That Which Feeds Us

A teen uncovers a private island’s bloodstained past while looking for her sister in a gruesome gothic thriller. Hawaii may be orphaned twins Lehua and Ohia Sayers’ ancestral homeland, but they’ve never left Arizona. This fact adds a layer of envy to college dropout Lehua’s annoyance toward high-achieving Ohia, who breaks months of silence following a fight to brag about her new internship on a farm near Maui. Then Lehua learns from Ohia’s track coach that Ohia is on academic suspension, and there is no internship. But Ohia won’t answer her phone, so after some investigation, Lehua follows her to Kōpa΄a, an island plantation turned tech-free wellness resort and persimmon farm. By the time Lehua realizes that Ohia was employed at Kōpa΄a as a field worker but left after a week, the boat back to Maui is gone. Stranded on Kōpa΄a for the weekend due to an incoming storm, Lehua searches for clues as to the reason behind Ohia’s subterfuge and departure, as well as her next destination, not realizing that Kōpa´a is haunted and the truth she seeks could get her killed. Though the intersectionally diverse cast feels one-dimensional and some plot points don’t quite gel, Kendall (How Far I’ll Go) effectively leverages colonialism’s horrors and its effects on Hawaii’s history to maximize tension and terror. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer March Solow, Starling Literary. (May)