Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
The Last Resort is a fantastic middle-grade mystery where twelve-year-old Lila discovers her Grandpa Clem’s creepy Victorian Inn is actually a portal for ghosts. While trying to stop being “dramatic,” Lila must solve her grandfather’s murder and battle evil spirits.
The Dark We Know is a debut novel that offers a mysterious and pensive look at the cyclical nature of trauma, wrapped in a spooky horror package. While the excellent premise—an art student confronting a supernatural entity linked to her past—will appeal to fans of Hill House, the book suffers from vague backstories and a lack of character development.
Set in the eerie Ozark Mountains, When the Bones Sing follows Dovie, a teen from a long line of women who can “hear the bones of the dead.” When hikers start vanishing near her town, the local sheriff turns to Dovie’s strange ability to help find the bodies.
Set in the eerie small town of Loving, Ohio, this horror graphic novel follows four teens—Sloane, Elliott, Cameron, and Ana—grappling with grief after their friend’s mysterious suicide. Their town is controlled by The Chorus, a cult-like organization whose influence reaches every level of the community.
Nhung and her mother are barely hanging on in the environmental disaster zone that is Mercy, Louisiana. After her father and brother died and the red algae bloomed in the Mississippi River, survival becomes even more difficult.