I had a great time reading this story and following Sam along their challenging adventure of life in a new town. 

Sam's character is so dynamic and full of emotion that I could not help but feel as if I was next to them the entire time, seeing the story play out from their perspective. 

I appreciated the subtle magical-realism that played into the mystery unfolding.

Can we take a MOMENT to appreciate the relationship Sam has with their dad? The positive representation of a single-father household was truly warming to read about, and the ways in which Sam and Junius communicate and engage with each other are beautiful. It's not perfect and clean all the time, but it felt happy and true. 

I also love the cover!

This was such a lovely, horribly tense, stressful time. *insert awkward laughing/crying face here*

This was my first Kalynn Bayron read and it did not disappoint. I love a good horror, and I really appreciate the fact that this one is not super long but still packs some great twists, surprises, and punches along the way.

This is definitely a great mid-summer thriller and will be a perfect spooky season read. 

Can we also take a moment to appreciate the cover, please? Because I love it!

A fun and wild sci-fi/magical story with two teens and a dog

*Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Y’all, I struggled with this title, and I’m unsure why. 

There is an intriguing mystery – who-/how-/whydunnit? - there are great themes of language, accessibility barriers, family, pandemics, the intersectionality of law enforcement, race, and disability. I enjoy most of what I read while I am actively reading it, but I don’t find myself looking forward to picking it back up and reading more. 

This is a good book! I am just struggling to find the want to read it (which could very well be some reading burnout for me at this current moment and have nothing to do with the book).