| Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-GoffStarring: battle-ready Orpen, raised on a small island in post-apocalyptic Ireland, who must venture to the mainland after tragedy strikes.
What's she fighting? a menacing horde of zombies (aka skrakes); her own fears of life beyond the safety of home.
Why you might like it: With a charming, capable heroine at its center and atmospheric world-building, this action-packed novel will appeal to fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road and zombie flick 28 Days Later. |
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The Invited
by Jennifer McMahon
What it is: a compelling ghost story with a twist -- a haunted house is built, rather than moved into.
How it happens: Drawn to the traumatic history of her property (hint: it involves witches), Helen Wetherell collects artifacts connected to the grounds, hoping to build them into her new home. Her efforts reveal long-buried secrets...and unleash vengeful ghosts.
Try this next: For another fresh take on a haunted house story, check out Ezekiel Boone's The Mansion, set in a smart home menaced by its own AI.
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Inspection
by Josh Malerman
The experiment: What if separating the sexes made kids smarter? The pseudonymous M.O.M. and D.A.D. aim to accomplish just that in the sex-segregated schools they rule with rigidity and violence.
Is it for you? Though Inspection doesn't mine larger questions regarding gender and sexuality, it's a thought-provoking horror-thriller where every character is an unreliable narrator, whether by necessity or ignorance.
For fans of: Lord of the Flies and other works of psychological fiction.
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| The Last Astronaut by David WellingtonThen: In 2034, the Orion 6 mission to Mars ended in tragedy, shuttering the space program and Commander Sally Jansen's career along with it.
Now: Twenty years later, Sally is called out of retirement to make contact with a mysterious alien object hurtling toward Earth. The stakes have never been higher -- for both the future of mankind and Sally's own redemption.
Reviewers say: "Readers will be riveted -- and will want to keep all the lights on" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Bus on Thursday by Shirley BarrettWelcome to... the seemingly idyllic yet isolated town of Talbingo, where hard-drinking 30-something breast cancer survivor Eleanor hopes to make a fresh start as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse.
What happens: Beset by strange circumstances (a fellow teacher's disappearance, a cabin with too many locks on the door) and even stranger townsfolk (a demonic love interest, an exorcism-obsessed pastor), Eleanor suspects she may be in danger.
Read it for: a wickedly funny storyline that unfolds via blog posts. |
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| The Dead Path by Stephen M. IrwinWhat it's about: Returning to his hometown in Tallong, second sight-afflicted Nicholas investigates the murder of his childhood best friend, whose ghost is among those he sees reenacting their deaths. Will his sleuthing put him in the path of a menacing woodland presence? (Yes.)
Why you might like it: This creepy modern fairy tale features vivid imagery and evocative descriptions of Nicholas' escalating unease.
Want a taste? "Clouds, heavy as slate and swollen like the underbellies of diseased beasts, were rolling across the sky." |
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Growing things and other stories
by Paul Tremblay
An anthology of psychological suspense tales by the award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts includes such entries as "The Teacher," "The Getaway" and "Swim Wants to Know If It's as Bad as Swim Thinks." 40,000 first printing
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| The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte WoodWhat it is: a surreal and disturbing tale of captivity and survival, centered on a group of women imprisoned in the Australian Outback for their perceived sexual misdeeds involving rich and powerful men.
Is it for you? This award-winning and thought-provoking allegorical novel confronts real-life monstrosity, exploring the horrors of sexual politics and misogyny.
For fans of: The Handmaid's Tale and Lord of the Flies. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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