A Feast for the Eyes

A mysterious monster hunts teens hiding personal secrets in this harrowing horror novel by Crespo (Saint Juniper’s Folly). After the Watcher, a local Oregon cryptid, attacks secret girlfriends Shay and Lauren, Shay manages to escape unharmed while Lauren is admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Suddenly, Shay and her troublemaker BFF Jack become the prime suspects in Lauren’s assault. Hatching a plan to prove the creature’s existence—and their own innocence—the pair enlists yearbook photographer Zoe, who agrees, hoping to use the photos to spice up her college admissions portfolio. But to get the perfect pic, the trio must learn everything they can about the Watcher, including its history, its attack patterns, and its motives. Along the way, the teens form complex bonds, uncover one another’s deepest secrets, and plumb the depths of their own hidden truths. Via an omniscient POV, quippy dialogue, and whirlwind action sequences, Crespo explores the shame and terror that can come from hiding one’s true self from the world, even during a literal life-and-death situation. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Mary Moore, Aevitas Creative Management. (Oct.)