This Is Not a Ghost Story

In need of a job the summer before her first year at Bryn Mawr, 17-year-old Nebraskan Daffodil Turner is offered a position housesitting in Scarlett Mills, Pa. Despite the homeowner’s insistence that the “rumors” are not true, Daffodil starts to experience strange occurrences—items moving on their own, animals scratching to get inside—and odd behaviors from nosy neighbor Penelope and construction worker Mike, who is overseeing a crew building something mysterious behind the house. Determined to make it through her solo summer by binge-watching alien and conspiracy theory shows, Daffodil battles growing anxiety and suicidal thoughts as reality collides with her hazy nightmares. Flashbacks of Daffodil’s life before graduation, including memories of first love Zander Haaf, and numerous hints at a moment Daffodil refuses to acknowledge may lead some readers to guess the final revelation. Portes (Anatomy of a Misfit) breaks the fourth wall in Daffodil’s first-person, stream-of-consciousness interior monologue, tempering gruesome scenes with Daffodil’s likable and chatty personality, and creating a memorable novel reminiscent of John Bellairs stories. Ages 13–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Nov.)■