MORBID CURIOSITIES

A Eugene, Oregon, teen’s dream spot at a prestigious San Francisco research organization turns into a nightmare.

Ambitious, driven Aarya has worked hard for years—and being accepted into the Elizabethan Institute’s yearlong high school intensive feels like the gateway to a career in biology. But from her arrival, something feels off. The city is buzzing with stories of mutated wildlife and trees blooming off-season, rumored to be connected to the Institute’s mysterious work. Surrounded by cutthroat peers, Aarya expects academic pressure but not an anonymous note reading, “You sense it already, all that is wrong. / Get out.” When she meets Sofia Castillo, who claims to be the subject of secret experiments, Aarya’s curiosity pulls her into an investigation that grows deadly as her memory fails and a classmate is murdered. The narrative folds scientific authenticity into a gothic ambience, creating a fog-shrouded pressure cooker where academic ambition collides with moral catastrophes. Technical details ground the increasingly surreal mystery without sacrificing accessibility. Hati’s examination of institutional corruption and exploitation resonates powerfully. Aarya makes a compelling protagonist: brilliant, driven, and refreshingly nerdy, navigating both scientific challenges and a chronic respiratory condition with determination. Sofia’s role adds chilling depth, while teammates Jaden Abrahms and Tassinee Yang anchor Aarya through her spiraling paranoia. When the pieces snap together, the revelations land with devastating force. Aarya’s given name suggests South Asian heritage; her surname isn’t provided, and any cultural markers are ambiguous.

Cerebral, atmospheric, and genuinely unsettling—science thriller gold.