Labyrinthmeets folk horror in this dark and romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.
Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isnt at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isnt the Lord of the Wood will take her, and shell disappear like so many other girls before her.
But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen wont stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all thats left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.
Filled with shame and the weight of the towns judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Woods domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isnt what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother backfor the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write.
Its a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything shes been taught to fear.
Tori Bovalino is the editor of the bestselling horror anthology
The Gathering Darkand the author of
Not Good for Maidens. She lives in London.
A Booklist Editors' Choice 2024: Books for Youth Selection
A must-read for truth seekers and those hoping to glimpse a world built around kindness and acceptance.
Booklist, starred review
[A] sinisterly creepy YA folk horror novel with striking feminist undertones.
Shelf Awareness, starred review
Tightly written and clearly envisioned [...] a standout new release. The story is cloaked in fantasy-like horror but remains grounded in its themes of religious trauma and the pernilƒ$
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