A haunting and beautifully crafted tale of confronting trauma, woven through a subtle supernatural lens.
Teenager Chase becomes convinced that she must protect her sister from a dark presence lurking in the woods.
Seventeen-year-old Chase, her 10-year-old sister, Guthrie, and their parents have been traveling for years in their converted school bus, or “skoolie.” Since a traumatic incident six months earlier, Guthrie has stopped speaking, a burden Chase feels responsible for. Seeking stability, their father takes a job as a fire lookout in Utah. Chase finds work at a nearby summer camp, builds friendships, and develops a budding romance with Wilder, a lifeguard. Yet, her primary focus remains saving for college back in her hometown of Boone, North Carolina, and caring for Guthrie, who’s behaving more strangely by the day. Adding to her worries, her father grows distant and irritable, while her mother denies that anything is amiss. When Guthrie vanishes, Chase and her parents are forced to confront the darkness they’ve been avoiding. The story features lyrical prose, especially in its descriptions of nature, and though there are eerie moments, the supernatural elements serve mainly to help the family face their collective and individual guilt, pain, and grief. The main characters are suggested to be white.
A beautifully written, emotionally resonant story about facing trauma, told through a ghostly filter. (Author’s note) (Horror, ages 14-18)
