DOE

A high school cheerleading captain seeks to regain her throne—no matter the cost—after an addition to the squad threatens her influence.

Maris Larsen knows she’s going to die in her podunk hometown of West Eaton. College isn’t an option. Her mother’s depression has made her a ghost, and her situationship hookup, Nell, will be leaving after graduation without a second glance. The only thing that gets Maris out of bed is cheerleading—the physical catharsis of pushing her body to the limit. Students and adults alike treat Maris, who’s cued Black, as a troubled pariah, but cheerleading offers a refuge where she can feel free as her team’s idolized captain. When Genevieve Ray, who presents Black, moves to West Eaton and joins the squad, Maris’ standing is challenged. How can she reclaim her authority? Opportunity arrives one night while Maris is sleepwalking, in the form of Doe, an ancient creature resembling a deer. Unaware of the being’s origins and true intentions, Maris confides in it, sealing her path and Genevieve’s fate. Barrow’s novel in verse intriguingly blends supernatural lore with the cutthroat social politics of teenage girlhood. Evocative sections depict the hive mind of the team, and Doe’s perspective poetically captures the creature’s decades of loneliness and isolation. Maris’s strong characterization showcases a commonality with Doe: the ache for autonomy and control in a world eager to deliver pain and punishment.

An emotionally rich, immersive narrative that unflinchingly explores power and the weight of wanting to be seen.