THIN SPACE

Name: THIN SPACE
Author: Jody Casella
ISBN: 978-1-58270-435-7

by Jody Casella ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2013

Those who manage to hang on through the devastating climax will immediately turn back to the beginning to catch the clues...

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A creepy supernatural chiller sets up a gut-punch of desolation and loss.

For three months, high school junior Marsh Windsor has been refusing to wear shoes, ignoring schoolwork and friends, and getting into fights. His parents and teachers—even his former girlfriend—tolerate his bizarre behavior as an inability to cope with the car wreck that seriously injured Marsh and killed his twin, Austin. Only the new girl, Maddie, knows that Marsh is seeking a “thin space,” a portal between the realms of the living and the dead; and Maddie has her own reasons for abetting his search. Casella’s debut is a viscerally raw examination of grief, in which the universal question of adolescence—“who am I?”—becomes “who am I without you?” The spare prose, wherein the bleak New England weather seems more real than the characters vaguely swirling across Marsh’s awareness, immerses readers in his ratcheting desperation. His first-person voice throbs with agony, guilt and anger, all felt through a foggy numbness that fails to conceal that Marsh is hiding something crucial. This very unreliability propels a gripping narrative, even though little actually happens.

Those who manage to hang on through the devastating climax will immediately turn back to the beginning to catch the clues they missed. Brutal and brilliant. (Paranormal fantasy. 14 & up)

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-58270-435-7

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Beyond Words/Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: June 11, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

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THE CHANGING MAN

by Tomi Oyemakinde ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.

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After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.

Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9781250868138

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT MYSTERY & THRILLER | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

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THE INVOCATIONS

by Krystal Sutherland ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 30, 2024

A thrilling and exquisitely grotesque showcase of young women taking charge.

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Three young women team up to track down a serial killer who’s targeting witches.

Jude Wolf became cursed after a deal with a demon went awry; as a result, she was kicked out of her rich and well-connected family. Zara Jones wants to bring her murdered sister back from the dead so she can make amends. They both need the help of Emer Byrne, a powerful type of witch known as a cursewriter. With a dark past of her own, Emer writes invocations that give women power in exchange for letting a demon have part of their souls, turning them into witches. When the trio of women, who are cued white, realize that the serial killer on the loose in London is specifically going after Emer’s previous clients, they pool their resources. Jude is independently wealthy, Zara has incredible puzzle-solving skills, and Emer brings her witchy prowess: Together they work to fight back and find the killer. Filled with feminist rage and a sprinkle of queer romance, this lushly written tale methodically builds to a heart-pounding confrontation. Each woman is separately introduced, and then Sutherland expertly weaves together their lives in intricate and fascinating ways. The characters’ relationships evolve as the stakes become increasingly dangerous. Although some of the worldbuilding details are waved away, the evocative body horror, distinct and compelling leads, and twisty plot will keep readers immersed in this grisly story.

A thrilling and exquisitely grotesque showcase of young women taking charge. (Paranormal thriller. 14-18)