Now, Conjurers

In November 1999, the rural town of North Dana, Mass., is rocked by the gruesome murder of beloved star quarterback Bastion Attia. Though he’s devastated, fellow high school junior Nesbit Nuñez must grieve privately—Bastion was his secret boyfriend and the leader of their coven of witches. As increasingly disturbing events confirm that Bastion’s death might have a supernatural cause, the North Coven, composed of queer high schoolers, convenes to investigate. Something sinister has been lurking under the town for centuries, and the coven is forced to grapple with the secrets that Bastion kept if they hope to survive its onslaught. Though narrative foreshadowing is occasionally transparent, this supernatural thriller takes characters and readers alike on an emotional roller coaster of shocking revelations, culminating in a cathartic, action-packed climax. Plentiful late-’90s cultural references and the heartwarming found family bonds of the North Coven prevent the heavy themes from feeling too grim as Kölsch spins together a web of hidden agendas, secret histories, a terrifying otherworldly antagonist, and real-world horrors of child abuse and homophobia into a dark and chilling debut. Characters are racially diverse. Ages 14–up. Agents: Martha Perotto-Wills and Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (June)