BLACK RIVER

Something strange is going on with the teens living on White Mountain.

Ever since her mother abandoned the family five years ago, 17-year-old Dusty has mostly kept to herself and tried to dampen any intense emotions. Her best friend, Mali, and 16-year-old sister, Opi, are the only ones who can break down her walls. After a weird experience in the wilderness of the nearby Adirondack Mountains, everything starts feeling different: Dusty’s senses become sharper, she’s more attuned to others’ feelings and thoughts, and she has no appetite yet doesn’t feel tired. She also feels irresistibly pulled toward new classmate Will—and craves his blood. When Dusty realizes that popular “BMX bro” Eli (a classmate with a large TikTok following whom she barely knows) appears to be going through the same changes, the pair work together to figure out what’s happening. This is a moody, evocative duology opener with an immersive small-town setting and exquisitely angsty romantic yearnings. The third-person omniscient narration mostly focuses on Dusty but smartly rotates among several other characters, amping up the intensity and mystery and making for an incredibly propulsive read even as the emotionally driven plot slowly unwinds. While readers are left with a tantalizing cliffhanger ending, Dusty’s emotional arc is fulfilling as she grows internally and her relationships evolve. Most characters present white; Mali, who’s gay, is cued Black.

Deliciously dark, romantic, and atmospheric, this debut sinks its teeth into readers and doesn’t let go.