Thirteen-year-old Aidan Cross is in love with his best friend Kai, but hasn’t figured out how to tell him. He expresses his feelings instead by writing a secret story in which Kai is a merman and Aidan (as his alter-ego Nadia) is a human princess in love with him. One day, however, he tries to push all of his feelings away and throws his notebook through the broken window of the ramshackle mansion on Yeet Street. To his dismay, though, his friends Terrance, Zephyr, and Kai are planning a forbidden sleepover for the four of them in the mansion as a way to discover if the stories of its haunting are true.
As Aidan tries to retrieve his notebook before his friends find it, he encounters the ghost of local girl Gabby—who happens to love his story. But Gabby is frightened of another terrifying specter on the loose, the horrifying Backwards Lady. Despite the danger, Aidan promises to help Gabby discover the mystery of her death and find peace. After his notebook falls into the hands of the very-much-alive mean girl Bea, who posts his story on social media, however, Aidan fears his friends will reject him He’s struggled with depression before, and it raises its head again.
The story of Aidan and his friends alternates with that of the house’s original owner, Farah Yeet, a Swedish immigrant of the early 20th century. Her story involves a queer relationship, too, although I won’t say more for fear of spoilers. As we (and Aidan) learn more of her story, we learn the reasons for the house’s supernatural occupants and their behavior. But has Aidan unwittingly been cursed by them, too? And can he stop them before something awful happens?
I will say that the story, particularly Yeet’s thread, has some definite moments of horror in it; there is mention of a head splitting open after someone is pushed over a railing, of peeling the skin off someone’s flesh (although we never actually see either happening), and an evil supernatural creature gets a roadside flare shoved down the throat. There is psychological manipulation, homophobia and fear of gender nonconformity, and a hanging (though the latter is not described in detail). Readers who enjoy the macabre will likely not be fazed by this; author Preston Norton keeps the details vague enough that the book feels acceptable for the upper end of the middle grade age range. (They probably hear worse listening to the news.)
Where the story shines, however, is in the relationships among the boys. They’re at that age where they’re defining themselves and what it means for each of them to be a boy/man, with the attendant posturing and joking and calling each other “Bruh.” But (and I will spoil this part, for adults wanting to evaluate the book), Aidan’s friends show themselves unfailingly supportive of him even after they learn of his crush. It’s surprising because of how their burgeoning masculinity is first presented, but it also feels authentic and hopeful. Author Preston Norton gives them each distinct, engaging personalities and fills their interactions with some truly hilarious moments, counterbalancing the grimmer aspects of the tale. He also deals with Aidan’s crush in a way that is both satisfyingly happy and unexpected (but I won’t reveal details of that part).
My quibbles with the book are few (and I write this based on the advance review copy, not the final text): To say something is “supernaturally strong” but also “no match against the laws of physics” feels wrong; “supernatural” means “unexplainable by natural law or phenomena,” i.e., not bound by the laws of physics. And when Aidan reflects that “He fell into the biological category of genders that Kai did not flirt with,” that feels like it’s mixing up the idea of sex (based on a combination of genitalia, hormones, and chromosomes), often referred to as “biological sex” (though many now reject that phrasing), with that of gender (one’s own sense of feelings and identity). Leaving out the word “biological” would have solved the issue.
Additionally, the reflection by one character that “Neil Gaiman is actually cool,” feels unfortunate, given the recent allegations of sexual assault against Gaiman—but since the book went to press before the accusations came to light, I don’t hold this against Norton. (He’s somewhat redeemed, in any case, by some snarky asides against J.K. Rowling.)
Fans of spooky tales with horror elements will likely love this recommended mystery that weaves in a coming out story, a first crush, and an amusing, well-drawn supporting ensemble.
Aidan, Kai, Zephyr, and all of the characters in the earlier flashback are White; Terrance is Black. One secondary character is pansexual. Kai’s family is financially insecure.
