and best friend, Maya Sanchez, Ari, who’s Black, arrives at the resort with an open mind, but a near-fatal accident soon disrupts the island’s tranquil facade. The body count begins to rise, and Ari tries to uncover the truth before she’s the next casualty. Reminiscent of shows like The White Lotus that combine sharp social commentary with suspense and filled with all the atmospheric anxiety and blood spatter of a Blumhouse horror movie, Springer’s sophomore novel offers an engaging, relevant critique of wellness and influencer culture. Carefully doled out clues and red herrings keep readers guessing until the shocking reveal. The unspoken hierarchy between the guests and the Black hotel workers highlights capitalist class and social status divisions.

Thrilling, suspenseful, and engaging.