Books

Stories for rule-breakers, rascals, & revolutionaries

The Wicked Unseen

From the moment Audre arrives in rural Pennsylvania, it’s clear she won’t fit in. After all, her nose ring, horror movie obsession, and family’s Ouija board collection aren’t likely to endear her to a town convinced there’s a secret Satanic cult doing rituals in the nearby woods.

When the preacher’s daughter and Audre’s crush, Elle, goes missing on Halloween weekend, the town is quick to point fingers—in Audre’s direction. With the cops busy harassing her family for being nonbelievers and everyone else convinced demons are to blame, Audre realizes she might be the only person who can find her friend.

But the deeper Audre digs, the weirder it gets. Has Elle fallen victim to a Satanic ritual, or is the town’s obsession with the occult covering up something even more sinister?

“An absorbing mystery with strong characterization.” – Kirkus

“Griffis captures the reality of this 1980s and ’90s cultural moment with eerie resonance, and brisk pacing paired with clever mystery elements deliver.” – Publishers Weekly

We Are The Beasts

When a series of brutal, mysterious deaths start plaguing the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the quiet French hamlet of Mende, most people believe it’s a curse—God’s punishment for their sins.

But to sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend, Clara, the beast isn’t a curse. It’s an opportunity.

For years, the girls of Mende have been living in a nightmare—fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons—and this is a chance to get them out.

Using the creature’s attacks as cover, Joséphine and Clara set out to fake their friends’ deaths and hide them away until it’s safe to run. But escape is harder than they thought. If they can’t brave a harsh winter with little food… If the villagers discover what they’re doing… If the beast finds them first…

Those fake deaths might just become real ones.

"Lovers of feminist horror will devour this one whole.” – MK Pagano, author of Girls Who Burn

“A compelling, tense, and thoughtful exploration of what it means to be girls in a world of monsters.” – Kiersten White, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

And The Trees Stare Back

1989, Soviet Estonia. In sixteen-year-old Vik’s village—and the cursed forest that looms beyond—danger is everywhere. Soldiers threaten those who so much as dream of dissent. The villagers’ words are sharp with accusations of witchcraft. And deep in the heart of the wood, a lantern-eyed spirit lies in wait to disappear those who wander too far past the trees.

Vik knows because five years ago, she led her little sister Anna over that invisible line—and never saw her again.

The only thing Vik has wished for since then is her sister’s safe return. So when Anna stumbles back through the tree line on the anniversary of her disappearance, it’s a miracle…

Or is it a lie?

As unsettling inconsistencies between this girl and the one who vanished reveal themselves, Vik starts to doubt whether this Anna is her Anna—or something else entirely. Whoever she is, one thing is clear: she was never meant to escape the trees.

And unless Vik can uncover the secrets of the forest, it’s going to take her back.

The Empress

As seen on Netflix...

The year is 1853, and Princess Elisabeth “Sisi” of Bavaria has been very clear: She will wait for the head-over-heels love the poets speak of, or she will have no love at all. Just because her older sister, Helene, is eagerly heeding their mother’s advice and preparing to marry Emperor Franz of Austria does not mean Sisi must also subject herself to such a dutiful existence. Sisi knows there is more to life than luncheons and corsets—if only someone would let her experience it all firsthand.

Meanwhile, in Austria, the emperor is recovering from an assassination attempt that left him wounded and scared. In a bid to keep the peace, Franz has recommitted himself to his imperial duties—and promised to romance the pliant Helene of Bavaria at his upcoming birthday celebration. How better to unite the empire than with the announcement of a new empress?

But when Sisi and Franz meet unexpectedly in the palace gardens, away from the prying eyes and relentless critique of the court, their connection cannot be denied. And as their illicit conversations turn into something more, they must soon choose between the expectations of their families and standing up for what they truly believe in…