The Rains

The apocalypse comes from outer space in this unsettling thriller, first in a planned series. When a meteor strikes the small town of Creek’s Cause, it infects every resident over the age of 18, turning them into terrifying monsters working in service to a higher, unknown purpose. As the transformed adults hunt down their own children, taking them away in cages, some manage to resist and seek refuge in the local school, including brothers Patrick and Chance Rain, and Patrick’s girlfriend, Alex. While Chance is 15, Patrick is swiftly approaching his 18th birthday; they have to find a way to stop the alien invasion before he, too, becomes one of the enemy. In his first book for teens, Hurwitz (Orphan X) crafts a tense, disturbing tale that’s simultaneously a story driven by brotherly love and the determination to survive against impossible odds. It’s a grim affair, the fight scenes brutal and visceral, and the cliffhanger ending will have readers desperate for answers. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Oct.)