Lonely places

Gr 9 Up--Chase and her family have lived a nomadic lifestyle for eight years, traveling around the country in loose association with other "skoolie" families (who live in converted school buses), ever since her grandparents died in a terrible house fire. Now, Chase and her sister Guthrie's father have decided the family should settle in Pando, a grove of thousands of genetically identical aspen trees connected by a dense underground root network. Six months ago, something happened that frightened Guthrie so badly she hasn't spoken a word since, but their parents don't seem to be as worried as Chase is, about her sister or pretty much anything. When Chase gets a job at the nearby summer camp, complete with cute new love interest and an old mystery to solve, she pays less and less attention as Guthrie slips further away from them and into the grasp of the woods and the unsettling darkness within. Gorgeous descriptive language brings Pando to life, creating for readers a nearly tangible setting that is functional to the plot. The discord created by the family's collective but unacknowledged trauma haunts them all, creating a slow-burn metaphysical horror with deep reverence for the natural world. Chase's search for belonging and permanence is resonant; strong emotions, distinctive characters, and a scientifically fascinating setting right on the line between real and imaginary are only slightly dampened by an abrupt ending. VERDICT A dark and sensory exploration of familial trauma and the effects of grief.--Allie Stevens

A teen becomes convinced that she needs to save her sister from a dark force in the woods. Seventeen-year-old Chase, her 10-year-old sister, Guthrie, and their parents have been on the road for years in their skoolie, an old school bus converted into an RV. Six months earlier, Guthrie stopped speaking after a traumatic event for which Chase blames herself. To provide some stability, their father finds work in Utah as a fire lookout. Chase gets a job at a local summer camp, makes friends, and develops an interest in lifeguard Wilder. But she can't focus on their burgeoning relationship, since her priorities are saving money to return to their hometown of Boone, North Carolina, for college. She's also trying to look after Guthrie, who's acting increasingly oddly; meanwhile, her father has become detached and moody, and her mother refuses to believe that anything is wrong with either of them. But when Guthrie goes missing, Chase and her parents must confront the deep darkness that they've been trying to outrun. The writing is lyrical, particularly the descriptions of the natural world, and though there are a few creepy moments, the supernatural elements are handled lightly, mainly providing an avenue for the family to deal with the guilt, pain, and grief they've been holding, both collectively and individually. Main characters are cued white. A beautifully written, emotionally astute story about confronting trauma, told through a spooky lens. (author's note)(Horror. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.