Description

A queer paranormal horror novel in the style of showrunner Mike Flannagan, showing the complex real-life terror inherent in grief and mental illness After the tragic death of their father and surviving a life-threatening eating disorder, 18-year-old Ellis moves with their mother to the small town of Black Stone, seeking a simpler life and some space to recover. But Black Stone feels off; it s a disquieting place surrounded by towns with some of the highest death rates in the country. It doesn t help that everyone says Ellis s new house is haunted — everyone including Quinn, a local girl who has quickly captured Ellis s attention. And Ellis has started to believe what people are saying: they see pulsing veins in their bedroom walls and specters in dark corners of the cellar. Together, Ellis and Quinn dig deep into Black Stone s past and soon discover that their town, and Ellis s house in particular, is the battleground in a decades-long spectral war, one that will claim their family — and the town — if it s allowed to continue. Withered is queer psychological horror, a compelling tale of heartache, loss, and revenge that tackles important issues of mental health in the way that only horror can: by delving deep into them, cracking them open, and exposing their gruesome entrails.