Old Wounds

June 17, 2024
Transgender 18-year-old exes Erin and Max leave Columbus, Ohio, for Berkeley, Calif.; Max to flee his parents, whose emotional and physical abuse led to his suicide attempt, and Erin to escape haunting memories of her father’s abandonment and death. Following a series of mysterious car troubles, they find themselves trapped in rural Lebanon Junction, Ky. There, over the course of one long, terrifying night, they are pursued by a group of men who feed girls to the ominous Bullitt Beast, which they believe requires sacrifices to keep floods at bay. As Erin and Max contend with violent attacks, transphobic
vitriol, and attempted sexual assault, they must also confront their own fraught relationship and decide how far they’re willing to go to save themselves—and each other. Via the teens’ alternating POVs, Kisner sculpts two complex, believably flawed protagonists without demonizing nor glossing over their mistakes as they navigate their trauma. While violent and spine-tinglingly creepy on the surface, Kisner’s debut is also a hopeful story of connection and community, and a fiery ode to the trans youth who must fight for survival in a society set against them. Major characters read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary.

August 15, 2024
While on the run, two transgender teens face darkness--both human and inhuman--in the backwoods of Kentucky. Max and Erin, California-bound teens who are cued white, each have their own reasons for running away. Max, a trans boy, is crumbling under the weight of a family that denies his true identity. Erin, a trans girl, feels lost and insecure despite the acceptance she receives from her mother and sister. When Max finally decides to bid farewell to Columbus, Ohio, and seek a brighter future in Berkeley, Erin agrees to go too despite being confused about their relationship: Max broke her heart two years prior and then cut off all contact. Things are already tense between them when they set off, and everything goes further sideways after the car won't start and they wind up stranded in rural Kentucky, at the mercy of murderous locals who are searching for someone to sacrifice to a monster who devours girls. The pair must unravel their complicated history as well as find the strength to survive a seemingly endless night. The action-packed narrative frequently cuts between scenes and characters, creating a filmlike rhythm that propels readers forward. This work shines a spotlight on transgender people in a genre in which they are underrepresented; it puts Max and Erin through the worst but ultimately empowers them. An ode to the strength of trans kids, in the face of all kinds of terror. (author's note with content warning)(Horror. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-In a satisfying, fresh take on a classic horror film scenario, two trans teens are stranded in a small town and ensnared by locals who plan to sacrifice them to a demon that targets girls. Max and Erin used to be everything to each other, until Max abruptly ended things two years ago, a decision Erin still doesn't understand. However, when Max asks Erin to run away with him after graduation, she agrees. As the only other out trans teen in a small Ohio town, Erin understands the everyday existential threat of intolerant parents, looming healthcare restrictions, and random acts of violence. Ditching their cell phones and relying on cash means they're harder to trace, but it also means that they have limited resources and nowhere to turn when their car breaks down and the locals seize upon Erin as their chosen sacrifice. Chaos ensues when their would-be captors are stymied by Max and Erin's gender identities and are forced to reckon with the power and perseverance of two kids who have been forced to fight for survival their entire lives. While Kisner's characterization of Max and Erin is incredibly complex and delivers a compassionate look at their relationship and differing perspectives, the mystery surrounding the town, the captors, and the demon are only painted in very broad strokes, leaving many questions unanswered. Similarly, a central conflict with Max's parents is never revisited. VERDICT Both a nuanced look at the complexities of being trans in our current landscape and a thoroughly enjoyable horror thriller, this book is sure to appeal to teens who love Jordan Peele films or Tiffany D. Jackson.-Catherine Cote

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 After a suicide attempt and a family-mandated social detransition, trans 18-year-old Max decides the only way to survive is by running away. His former girlfriend, Erin, accompanies him on his road trip from Ohio to California, despite Max suddenly going no-contact two years ago. Erin, a trans girl, is supported at home, yet she wants to escape the doubt that surfaces from memories of her father, who died last fall. Both teens hope to reconnect, but tension mounts when their car stalls in rural Kentucky. At first wary of potential violence for being clocked as trans, they soon realize they're in a far worse situation when they're hunted through the night by men who feed girls to the local terrifying cryptid. This smartly executed, propulsive thriller works on multiple levels: as a chilling and violent creature-feature with folk horror elements and as a painfully honest portrayal of trans people's everyday fight for survival. Max and Erin are nuanced, believably flawed characters whom readers will root for as they prove their strength and are rewarded.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.