Content Warning: Racism (both macro and micro), colorism, racial bullying (especially around hair), physical and psychological child abuse, internalized racism, and respectability politics.

This just my be my favorite read of the year. Tense, heartbreaking, and terrifying. I caution readers of color, especially Black women, the racism is super realistic and could be very triggering. I’m not Black, but I was an anxious and terrified for large portions of the book because of the realism.

While this is very clearly inspired by Carrie, I would set it leagues ahead of that novel both in its depiction of bullying among young girls, especially of girls of color by white girls, and the compassion shown to the “scary magical girl.” In fact, the depictions of all these characters (as we hop between the pov’s of several characters) were so very real and affecting. This is probably the closest any book has come to my experience of high school.

Overall this is a well crafted and brilliantly executed horror novel, with a dash of romantic subplot, that leaves you both heartbroken and hopeful. I need more like this one.

Highly recommend.