"This is a gritty and refreshing queer YA novel whose characters and plot I really enjoyed. None of the twists you really see coming, and the mystery keeps you on your toes to the last page. I would highly recommend a read!" -Jasmin Joachims, author of The Flying Kite
"Engaging, entertaining, but also quite tragic and harrowing at times, and some excellent LGBTQIA+ representation throughout as well as a clear and focused look at specific LGBTQIA+ issues, considering both the present and the past versions of these struggles. Well worth the read." -Oskar Leonard, author of Everything Under The Rainbow
Seventeen-year-old Ilya Burkhart had no choice being born queer and, unfortunately, no choice being born and raised in rural, conservative Anthem, Tennessee. He finds solace within his tight-knit queer community, but when Ilya's best friend returns from Revival Church Camp acting distant and the community reels from the sudden and mysterious death of a classmate, a decades-long conspiracy begins to unravel.
Caught between keeping the peace for himself and his mother and standing up for what's right, Ilya must make a choice. But as suspicion of Revival rises and fingers get pointed at the local pastor, Ilya and his friends will learn that when you walk deep into the forest to uncover the truth, unwanted prying eyes may follow you from the shadows.
In this pulse-pounding and socially relevant young adult mystery, Ilya and his friends are propelled through a journey of conspiracy, corruption, and bigotry, where the line between ally and adversary blurs, and the price of unmasking the truth may cost them everything.