The Companion

How it reads

The Companion is young adult (young-adult psychological thriller, specifically), and its dominant mood is eerie. It's atmospheric and uncanny, with a sense that something is wrong. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in a rural setting, in the present day, told in the third person, staying close to one character. Its central concerns are secrets, survival and identity. In weight it's light and escapist — easy to fall into.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending resolves happily. At 448 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.