Being at a residential treatment center for girls is just another stop on Quinn’s journey through juvie and foster homes, but it’s not too bad—if she can keep it all together a bit longer, she’ll be released, get a place, go to college, do all the things normal kids do. But Quinn is not normal, and nor are any of the other residents. She notices Keisha, who always sneaks her meds into her pocket, and the two become fast friends. One night, they sneak onto the roof and discover that the world around them has gone bad—carriers, zombie-like humans, are roaming the streets, biting and killing people. The problem is, the dead reanimate when there are loud sounds. A little bit A Quiet Place, a lot twisted “final girl”, the story takes off as a small contingent of staff and girls decide to leave the treatment center. Quinn’s true self is released, that of a heartless psychopath—helpful for survival but terrifying nonetheless. The debut author, a licensed clinical social worker with experience working in juvenile detention facilities, draws characters so believable that teens will find themselves and others experiencing mental illness on the page. Readers will know one thing: you don’t want to be on the wrong side of Quinn’s machete. The breakneck pace and wicked creativity she demonstrates keep the blood-slicked action going to the very end.—Dodie Ownes
