What if monster stories were about saving girls, not killing them?
1765. Gevaudan, France. When a series of brutal mysterious deaths start to plague the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the little French hamlet of Mende, most people think it’s a curse—God’s punishment for their sins.
But for sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend Clara, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to the village. It’s their chance to save their friends from the nightmares they’ve been living in—fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons.
As they begin to fake the deaths of their friends and hide them away, they find escape is harder than they thought. If the village figures out what they’re doing, they’re dead. If the beast discovers them first, they’re dead. And with food stores running low and tempers running high, if the beast and town don’t get them, Mende’s harsh winter will.
COMING 2024
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As described by early readers:
“A gay thriller period drama with lowkey eat the rich vibes.”
“You managed to make me cry! In a horror YA novel! That I really didn’t expect.”
“Compulsively readable smackdowns of…the patriarchy are the cornerstone of your works, and I am ENDLESSLY here for it!”
“Fantastically accessible and deeply examined.”