They Bloom at Night

by Trang Thanh Tran

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Trang Thanh Tran crafts a harrowing story about a teen searching for a future where she can finally be free . . .

A red algae bloom has taken over Mercy, Louisiana, ever since a hurricane devastated the town. Mutated wildlife lurks in the water that rises by the day, but Mercy has always been a place where monsters walk in plain sight. Especially at its heart: the Cove, where Noon's life was upended long before the storm at a party her older boyfriend insisted on.

Now, Noon is stuck navigating the submerged town with her mom, who believes their dead family has reincarnated as sea creatures. Alone with the pain of what happened that night at the cove, Noon buries the truth: she is not the right shape.

When Mercy's predatory leader demands Noon and her mom capture the creature drowning residents, she reluctantly finds an ally in his deadly hunter of a daughter and friends old and new. As the next storm approaches, Noon must confront the past and decide if it's time to answer the monster itching at her skin.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547611119
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	03/04/2025
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	46,022
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Trang Thanh Tran is the author of She Is a Haunting, a William C. Morris Debut Award finalist and an instant New York Times bestseller. They write speculative stories with big emotions about food, belonging and the Vietnamese diaspora. They grew up in a big family in Philadelphia, then abandoned degrees in sociology and public health to tell stories in Georgia. When not writing, they can be found over-caffeinating on iced coffee and watching zombie movies. Connect with them on Twitter @nvtran or their website www.trangthanhtran.com.

Editorial Reviews

A literary tour-de-force that should go down in history as a masterclass in atmospheric and terrifying writing.” —Kosoko Jackson, USATODAY bestselling author of THE FOREST DEMANDS ITS DUE

“A briny, rotting ode to the things we must become to survive and the things we yearn to become when the surviving is over. In elegant, atmospheric prose, Trang Thanh Tran peels back layers of salty skin and sea foam to expose the truth: even when we are wrong, even when we are monstrous, we are whole.” —Courtney Gould, award-winning author of THE DEAD AND THE DARK

“Gorgeous, gruesome, and fiercely cathartic, They Bloom at Night is body horror with a beating heart.” —Rebecca Mahoney, author of THE VALLEY AND THE FLOOD and THE MEMORY EATER

“A riveting debut from a remarkable new voice! Trang Thanh Tran weaves an impressive gothic mystery in which Jade's father is determined to restore a decrepit home to its former glory and Jade is the only person who feels the soul-crushing devastation of colonialism lingering within its walls.” —Angeline Boulley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER, on SHE IS A HAUNTING

“She Is a Haunting is exactly the kind of book I love—gorgeous prose, a deliciously terrifying atmosphere, incisive thematic resonance, and a gloriously complex heroine. Jade is an unforgettable character, all tender longings and sharp edges, and readers everywhere will root for her just as hard as I did. Put it on your shelf next to Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill House. An incredible, riveting debut.” —Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of FURYBORN and SAWKILL GIRLS, on SHE IS A HAUNTING

“This exquisitely disturbing tale of identity and colonialism and intergenerational trauma will eat its way under your skin and live there forever. Read this one with the lights on. I'm ready to be haunted by whatever Trang Thanh Tran writes next.” —Emily X.R. Pan, New York Times bestselling author, on SHE IS A HAUNTING

“She Is a Haunting is a beguiling feast of a book that drew me in immediately with its exquisitely unsettling atmosphere, vivid prose, and creeping horrors—both supernatural and all too human.” —Kate Alice Marshall, author of I AM STILL ALIVE and RULES FOR VANISHING, on SHE IS A HAUNTING

“Electric and unsettling with a deliciously rich theme readers will sink their teeth into, She Is a Haunting is my absolute favorite new entry in the gothic genre. Layers of identity, fright, and heartfelt romance are tenderly laid one over the other, creating a richly complex story that questions the very nature of a haunting. Trang Thanh Tran is a force to be reckoned with.” —Courtney Gould, award-winning author of THE DEAD AND THE DARK, on SHE IS A HAUNTING

“A satisfying blend of traditional horror with modern themes and concerns. Both the ghosts and the humans in this richly layered work are alluring and deadly.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on SHE IS A HAUNTING

From the Publisher