You've goth my heart

Rosen combines frothy romance with a missing-teen mystery in this uneven but introspective offering. The summer before his junior year in Sleepy Hollow, Gray answers a text from an unknown number and quickly builds a rapport with the anonymous correspondent, who claims to be a gay teen dreading his family's move to a small town. Gray's goth friends worry he's being catfished, especially as an increasing number of queer boys in the area have gone missing, but Gray suspects the texter of being his closeted ex-boyfriend Steve trying to win Gray back. When Gray rebuffs transfer student Malcolm's overtures of friendship, Malcolm--who performs online in drag under the name Amanda Lash--seeks to assert himself by winning Sleepy Hollow's upcoming Halloween decorating contest, which Gray and his friends have won multiple times. Having developed romantic feelings for each other, Gray and his unknown suitor plan to communicate face-to-face on Halloween; meanwhile, Gray contends with increasingly hot and cold dynamics with Malcolm and Steve. The missing teens subplot falls somewhat flat across a heartening interpretation of believable characters grappling with insecurity and messy relationships. The protagonists read as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: Joy Tutela, David Black Literary. (Sept.)

Gr 10 Up--Sixteen-year-old Goth Gray lives in Sleepy Hollow, NY, where he and his eldergoth moms practice self-defined paganism and run a Goth-friendly shop. One night a wrong-number text turns into a text-friendship--maybe more?--with another Goth. Gray longs for a boyfriend, since he broke up with a closeted boy who wouldn't acknowledge him in public. Gray's besties think new student Malcolm, a Goth drag queen, might work, but Gray disagrees. He finds the former New Yorker rude, snobby, and disparaging of the suburbs. Even worse, Malcolm declares he will win the town's Halloween decorating contest, which Gray and his friends always win. Even if his Gray's text-boyfriend may be a serial killer, Gray much prefers him, and they plan to meet on Halloween. Fans of the Goth aesthetic will love the extensive clothing, makeup, and decor descriptions; pop-culture connections; pagan ceremonies; graveyard festivals; and more. Fans of both the friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers tropes will appreciate Gray and Malcolm's blossoming relationship. On the cautionary side, Gray's fierce, creative, protective friends offer strong messages about staying safe online, and his loving mothers give good advice that Gray actually follows. Mixing extensive text threads with prose, the well-structured plot moves quickly and is relatively low on angst. Instances of sexting, sending semi-nudes, and overt sexual references are consistent with the characters' ages. Gray and Malcolm are cued white. Gray's friends are Black and of Latinx/Irish descent. VERDICT A sweet and spicy gay Goth romance.--Rebecca Moore

Nothing is scarier for a gay goth teen than an unexpected romance. When Gray receives a text from an unknown number, he quickly bonds with the anonymous person over music. They text throughout the summer, opening up about everything except their true identities. Gray wonders if the exchange may be a ploy from his closeted ex to win him back--or could the texter be the serial killer who's connected to the missing local gay teens? As their correspondence grows increasingly flirtatious, the boys decide to reveal themselves over FaceTime on Halloween. Gray and his pagan, "eldergoth" moms have a winning streak in the local Halloween house-decorating contest; Gray plans to take this year to the next level and impress his secret paramour. He's got competition, though, from new classmate Malcolm, a cute but condescending goth, who's famous online for his drag persona, Amanda Lash. Rosen deftly weaves romance, a touch of spookiness, and morbid humor into a story that's filled with heart and hope but acknowledges the challenges of being different from society's norms. Fun fashion details, the cozy autumnal setting, and a delightful group of talented friends add to the charm and appeal. The missing teens subplot adds a dash of danger and intrigue, although Gray is mostly confident in his non-serial killer explanation for what's going on. The leads present white (Malcolm's family is "Jewish but barely"), and there's some racial diversity in the supporting cast. An enticing mashup of dark humor and light romance.(Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.