Devils unto Dust

In Berquist’s blistering debut, it’s 1877, and strong-willed 17-year-old Daisy “Willie” Wilcox is struggling to support her three younger siblings in the desert town of Glory, Tex. The sickness that killed Willie’s mother has ravaged the country, creating “shakes,” the cannibalistic infected people who roam outside Glory’s protective fences. Willie’s father has run off, and when two men claim that he stole $400 from them, Willie is given a week to find and retrieve him. She reluctantly hires two shake hunters, brothers Benjamin and Curtis Garrett, to accompany her across the unforgiving desert. Willie narrates, taking readers on a harrowing journey across a searing desert filled with ghost towns and the walking dead. Exploring the bonds of loyalty, friendship, and bravery in the face of impossible odds, Berquist cleverly riffs on the work of Cormac McCarthy, blending the excitement and harsh beauty of the frontier with a straight shot of zombie terror. This wild western will delight horror and adventure fans alike. Ages 13–up. [em]Agent: Heather Flaherty, Bent Agency. (Apr.) [/em]