From the Publisher
Via Sadie’s insightful first-person narration, Hollowell (A Dark and Starless Forest) skillfully entwines atmospheric prose bursting with 2010s pop-culture references, and disturbing scenes of body horror with sensitive explorations of neurodivergence, misogyny, internalized anti-fat bias, and emotional abuse. Sadie and Logan’s friendship serves as a strong and passionate anchor, giving heft to both the physical and interpersonal stakes of this twisted ma(i)ze of surreal psychological horror.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A trippy supernatural thriller.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A horrific read sure to hook many with its sinister setting, sickening mystery, strong friendship, and teen introspection.” — School Library Journal
“Hollowell takes great care in representing anxiety, fatness, and poverty as normal and matter-of-fact aspects of her characters’ lives in this thoughtful and emotional horror novel.” — Booklist
Kirkus Reviews
2023-07-13
Two teens fight for their lives after becoming trapped inside a nightmarish corn maze.
On a joyride through sprawling Indiana farmland, Sadie and her best friend, Logan, encounter an abandoned corn maze and see an adventure waiting for them. But when they turn a corner and discover a corpse that eerily resembles Logan, they realize that they’re in way over their heads. This maze has a mind of its own, with rules for movement and survival that seem to be set by an unseen creator. And strangely, Sadie can’t shake the feeling that they’ve somehow been through this maze before—perhaps many times. With no choice but to go forward in hopes of finding a way out, the two begin a harrowing, time-bending ordeal that lays bare their secrets and insecurities, putting their friendship to the test. The exposition is light in favor of jumping into the action right away; Sadie’s backstory and personal traits are revealed piecemeal as the experience forces her to confront ghosts of her own trauma from past relationships. Her ADHD is notably portrayed as both a liability and an asset. Sadie is also candid about her fatness and the way she inhabits the world in a larger body. Those who stick out the rushed beginning will root for Sadie and Logan as they find strength within themselves (and each other) to escape the maze. Most major characters are white; Logan is Korean American.
A trippy supernatural thriller. (Horror. 13-18)
