For young adults grappling with deep-seated fears and moral dilemmas, this intense fantasy explores courage, sacrifice, and the fight against encroaching darkness.
A parent might reach for this book when their teen is struggling with anxiety, grief, or feeling overwhelmed by the darkness in the world. It’s a powerful story for young adults who need to see fear not as a weakness, but as a challenge to be met. The story follows a young woman who, after a family tragedy, discovers she can see terrifying monsters that feed on human fear. This dark fantasy is intense and best for older teens (14 and up), directly confronting themes of loss, courage, and moral complexity. It's an excellent choice for navigating difficult emotions through a compelling, high-stakes adventure, validating a teen's feelings while offering a sense of hope and resilience.
Fantasy violence. Scenes of fighting monsters can be bloody and visceral.
Sad ThemesIntense
The entire narrative is driven by themes of grief, loss, depression, and anxiety.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly and unflinchingly with the death of a sibling and the complex grief that follows. The approach is secular, treating grief as a profound psychological wound. The monsters serve as a powerful metaphor for anxiety, depression, and survivor's guilt. The resolution is not a simple victory but a state of hard-won resilience; it is hopeful in a realistic way, acknowledging that scars remain but strength can be found in them.
Ideal Reader
A teen, 15-17, who gravitates toward dark fantasy and horror (V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo) and is ready for a story with significant emotional depth. This is for the reader who is grappling with their own anxieties or has experienced loss and finds comfort in seeing internal struggles externalized and fought like literal monsters.
Parent Prep
A parent should preview the opening chapters, which depict the immediate aftermath of a death, and several of the monster attack scenes to gauge the intensity. The book can be read cold, but given the heavy themes, a parent might want to check in with their teen as they read, opening a door for conversation about grief and fear. A parent overhears their teen saying, "I just feel so scared all the time," or "It feels like everything is falling apart and I can't stop it." This book is also a good fit for a teen who has recently experienced the loss of a close friend or family member and is struggling to process it.
Age Experience
A younger reader (14-15) will likely connect most with the thrilling adventure, the monster-fighting plot, and the element of suspense. An older reader (16-18) is more likely to appreciate the complex psychological metaphors, the protagonist's nuanced emotional journey from victim to warrior, and the moral ambiguities presented by the supporting characters.
What Makes It Special
While many YA fantasies deal with good versus evil, this book's unique strength is how it directly maps the supernatural horror onto the protagonist's internal psychological landscape. The battle is not just to save the world, but to save oneself from being consumed by grief and fear. Its blend of visceral horror and sensitive, therapeutic exploration of mental health is what makes it stand out.
Read plot summary
After the sudden death of her brother, sixteen-year-old Elara gains the ability to see the Damned: spectral monsters that are drawn to and feed on human despair. Haunted by guilt and her own anxieties, Elara must team up with a cynical, world-weary ghost hunter to protect her town. They uncover a dark pact in her family’s history that is the source of the infestation, forcing Elara to confront the truth about her brother’s death and find the courage to sever the connection to the monstrous realm before it consumes everything she has left.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The Damned are drawn to fear and despair. In what ways did Elara's own grief make her situation worse, and how did she eventually learn to use or manage it as a strength?
2
The ghost hunter, Kael, often suggests morally gray solutions to their problems. Was there a time you disagreed with his methods? What would you have done differently in his position?
3
At the climax, Elara has to sacrifice a cherished memory of her brother to weaken the final monster. Do you think this was a fair price to pay for survival? Why or why not?
4
How does Elara's perception of her brother change from the beginning of the book to the end as she learns more about their family's past?
