The Telling

June 6, 2016
In Sirowy’s second novel, after The Creeping, a macabre spirit haunts Gant Island, home to Pacific Northwest multimillionaires. A few months ago, 17-year-old Lana McBrook was “an earthworm dreaming of being a python,” happy to spend the summer before her senior year studying with her best friend Willa. Now—following the disappearance and presumed death of Lana’s stepbrother, Ben, after a gruesome attack—she parties with the popular clique, including longtime crush Josh Parker. Then the group discovers the drowned remains of Ben’s girlfriend, Maggie, suspected of aiding in his disappearance. As more bodies appear, Lana, who admits “I am a sometimes liar,” decides that Ben’s ghost has returned to avenge their enemies. When the murders include clues from Ben’s nightmarish childhood stories, Lana bravely investigates, coming to terms with her conflicted feelings for Josh and Ben. Though overly florid descriptions and a sensationalist plot detract from the gothic strains somewhat, Siroway’s cliffhangers and red herrings lure readers toward a haunting finale. Intriguing questions about the nature of storytelling permeate this addictive novel. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.