The ooze

Fifteen-year-old Bran gets stuck in an elevator during a power outage. When he emerges, he discovers the people around him have been turned into zombie-like monsters. When his mother lunges in attack, coughing a black, oozing substance at him, Bran escapes and decides to track the teeming horde of transformed creatures to the shoreline, where they seem to be entering a meteor-like black mass. It is up to Bran and three other unaffected youth to defeat the Ooze. McAdam has mastered the cliff-hanging chapter ending, creating a page-turning, terrifying, and ultimately satisfying contagion adventure in the world of high/low lit. It is an #OwnVoices story featuring a gay, trans protagonist, but that and other impressive elements of diversity are peripheral to the adrenaline-filled survival mission at hand. The resolution requires a substantial logic leap, but that's a small price to pay for the number of genuine jump scares and shiver-inducing moments throughout, and the perfect line, "What happens at the end of the world stays at the end of the world."

A suspenseful remix of SF and horror. McAdam's reluctant reader horror novel revs into action early in Chapter 1, after trans protagonist Bran takes out the recycling. At 15, Bran finds himself trapped alone in an elevator during a power outage and soon after in the center of a dramatically altered world. Suddenly, familiar people are acting strangely and violently, and the only visible clue to the problem is a fast-spreading, weird, black ooze leaking from their mouths and noses. Scared but determined to find out what's going on, Bran teams up with Mohammed, Zey, and Aisha--a trio of siblings he meets outside--and together they follow the creatures to where they have gathered. The foursome take risks as they put together the pieces of the events that led to this catastrophic change in humanity. When Bran spots Hayden, his best friend--turned-boyfriend, in danger, he becomes more motivated than ever to try to save everyone. Working together, Bran and his new friends struggle to overcome looming dangers as they try to put the world back to rights. This is a book about collaboration and trust set in a messy world where no one is safe. The chaos and violence are offset by Bran's strong development as he focuses on problem-solving rather than despair. The quick, plot-driven action keeps things moving. Bran and Hayden read as White; names indicate diversity in the supporting cast. A tightly plotted, highly appealing story with bite. (Horror. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.