SMALL TOWN MONSTERS

When sinister influences threaten to take over, two teens stand in the way of evil destruction.

Vera Martinez is a regular, introverted high school junior. She has a part-time job, struggles to fit in, and dreams of escaping her small town after graduation. Not-so-typical, however, is the fact that her parents fight demons on behalf of the Catholic Church and keep a catalog of possessed relics in their off-limits basement. Vera’s family has a reputation for being creepy, and being the daughter of demon hunters hasn’t done much for her social standing. When popular athlete Maxwell Oliver appeals for her help in ridding his mom of a strange new affliction, Vera isn’t sure she shares her parents’ supernatural gifts and doubts that she can be of much help. The pair begin to notice that their small town has had much more than its fair share of tragedy in the years since a gas explosion killed 18 community members. Is this horrible accident connected to the subsequent rash of suicides and casualties? Vera and Max must confront the evil forces closing in on their community while navigating their own feelings of grief and self-doubt. Themes of religious faith, personal identity, and perseverance are woven throughout. The strong writing, ghoulish details, and brisk plot give this work reader appeal. Vera is Irish and Puerto Rican, and Max has Jamaican, Dominican, and European ancestry.

An eerie thriller emphasizing the power of inner strength.