Now, conjurers

Nesbit Nuñez, a gay, closeted teen in a small Massachusetts town in the late 1990s, is a witch. Together with his four best friends, they form North Coven, which is able to change the fate of the world and protect those the friends love. But when Bastion, the fifth member of their coven and Nez's secret boyfriend, turns up dead in the woods where they practice magic, their world is thrown into chaos and their magic seems to dissolve. Determined to avenge their friend, the rest of the coven throw themselves into investigating Bastion's death and the eerily identical murder nine years prior. But the more they uncover, the more they realize that Bastion had been struggling against something and keeping it secret, even from them, for a long time. This bloodcurdling debut horror novel full of gay goth teens, creepy rituals, and found family is an utterly original celebration of queer love and the lengths we will go to protect one another.

In November 1999, the rural town of North Dana, Mass., is rocked by the gruesome murder of beloved star quarterback Bastion Attia. Though he's devastated, fellow high school junior Nesbit Nuñez must grieve privately--Bastion was his secret boyfriend and the leader of their coven of witches. As increasingly disturbing events confirm that Bastion's death might have a supernatural cause, the North Coven, composed of queer high schoolers, convenes to investigate. Something sinister has been lurking under the town for centuries, and the coven is forced to grapple with the secrets that Bastion kept if they hope to survive its onslaught. Though narrative foreshadowing is occasionally transparent, this supernatural thriller takes characters and readers alike on an emotional roller coaster of shocking revelations, culminating in a cathartic, action-packed climax. Plentiful late-'90s cultural references and the heartwarming found family bonds of the North Coven prevent the heavy themes from feeling too grim as Kölsch spins together a web of hidden agendas, secret histories, a terrifying otherworldly antagonist, and real-world horrors of child abuse and homophobia into a dark and chilling debut. Characters are racially diverse. Ages 14--up. Agents: Martha Perotto-Wills and Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (June)

Gr 10 Up--The unthinkable has happened to Nesbit North Nuñez: the love of his life is dead. Football star and all-around nice guy Bastion Attia is discovered in the woods, half-eaten. Along with Nesbit, he is survived by his no-nonsense sister Dove, and their close friends Drea and Brandy. What everyone doesn't know is that Nesbit and his friends practice real magic with real-world effects. With the sudden and confusing loss of Bastion, Nesbit realizes that the source of their power might be not just otherworldly but potentially nefarious. By night, Nesbit dreams of a creepy carnival fairground advertising a mysterious "Mr. Nous" who grants attendees' "fares" for "fancies." Nesbit soon realizes that his evil dreams have bled into reality. Can he stop the dastardly and dangerous Mr. Nous--a terrifying, red gloved creature with too many teeth to count and a voice that can cause nosebleeds--before it's too late? Kölsch debuts with a supernatural thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Nesbit is a protagonist they will genuinely root for, and each character in his coven is given a full, well-rounded personality with their own motivations and failings. The book is paced well with a lot of forward momentum leading to a climactic showdown in the nightmare dreamscape of the carnival world. Family relationships are highlighted throughout, including Nesbit's bond with his brother in addiction recovery. While perhaps not for the faint of heart, this novel succeeds in weaving an original tale of teens facing down insurmountable odds to fight evil and avenge their fallen friend. VERDICT A first purchase for YA collections.--Ryan P. Donovan

In 1999, a small-town Massachusetts teen witch coven investigates the murder of one of their own. Nesbit hadn't lived in North Dana for long before the North Coven adopted him as a best friend and practicing witch. He also became the boyfriend of coven member Bastion. And when Bastion is found gruesomely murdered in the spooky Stepwood Cemetery, the remaining coven members--Dove, Drea, Brandy, and Nez himself--have no choice but to try to find out what happened to him. In doing so, they discover some harsh truths about the bloody history of their town, their own powers, and the strength of their relationships to one another. With an inventive and well-characterized villain and characters who are differentiated in style, personality, and identity, this debut promises much more from both the author and the cast of characters, who could easily feature in a future series. This novel is an easy-to-read occult thriller inspired by '90s cult classics with a likable cast of cool, queer, Wiccan goth heroes. Kölsch holistically integrates serious issues, such as grief, neurological differences, religion and faith, parental abuse, and a variety of intersectional queer identities, with a deft touch that keeps the book both eerie and light in pleasantly equal measure. Nez reads Latine, siblings Dove and Bastion are cued as having some Egyptian ancestry, Brandy is Black, and Drea seems to be white. A rollicking and thoughtful take on the be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope. (Horror. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.