Makani Young moves from Hawaii to Nebraska to live with her grandmother, hoping to hide a traumatic incident from her past. Her quiet life at Osborne High School shatters when a serial killer begins stalking the student body. The murderer targets classmates by exposing their deepest secrets before killing them in gruesome ways. As the body count rises and the local police fail to identify a motive, Makani and her friends struggle to survive while she navigates a budding romance with a social outcast named Ollie Larsson. They eventually realize the killer wears a lifelike mask of each victim’s own face during the attacks.
Slashing horror fans and readers of young adult suspense choose this book for its combination of traditional teen romance and unflinching graphic violence. It appeals to those who enjoy the pacing of nineties slasher films translated into contemporary prose. The reader finishes the story with a visceral understanding of how peer scrutiny and private shame impact identity. They walk away with a fast-paced mystery that provides a definitive resolution to the killer’s identity and a look into the psychological pressure of small-town social hierarchies.
- Published
- 2017
- Language
- EN
