Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Hoti's dark story will appeal to YA readers in its coming-of-age elements, as it examines the limits of young love amid complex religious themes. The relationship between Sean and Jeremiah quickly takes flight, full of rich contradictions and tenuous connections that place both boys in harm's way, and the ending is satisfyingly shocking, a fitting conclusion to such an intense novel. 

Prose: The prose is persuasive, and hard-hitting in the novel's more blistering moments, while giving voice to themes that are critical for relevant audiences.  

Originality: The story's setting is cleverly fashioned and memorable from the start, and the lurking horror throughout the novel has a chilling effect.

Character/Execution: Both Sean and Jeremiah are well drawn, though Jeremiah is preternaturally wise and knowledgeable considering his age of  just 15 years old. The story's two central teachers—Mr. Van Orton and Dr. Jeunet—play the perfect villains: remorseless, believable, and downright terrifying.

Date Submitted: July 17, 2024