UNDER THIS RED ROCK

In an insular Ohio town, a young woman struggles with family trauma and experiences hallucinations that she keeps secret.

Sixteen-year-old Neely, like her dad and older brother, Lance, who is now dead by suicide, can hear voices. Neely’s mother died in a car accident many years ago, and later her dad left, leaving Neely living with her touchingly supportive but somewhat repressed grandparents. A longtime fan of the large cave system that’s a tourist attraction in her town, Neely snags a job working there for the summer. Neely, who’s gay but not out to many people, quickly falls for beautiful, smart Mila, who runs tours of the caves. When a shockingly horrific death occurs in one of the caves after Neely tries weed for the first time at an employee after-party and experiences what seems like a psychotic break, she fears she may be responsible. This gritty and sometimes gruesome thriller thrums with gripping menace, especially as Neely’s brother’s only friend, Brian, alleges that Lance was sharing incel-like posts on an anonymous internet site. Neely’s frank, self-deprecating inner monologue is often bitingly funny, providing balance to the grim subject matter. Though they’re portrayed with nuance, Neely’s hallucinations sometimes seem to move with the plotting, which, given the unpredictable nature of serious mental illness, can make this element feel too convenient. All the main characters read as white.

A propulsive, unpredictable, and troubling thriller.