When We Were Monsters

A group of promising young writers are plagued by death, mystery, and shocking personal revelations in this satisfying psychological thriller by Niven (Breathless). For eight lucky high schoolers—including the novel’s primary protagonists Effy and Arlo—attending an intense three-week writers’ workshop led by enigmatic, controversial author Meredith Graffam at a remote New England manor seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Even more coveted than learning the art of the trade from Graffam, though, is the opportunity to win $15,000 and obtain life-changing connections with professional creatives for their future careers. Though Graffam claims that the goal of the workshop is to refine her pupils’ craft, she begins demanding impossible things of them, such as leaping from dangerous heights, placing them into increasingly perilous scenarios, and using fear to thin the herd (“You cannot be afraid and write. Because if you’re afraid, the writing will be dishonest”). Each student must decide if a shot at fame and fortune is worth rising to Graffam’s horrifying—perhaps even deadly—challenges. A moody prologue immediately establishes stakes and tension, which Niven deftly builds upon through each subsequent and tautly paced chapter. While development of most members of the large white-cued cast is somewhat thin, Effy and Arlo’s complex alternating POVs stimulate readers’ engagement as the novel spirals toward a chilling resolution. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (Sept.)