Looking for some YA horror to sink your teeth into this summer? (Yes, I meant to do that.) Try this title from Kayla Cottingham that just came out in April. In this world nearly the same as ours, there is one tiny difference. A percentage of humanity became victims of the Hollowing, which transformed them into...well...basically zombies. They need to eat human flesh to survive, so scientists have invented a synthetic version that fills the need and keeps the hollow ones from eating their friends and family in a feral feeding frenzy (say that three times fast).
Fast forward two years. A group of friends are headed to the Desert Bloom music festival to celebrate their high school graduation. All four of the young women in the group also happen to be one of the hollow people. But with a cooler full of Synthflesh organs and a playlist of indie bands, they head off to have some fun before they go their separate ways with college and careers. The problem is, someone at the festival is trying to bring out the feral side of all the affected. If ordinary humans are frightened enough, what might they do?
The story alternates between the events at the festival and the backstory of each of the teens. Readers will be rooting for these hollow girls to solve the mystery and save themselves and everyone else. It is not a tale for the faint of heart. Descriptions of someone who can unhinge their "jaw like an anaconda to swallow a human heart whole" will not appeal to the squeamish - but they will probably get that message from the cover. For those who want to know exactly what they may encounter, there is a content warning page with a list of topics included in the narrative.
However, for those who would enjoy a story that has elements of World War Z and "True Blood," this is a thrill ride of a summer read.
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