• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12

Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity in this compelling ghost story about a former dancer whose grip on reality slips when she begins to think a dark entity is stalking her.

Something is wrong with Marianne.

It's not just that her parents have finally split up. Or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital.

She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. Something is after her. And the only one who seems to believe her is the daughter of a local psychic.

But their first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. Whatever is haunting her, it wants everything she has—everything it's convinced she stole. Marianne must uncover the truth that lies beneath it all before the nightmare can take what it thinks it's owed, leaving Marianne trapped in the darkness of the other side.

Amelinda Bérubé's profile page

Amelinda Bérubé has been a writer and editor with a small department in the Canadian public service. She holds a bachelor of humanities from Carleton University and a master of arts from McGill. Amelinda is also the author of The Dark Beneath the Ice and Here There Are Monsters. Visit amelindaberube.com.

"The book’s haunting, waterlogged atmosphere and Marianne’s psychological turmoil will build an effective and growing sense of dread in readers...hand this novel to those who enjoy spooky, psychological books with strong themes of self-discovery." — School Library Journal

"Fun frights and a well-constructed haunting...it's Black Swan meets Carrie." — Kirkus Reviews

"The vivid descriptions make the tension real. Fans of thrillers will enjoy Marianne’s struggles." — School Library Connection

Mara Dyer x The Wicked Deep

by K.A. Wiggins

This awesome debut blends the best of paranormal and psychological horror for a fresh contemporary horror read.

Full disclosure: I received an unsolicited paperback ARC.

I don't know what's in the water right now, but the Canadian horror mojo is strong with this year's debuts, and Amelinda Bérubé's flawless The Dark Beneath the Ice is no exception. I loved the character detail and how drama with family and friends and the childhood and parental goals crumbling under the pressure of nearing adulthood all fed into a really well-fleshed out main character and story world. Bonus points: it's set in Canada (Ottawa).

The MC trained as a fairly competitive ballet dancer, but no longer dances by the start of this story. Finding out why is one source of mystery. I don't care one way or another about ballet, so it was interesting how much the author made of this detail and how interesting it ended up being. Definitely some telling details to watch out for!

The other big mystery is a haunting that starts out slow and requires some sleuthing on the part of the MC and her newfound goth-girl friend. Good progression from eerie nightmares to full-on traumatic haunting, with nice touches of how realistic encounters with paranormal stuff like psychics and readings might happen in an essentially non-magical world.

So I don't think it makes it into most blurbs, but there is a f/f romance subplot. It's fairly slow-burn, and possibly bi? I'm kind of ambivalent on romance subplots personally, but I know it's a genre convention in lots of YA so heads-up; it's there if you want it, and if you don't, it's not overdone at all. Would love to see more stories about the power of nonromantic love, friendship, family, character etc. helping to overcome monsters, but that's neither here nor there; Bérubé does a great job keeping the story balanced and on trend.

This is a great read as we head into fall and Halloween. Hauntings, drownings, and possible madness, what's not to enjoy? Good for fans of the Mara Dyer series, Anna Dressed in Blood, and The Wicked Deep. Definitely grab a copy!