The wicked unseen

A queer teen investigates her crush's mysterious disappearance in this hair-raising, 1996--set horror novel by Griffis (The Empress). High schooler Audre Weaver and her family have just moved from Brooklyn to a small Pennsylvania town when she promptly falls head over heels for Elle, the daughter of a local hellfire-and-brimstone preacher. While attending one of his sermons, eager to catch sight of Elle, Audre learns of the town's all-encompassing fear of dark forces and demonic influences. After Elle vanishes under cryptic circumstances and her bloodied clothing is found in the woods, the community erupts into hysteria. Citizens immediately target Audre's secular family, whom the townspeople see as irreverent outsiders, accusing them of using Elle as a Satanic human sacrifice. Audre's author father's research into occult happenings for his forthcoming book heightens the townspeople's suspicions, resulting in her father's detainment. With the help of new friends, Audre must uncover the truth behind Elle's disappearance before whatever happened to Elle comes for Audre's family next. The antagonists sometimes read as cartoonish, sapping tension during pivotal scenes. Still, Griffis captures the reality of this 1980s and '90s cultural moment with eerie resonance, and brisk pacing paired with clever mystery elements deliver. Most characters cue as white. Ages 12--up. Agent: Paige Terlip, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)

A girl is determined to find her missing crush when the town blames the disappearance on Satanists. When Audre Weaver and her family moved from Brooklyn to a small town in Pennsylvania, she really didn't fit in--she was sent home from school the first day for violating the dress code with her purple nail polish, and she was taken aback by seeing the Ten Commandments posted in her public high school. Luckily, Audre has befriended David, a fellow outsider who moved there from Puerto Rico, and feels drawn to Elle, the daughter of a local preacher for whom her feelings might be stronger than friendship. Then Elle goes missing, and the dress she was wearing when she disappeared turns up in the woods soaked in blood at what looks like the site of a Satanic ritual. Audre's father, who is researching the occult for his book, is detained by the police in connection with Elle's disappearance. Since the police seem satisfied that they have cracked the case, Audre sets out herself to find out what really happened to Elle. Audre is a strong-willed, loyal protagonist who stands up for what she believes. Her friendship with David is warm and natural, as are her relationships with her parents. The gentle queer romance subplot enhances the well-crafted mystery in this novel that explores Satanic panic. Other than brown-skinned David, characters are White. An absorbing mystery with strong characterization. (Mystery. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.