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About The Book

A “haunting…addictive” (Publishers Weekly) novel about a teen who must delve into her past if she wants to live long enough to have a future when murders eerily similar to the dark stories her brother used to tell start happening in her hometown—now with updated text and a brand-new look!

You swore on summer.

Ben was Lana’s world. He was her big brother, her best friend, her summer. And then he was murdered in a grisly carjacking, and her world ended.

Now, six months after Ben’s death, Lana is trying to reinvent herself. She’s found her way into the inner circle of popular kids, and the Lana she is now—bold, daring, brash, adventurous—barely resembles the shy, unpopular Lana she used to be.

And then a body turns up. At first, everyone thinks it’s just a horrible accident. But when more corpses are discovered, Lana realizes the details of the murders eerily match the dark fairy tales Ben used to tell her—stories that only she and Ben knew.

Is Ben seeking vengeance from the grave? Or has a darker phantom from their past come to haunt Lana’s present?

About The Author

Photograph © Lori Huneke

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of The Creeping and The Telling. She was born and raised in Northern California, where she attended a women’s college as an undergraduate and received her MA at the University of San Francisco. She is a voracious reader, the oldest of three children, an avid traveler, a record-holding high school long jumper, a gourmet cook, a feminist, and forever grateful to her parents for reading to her as a child. Alexandra lives in Northern California with her husband.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 8, 2025)
  • Length: 416 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781665973847
  • Grades: 9 and up
  • Ages: 14 - 99

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Raves and Reviews

“Haunting…[an] addictive novel."

– Publishers Weekly

“Will leave readers stunned and satisfied.”

– Booklist

"A neatly done murder mystery."

– Kirkus Reviews

"Lana’s got a steely edge to her narration, even in her most vulnerable moments, and her confident determination that she’s going to figure out what is going on may inspire plenty of readers to follow her."

– BCCB

Awards and Honors

  • Bram Stoker Nominee

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Alexandra Sirowy