The Dead of Summer

How it reads

The Dead of Summer is young adult (queer supernatural 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 small town setting, in the present day, told in the third person, staying close to one character. Its central concerns are identity, coming of age and secrets. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending resolves happily. At 400 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.