Staff Writer: Julie
Published Date: April 22, 2025
Number of Pages: 384
Format: Physical Book
Genre: Young Adult
Tags: Young Adult, Teen, Horror, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Cardigan rating: 3.5 out of 5
Thoughts:
Hollis Brown is stuck. Born to a Blue-Collar American Dream, Hollis lives in a rotting small town where no one can afford to leave. Hollis's only bright spots are his two best friends, cool girls Annie and Yulia, and the thrill of fighting his classmates.
As if his circumstances couldn’t get worse, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger named Walt results in a frightening trap. After unknowingly making a deal at the crossroads, Hollis finds himself losing control of his body and mind, falling victim to possession. Walt, the ghost making a home inside him, has a deep and violent history rooted in the town Hollis grew up in and he has unfinished business to take care of.
As Walt and Hollis begin working together to put Walt’s spirit to rest, an unspeakable bond forms between them, and the boys begin falling for one another in unexpected ways. But, it’s only a matter of time before Hollis’s best friends begin to notice that something about Hollis isn’t quite…right.
With the threat of a long overdue exorcism looming before them, will Walt and Hollis be able to protect their love and undo the curse that turned their town from a garden of possibility into a place where dreams go to die?
This book is for anyone who likes a character-driven read. There isn’t much action, so it can run a little slow at times. From the first page, you feel for Hollis, wondering why he is getting into fights and what he can do to stop it. He can’t seem to get out of his own way most of the time.
The chapters are short, making it a faster read. The romance is a slow burn, almost to the point of "why is it taking so long?!" Walt’s mystery makes one ponder their own life and what one would do in certain situations. If you want a book that will make you think when you are done, this is the book for you.