Sundown Girls

In an eerie speculative thriller from Stratton (In Deadly Company, for adults), a Black teen finds herself caught in a conspiracy while visiting a former sundown town. Having been abducted more than a decade ago by a kidnapper to whom she still feels connected, 16-year-old Naomi is reunited with her biological parents and siblings. Hoping to dispel the unease surrounding Naomi’s arrival—the family chafes at her seeming inability to detach herself from her former life—the adults plan an outdoorsy vacation to an isolated cabin in Sparksburg, Va. Naomi is taken aback by a foul stench that only she seems to smell, but after meeting charming local teen Khalil, he reveals that his great-grandmother also perceives the scent. When Naomi learns about Sparksburg’s history as a sundown town, as well as a mysterious string of missing persons cases, she determines to investigate the location’s harrowing past. The novel’s strength lies in its depiction of complex relationships and their impact; Naomi’s feeling of disconnect is amplified by her obvious love for her kidnapper, to whom she writes unsent letters. Tension continually runs high throughout this illuminating and unsettling thriller that empathetically addresses topics relating to Black history and mental health stigma. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)