Review by Booklist Review
Don't ever leave the trail. That's what Avery's mom has always told her about the woods that surround their little town. There's a Kanyen'kehá:ka (Mohawk) legend that speaks of a pond with black water, where evil lurks, hidden somewhere within the trees. When Avery steps off the path for just a minute in search of a better place to run, she stumbles across the black water and awakens it from its sleep. As townspeople begin to go missing, the black water haunts Avery, giving her nightmares and hallucinations of rising waters and terrifying unfinished people. She has never felt completely connected with her Kanyen'kehá:ka heritage, but when Key, her best friend and secret crush, disappears, she must connect with her Indigenous community and the Elders who may know how to save the town. Eerie monsters and beautiful folklore blend together with a spot-on grumpy teenage voice in Isaacs' horror debut about buried secrets and unspoken truths.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Since her recently divorced parents can't afford it, assumed white and Mohawk teen Avery Ray is determined to attend college on a running scholarship. While traversing difficult terrain, a hypnotic voice lures her off her usual training path and deep into the forest, in which she encounters a mysterious, dreamlike landscape that features a pond of black water. Barely breaking free of the voice's lure, Avery makes her way back to safety, but the black water's malignancy lingers. When she starts hallucinating visions of the water and smoky, faceless forms begin stalking her every move, she fears that she's unleashed something sinister. Then someone close to her goes missing, forcing Avery to dive deep into the history of her Crooks Falls town and her own Mohawk identity if she hopes to break the curse of the black water. Sharp prose and humorous banter permeate this stellar debut by Isaacs, who crafts an atmospheric mystery filled with intrigue and harrowing imagery that shimmers brilliantly amid the eerie setting. Fully fleshed out secondary characters help Avery connect with her heritage while a romantic subplot seamlessly interweaves itself throughout her investigation. An author's note and Kanyen'kehá glossary conclude. Ages 13--up. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Looking Glass Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In the forest outside Crook's Falls lies an unnaturally still body of black water that hides--until it's hungry. Legends say that the pond is connected to the Ragged Man, who lurks in the shadows: "Walk with him, and you don't come back." When Avery, a Kanyen'kehá:ka (Mohawk) high school athlete with a white dad, defies warnings and ventures off the trail during a run, she discovers the deep black water that awakens endless nightmares. Sensing an eerie presence, Avery flees but can't escape the water's calls. She's never felt connected to "the culture [that's] supposed to be mine" and hesitates to seek the truth until the danger becomes undeniable as her nightmares intensify and people begin to disappear. When Key, the boy who's her best friend and romantic interest, vanishes, Avery seeks guidance from Elders and learns more about the black water and the Ragged Man. In a desperate attempt to save Key and her town, she navigates a chilling mystery, torn between following wisdom passed down by her Elders and risking everything for love. Against a haunting backdrop, debut novelist Isaacs, who is Kanyen'kehá:ka and white, skillfully portrays a young woman's struggles with the fallout of having distanced herself from her ancestors, showing how she comes to acknowledge this disconnect--grounded in avoidance of pain and discomfort--and wrestles with the resulting regret. A harrowing work that combines suspense with a coming-of-age journey of cultural exploration. (Kanyen'kéha glossary, note from Cynthia Leitich Smith)(Supernatural. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
