School Library Journal
09/01/2021
Gr 9 Up— No one ever leaves Moon Basin, where an ongoing coal mine fire keeps raining ash on Old Town. The mine affects residents and visitors, calling them in like a demented siren and generating strange events that draw in paranormal shows. Clem, Nina, and Lisey live in New Town, built right next to Old Town. The summer of their senior year, they meet Piper and her dad, who was hired to assess the coal mine for potential collapse. They join her and her dad on a trip into the mine, against their better judgement. They find themselves haunted by strange dreams and experiences afterwards. Circumstances require them to return to the mine where they realize something has entered their psyches. They can either flee or fight it. Clem tells their story, and is open about being a lesbian. Transcripts of tapes and interviews from various ghost hunting shows are interspersed throughout and provide more history and perspective on Moon Basin, its residents, and visitors. Nina is Latinx, Piper African American, and Lisey is described as pale and waiflike. The residents are described as white and working class. The community of Moon Basin is united in its fear of the mine; they are its hostages. VERDICT A good first purchase for fans of subtly paced horror or Shirley Jackson.—Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Lib., WA
Kirkus Reviews
2021-07-27
Some have tried, but in the end, no one leaves the Basin.
Clem and her best friend, Nina, live in the haunted town of Moon Basin, known for its accidents and murders that are linked to the now-abandoned coal mine—closed after a deadly explosion. From their friendship, which began in a graveyard following Clem’s father’s funeral, to Clem’s saying she liked girls, nothing has changed between them—until now. Nina is looking at colleges, but Clem, whose financial status has plummeted since her father’s death and her surgeon mother’s life-altering injuries, can’t afford it. Besides, she fears what happens to those who try to leave town, like Nina’s missing mother. Along with their friend Lisey, the group shows new girl Piper around town. Piper’s engineer father is inspecting the mine for stability, giving the girls access to a tour that any ghost hunter would envy. Soon after, however, things turn sour, as Piper’s father starts acting strangely, and Clem is plagued with nightmares. The story builds in atmosphere with its dark and well-written imagery that invites readers into the mysterious setting. The story’s exposition is cleverly supported through transcripts of unused footage from ghost-hunting shows. Most characters defaults to White; Piper is cued as Black.
A coming-of-age story wrapped in a spooky atmosphere. (Paranormal. 14-18)
