| Supernatural -- Fiction. |
| Murder -- Fiction. |
| Rain forests -- Fiction. |
| Families -- Fiction. |
| Interpersonal relations -- Fiction. |
| Mystery and detective stories. |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
The very first thriller from Rick Riordan Presents! Drawing from the darkest corners of Caribbean mythology, acclaimed author Sarah Dass crafts a chilling tale of magic, murder, and how far we'll go to protect what's ours-perfect for fans of Angeline Boulley and Tiffany D. Jackson.
Unlike the other residents of the small Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, Selina DaSilva does not believe in magic. With a logical mind and a knack for botany, Selina used to dream of leaving the island to study Pharmacology-until a vicious, unsolved attack left her father dead and her mother in a coma.
Now her guilt over her mother's condition keeps her tethered to the island, relegated to conning gullible tourists with useless talismans and phony protection rituals. But when one of those tourists ends up at the center of a string of strange murders, the truth that Selina has been denying can no longer be avoided- there is evil lurking in the forests that surround St. Virgil. Another thing that can't be avoided? Selina's ex-boyfriend Gabriel, newly employed at the local newspaper and eager to put his investigative skills to use.
Desperate to put an end to the killings and claim justice for Selina's family, these two former lovers race to find answers. But evil bides its time. And as long-buried feelings and long-hidden secrets about Selina's family's past begin to reveal themselves, only one answer remains-and it waits in the forest.
Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, now a hit series on Disney+.
Reviews: (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The small Caribbean Island of St. Virgil has more than its fair share of secrets and scandals. Alone ever since a tragic attack killed her father and put her mother into a coma, 18-year-old Selina DaSilva makes a living working in a friend's souvenir shop while surreptitiously pretending to be a psychic, using her botanical knowledge to help people looking for supernatural solutions to their problems. The arrival of a tourist who's convinced he's being stalked by an evil spirit coincides with several gruesome, unsolved murders and the return of Selina's ex-boyfriend, Gabriel. Haunted by her mother's reputation as a witch and by whatever dark force she believes is behind the deaths, Selina must work with Gabriel to uncover the truth of what's happening before the body count increases. Selina and Gabriel contend with small-town dynamics, lingering trauma, an encroaching paranormal threat drawn from Caribbean folklore, and issues of privilege in this atmospheric, claustrophobic-feeling thriller by Dass (When the Vibe Is Right). Complexly brewed fantasy elements set against a memorable setting make for an urgent tale that remains tense and unpredictable to the end. All major characters have brown skin. Ages 12--up. Agent: Wendi Gu, Greenburger Assoc. (May)
Kirkus Review
A young woman attempts to use the gifts from her mother to determine what's real and what's imagined as she searches for her father's killer. Selina DaSilva is an 18-year-old girl living on the Caribbean island of St. Virgil. Her mother, a spiritualist, worked in tandem with her father, a forensics investigator, to solve crimes in their small town. Selina's mother's intuition led to the release of a man the townspeople believed to be guilty of murdering a woman. After his acquittal, Selina's father was killed, and her mother ended up in a coma. Selina is surviving by selling "fake spells and charms" in her friend's mystic curiosity shop. She's beginning to have troubling visions of her father when a suspect in a brutal death at a local hotel visits the shop. Selina partners with Gabriel, her ex-boyfriend, to try to figure out if the murder is connected to what happened to her parents. This wonderfully atmospheric story will keep readers on their toes. The shades of horror are artfully done and add just the right amount of tension to this enjoyable read. The protagonist's struggle to believe in the other world in which her mother existed so easily sets up an interesting character study. The characters are predominantly Black or multiracial. A heart-racing tale of Caribbean folklore, herbalism, and mysticism. (Thriller. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
A study about humanity and dealing with growth and grief, this is the type of book that keeps readers invested. The setting is the Caribbean island of St. Virgil, where we follow the ambitious and bold Selina DaSilva, who has dreams of leaving the island to pursue a different life. She wishes to study pharmacology, and the island feels too small for her. Readers will sense her frustration about living in St. Virgil, a place where everyone has a role that they are expected to keep during their lifetime, and where people are obsessed with magic as a solution to many issues. Less focused on the islanders and their magic system, this digs deep into Selina's feelings. Through her, we understand devastating grief when she loses her parents. Selina must join forces with Gabriel, her ex and a newspaper writer, in order to investigate strange and bloody murders around the island. This expansive, character-driven mystery will leave readers thinking about what it means to be brave and how we define ourselves.