Keep together. Keep your eyes open. Keep your wits about you.
The desert is unkind in the best of times. And the decade since the Civil War has been anything but the best of times for Daisy Wilcox—call her Willie—and her family. This tense, heart-pounding alternate history about a young woman fighting to survive the unthinkable will keep fans of Westworld and The Walking Dead reading late into the night.
A horrifying sickness has spread across the West Texas desert. Infected people—shakes—attack the living, and the surviving towns are only as safe as their perimeter walls are strong. The state is all but quarantined from the rest of the country. Glory, Texas, is a near ghost town. Still, seventeen-year-old Willie has managed to keep her siblings safe, even after the sickness took their mother. But then her good-for-nothing father steals a fortune from one of the most merciless shake hunters in town, and Willie is left on the hook for his debt. With two young hunters as guides, Willie sets out across the desert to find her father. And the desert holds more dangers than just shakes.
This riveting debut novel blends True Grit with 28 Days Later for an unforgettable journey.
Emma Berquist grew up in Austin, Texas, and hiked the Concho Valley when she was young. She has worked as a speech teacher and a librarian. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and their dog. Devils Unto Dust is her first novel.
Devon Sorvari is a graduate of NYU’s Circle in the Square and The Classical Studio and has nationwide theatre credits ranging from musicals to Shakespeare. An Earphones Award winner and an Audie Award nominated voice actor, she has narrated more than fifty audiobooks. Specializing in young-adult fiction, she was raised on the East Coast but is based in Los Angeles.
There is so much to love about April’s YA books—especially because so many of them are about love, both queer and straight. Whether you prefer fantasy quests, realistic contemporary dramas, rom-coms, or historical fiction (the 1990s!), you’re certain to find the perfect spring read to make your heart pound from excitement, mystery, and feels.
This week in YA is a bonanza for fans of fairy-tale mashups, true crime retellings, and historical fantasy, especially if you like stories focused on sibling relationships and complex friendships. Contemporary realism lovers are covered as well, with dynamic duo Rachel Cohn and David Levithan releasing a fresh collaboration, and Jason Reynolds offering up a book-length […]
