Publishers Weekly
03/18/2024
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)
From the Publisher
This novel is an easy-to-read occult thriller inspired by ’90s cult classics with a likable cast of cool, queer, Wiccan goth heroes. Kölsch holistically integrates serious issues, such as grief, neurological differences, religion and faith, parental abuse, and a variety of intersectional queer identities, with a deft touch that keeps the book both eerie and light in pleasantly equal measure . . . . A rollicking and thoughtful take on the be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope.”—Kirkus, STARRED Review
"Kölsch debuts with a supernatural thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. A first purchase for YA collections."—School Library Journal, STARRED Review “[T]his supernatural thriller takes characters and readers alike on an emotional roller coaster of shocking revelations, culminating in a cathartic, action-packed climax . . . . 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.”—Publishers Weekly "This bloodcurdling debut horror novel full of gay goth teens, creepy rituals, and found family is an utterly original celebration of queer love and the lengths we will go to protect one another."—Booklist "This book is CHARM ITSELF. It's a high-octane high-camp horror funfair that is so smart and so edgy and funny and heartfelt and loving that I think teens who love it now will still pull it off the shelf when they are 40. Now, Conjurers is an evening with a movie from Blockbuster that's rated slightly too high for you to have legally rented it and the biggest, trashiest bag of popcorn, staying up until 3 AM with your friends and then having really savage nightmares afterwards for a week." —Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth "I love it when I’ve no idea where a story is going to take me, and Now, Conjurers took me to some dark places, but I knew that I was in sure hands with Freddie’s writing. This was an absolutely wild ride, full of scares and horror as well as love and friendship. I adored Nesbit and Bastion." —Sally Green, author of Half Bad “A wildly charming, deliciously gruesome, and deeply tender love letter to queer found family, dirtbag magic, and 1999. North Coven is bound to steal your heart.”
—Sarah McCarry, author of All Our Pretty Songs "Now, Conjurers is a dark, slick, and intoxicating ride that'll make you wish you were part of North Coven. The twisted love child of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Stephen King's It with a healthy 90's hit of nostalgia, I absolutely inhaled it (and had nightmares about red gloves for weeks)." —David Fenne, author of Overemotional "A book that begins in such a grim spot cannot lead to a true happy ending, but there’s significant strength to be found for the characters … in battling true evil, and sometimes peace can sub in as enough of an equivalent to joy." —BCCB
School Library Journal
★ 06/01/2024
Gr 10 Up—The unthinkable has happened to Nesbit North Nuñez: the love of his life is dead. Football star and all-around nice guy Bastion Attia is discovered in the woods, half-eaten. Along with Nesbit, he is survived by his no-nonsense sister Dove, and their close friends Drea and Brandy. What everyone doesn't know is that Nesbit and his friends practice real magic with real-world effects. With the sudden and confusing loss of Bastion, Nesbit realizes that the source of their power might be not just otherworldly but potentially nefarious. By night, Nesbit dreams of a creepy carnival fairground advertising a mysterious "Mr. Nous" who grants attendees' "fares" for "fancies." Nesbit soon realizes that his evil dreams have bled into reality. Can he stop the dastardly and dangerous Mr. Nous—a terrifying, red gloved creature with too many teeth to count and a voice that can cause nosebleeds—before it's too late? Kölsch debuts with a supernatural thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Nesbit is a protagonist they will genuinely root for, and each character in his coven is given a full, well-rounded personality with their own motivations and failings. The book is paced well with a lot of forward momentum leading to a climactic showdown in the nightmare dreamscape of the carnival world. Family relationships are highlighted throughout, including Nesbit's bond with his brother in addiction recovery. While perhaps not for the faint of heart, this novel succeeds in weaving an original tale of teens facing down insurmountable odds to fight evil and avenge their fallen friend. VERDICT A first purchase for YA collections.—Ryan P. Donovan
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-03-23
In 1999, a small-town Massachusetts teen witch coven investigates the murder of one of their own.
Nesbit hadn’t lived in North Dana for long before the North Coven adopted him as a best friend and practicing witch. He also became the boyfriend of coven member Bastion. And when Bastion is found gruesomely murdered in the spooky Stepwood Cemetery, the remaining coven members—Dove, Drea, Brandy, and Nez himself—have no choice but to try to find out what happened to him. In doing so, they discover some harsh truths about the bloody history of their town, their own powers, and the strength of their relationships to one another. With an inventive and well-characterized villain and characters who are differentiated in style, personality, and identity, this debut promises much more from both the author and the cast of characters, who could easily feature in a future series. This novel is an easy-to-read occult thriller inspired by ’90s cult classics with a likable cast of cool, queer, Wiccan goth heroes. Kölsch holistically integrates serious issues, such as grief, neurological differences, religion and faith, parental abuse, and a variety of intersectional queer identities, with a deft touch that keeps the book both eerie and light in pleasantly equal measure. Nez reads Latine, siblings Dove and Bastion are cued as having some Egyptian ancestry, Brandy is Black, and Drea seems to be white.
A rollicking and thoughtful take on the be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope. (Horror. 14-18)
