And the Trees Stare Back

Many go into the forest. Only one comes back. n1989, Soviet Estonia. In sixteen-year-old Vik's village--and the cursed forest that looms beyond--danger is everywhere. Soldiers threaten those who so much as dream of dissent. The villagers' words are sharp with accusations of witchcraft. And deep in the heart of the wood, a lantern-eyed spirit lies in wait to disappear those who wander too far past the trees. n nVik knows because five years ago, she led her little sister Anna over that invisible line--and never saw her again. n nThe only thing Vik has wished for since then is her sister's safe return. So when Anna stumbles back through the tree line on the anniversary of her disappearance, it's a miracle... n nOr is it a lie? n nAs unsettling inconsistencies between this girl and the one who vanished reveal themselves, Vik starts to doubt whether this Anna is her Anna--or something else entirely. Whoever she is, one thing is clear: she was never meant to escape the trees. n nAnd unless Vik can uncover the secrets of the forest, it's going to take her back. n nRooted in real history with a speculative twist, the horrors of And The Trees Stare Back are the ones we already know: existing as a marginalized person under a hostile state. Raising powerful questions about whose humanity counts and how to survive if the governing body decides yours doesn't, this politically incisive folk-horror irresistibly explores ever-relevant legacies of activism and solidarity. n nA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selectionn