Hurt

Thrasher (Ghostwriter) knows how to scare in the conclusion to the four-part Solitary Tales, set in Solitary, N.C., where teenage Chris Buckley and his mother, Tara, have moved after she and Chris’s father divorced. Solitary is Tara’s hometown, and it’s also home to some buried family history and creepy characters. Chris slowly puts together that history and sees just what kind of demonic forces he is up against. A girlfriend adds complexity and hormonal electricity; eccentric minor characters provide comic relief and a change of pace. It doesn’t all add up (a few of the adult characters require more than the usual suspension of disbelief already operating in tales of horror), and it’s too indulgently long. But Thrasher’s dialogue crackles, his suspense grabs readers, and his portrayal of teen angst is persuasive. He deserves wider recognition. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)