TALES FROM CABIN 23

Fearing expulsion from summer camp after a misdeed, Tommy races into the woods and meets the infamous witch of Cabin 23.

A seasoned storyteller, the witch spins a macabre tale about Gen Farías, a 12-year-old Argentinian boy whose beloved older brother, Lorenzo, confesses to killing a boy on Halloween night. Gen is wracked by guilt and grief: Why didn’t he tell his parents Lorenzo was sneaking out? Then a horned shadow begins appearing outside his bedroom window every night. Hoping to escape the stigma of Lorenzo’s crime following his sentencing, Gen and his parents relocate to Los Astros, an idyllic mountain town in Las Sierras de Córdoba. The shadow follows Gen, but he makes two new friends, Elena and Caíto, Indigenous youngsters who tell him about a deal struck between the River God and their people, the Hêina, that’s gone awry over the years. Since then, a child has been taken each year. As the friends race to uncover the distorted history of their town, Gen learns to make peace with the secrets and shadows plaguing him and his family. The third entry in this bewitching multi-author anthology series maintains the chills and thrills of its predecessors, expertly exploring how familial wounds can fester if left unspoken. Sympathetic characters and intriguing plot twists make for memorable reading.

Spookily good.