Shallow Graves

In Wallace’s gritty paranormal debut, 17-year-old Breezy wakes up in a shallow grave a year after she was murdered and buried, with no memory of what happened. She soon discovers that she can sense when someone has killed—and mete out dark justice of her own—but she doesn’t want this power; all she wants is her life back. As Breezy navigates her unlife, she meets fellow “monsters” of various stripes and a creepy cult leader, Pastor Willow, who claims he can “fix” them by excising the darkness within. Writing in Breezy’s pragmatic and engaging voice, Wallace weaves an unsettling tale that explores Breezy’s strange existence, while also thoughtfully examining a life cut short and Breezy’s longings for what could have been. Breezy’s clinical approach to her new state of being is darkly humorous (she makes a list of all the ways she tries to kill herself, once and for all), but her struggle to reconcile what she has become with the human she used to be forms the heart of this bittersweet story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta, Wolf Literary Services. (Jan.)