{"product_id":"small-town-monsters-isbn-9780593427514","title":"Small Town Monsters","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring\u003c\/i\u003e meets \u003ci\u003eThe Vow\u003c\/i\u003e! This is the terrifying story of a girl, a dark angel, and the cult hellbent on taking over her small, coastal town. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Vera Martinez wants nothing more than to escape Roaring Creek and her parents' reputation as demonologists. Not to mention she's the family outcast, lacking her parents' innate abilities, and is terrified of the occult things lurking in their basement. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Maxwell Oliver is supposed to be enjoying the summer before his senior year, spending his days thinking about parties and friends. Instead he's taking care of his little sister while his mom slowly becomes someone he doesn't recognize. Soon he suspects that what he thought was grief over his father's death might be something more...sinister. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When Maxwell and Vera join forces, they come face to face with deeply disturbing true stories of cults, death worship, and the very nature that drives people to evil.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"With death cults, possession, exorcism, and demons, \u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e is like all of my favorite horror movies rolled up into one unputdownable book!\"—Gretchen McNeil, author of \u003ci\u003eTen\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003e#murdertrending\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e 13 \u003cb\u003eScariest Books of 2021\u003c\/b\u003e pick! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cb\u003ePage-turner\u003c\/b\u003e.\"—\u003ci\u003eBustle\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \"An \u003cb\u003eeerie thriller\u003c\/b\u003e emphasizing the \u003cb\u003epower of inner strength.\u003c\/b\u003e\"—\u003ci\u003eKirkus \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Filled with \u003cb\u003egreat storytelling\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003esurprises\u003c\/b\u003e, this book \u003cb\u003ewill grab readers from page one\u003c\/b\u003e.\"—\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"...a taste of \u003ci\u003eThe Exorcist\u003c\/i\u003e condensed into \u003cb\u003ea bite-size morsel\u003c\/b\u003e.\"—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “With \u003cb\u003erazor sharp pacing\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ehair-raising chills\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003ewell-drawn characters\u003c\/b\u003e to root for, \u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e does for YA horror what \u003ci\u003eStranger Things\u003c\/i\u003e did for Netflix.”—Laura Taylor Namey, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003eWell-paced\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003etruly terrifying\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e is a \u003cb\u003enightmarish world\u003c\/b\u003e filled with demons, cults, and awkward first glances—a \u003cb\u003eperfect horror recipe\u003c\/b\u003e.”—Suzanne Young, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of The Program series. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Rodriguez Wallach knows how to tell a \u003cb\u003esuspenseful\u003c\/b\u003e story and \u003cb\u003edoesn’t pull any punches\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e combines the \u003cb\u003ehorror\u003c\/b\u003e of \u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring\u003c\/i\u003e with the \u003cb\u003eheart\u003c\/b\u003e of \u003ci\u003eStranger Things\u003c\/i\u003e.”—Andrew Shaffer, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSecret Santa: A Horror for the Holidays Novel\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“\u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ehas a \u003cb\u003erich mythology\u003c\/b\u003e, and it’s populated by \u003cb\u003ememorable characters\u003c\/b\u003e.”\u003ci\u003e—The Big Chill \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Rodriguez Wallach \u003cb\u003ehits her stride\u003c\/b\u003e with a new YA novel about the nature of evil.\"\u003ci\u003e—Suburban Life \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Incredibly \u003cb\u003eaddicting\u003c\/b\u003e.\"—\u003ci\u003eLatinx in Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"...one \u003cb\u003eincredibly entertaining\u003c\/b\u003e horror experience.\"—\u003ci\u003eMystery \u0026amp; Suspense Magazine\u003c\/i\u003eDiana Rodriguez Wallach is the multi-published author of seven YA novels, including the Anastasia Phoenix Series, the Amor and Summer Secrets series, and \u003ci\u003eSmall Town Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e. She is a Creative Writing Instructor for Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth, and she has been published in several anthologies.\u003cp\u003eChapter One\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVera\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA darkness surged through Roaring Creek, casting a shadow upon its modest homes and oozing onto Vera Martinez’s hands—­and it all began, at least for her, the day that Maxwell Oliver’s pale brown eyes turned her way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe was staring.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVera flipped a fistful of curls in front of her face and pretended not to notice. This was an unfamiliar situation. Boys never looked at Vera, and certainly not like this.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe opened an eight-­hundred-­page novel, reduced to the five-­inch screen on her phone, and pretended to read. Discreetly, she scratched her scalp with a nail chipped of black polish and let her gaze slip between her wavy strands. Yup, he was still looking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“All right, class!” Ms. Spuhler cleared her throat to begin their last day of eleventh-­grade English. “Settle down.” The teacher grabbed the TV remote, the only tool necessary on the final day of classes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRoaring Creek High School had the feel of an iPhone powering down one app at a time. Science teachers cleaned lab equipment, jocks threw out ratty sneakers, and theater kids sobbed over the end of another magical season. Vera, however, was the app that no one clicked. She was “Keynotes” or “Numbers,” an icon you couldn’t delete due to manufacturer settings, but was rarely engaged.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo why was Maxwell Oliver suddenly taking notice?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“We’ll be picking up \u003ci\u003eJane Eyre\u003c\/i\u003e right where we left off,” said Ms. Spuhler. So far today, Vera had watched \u003ci\u003eSaving ­Private Ryan\u003c\/i\u003e in AP History; \u003ci\u003eHidden Figures\u003c\/i\u003e in pre­calculus; and now \u003ci\u003eJane Eyre\u003c\/i\u003e in Advanced English.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHe’s not looking at me,\u003c\/i\u003e she reasoned. Then, because she had to prove herself right, Vera glanced at the window behind her, expecting to see a flying squirrel or mating robins drawing Maxwell’s attention. But there was nothing. Not even a breeze.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer brow furrowed. Vera and Maxwell had never spoken, not directly, or at least if they had, she couldn’t remember it. They’d never been partners on a project or run into each other at the beach. To say they moved in different social circles would imply that Vera had a circle, which she didn’t. Unless you counted her family, and that was just sad. Vera preferred to be thought of as sans-­circle. The loner. The outcast. The . . . well, all the other names that people called her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer parents had \u003ci\u003eunconventional\u003c\/i\u003e careers, the kinds that caused dog walkers to cross the street when they passed the Martinez home and mothers to refuse to let their children go over for playdates. Vera had long since accepted this, because what other choice did she have? Hating her reality would mean hating her mom and dad, and she refused to go there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaxwell Oliver, on the other hand, was an athlete, an honest-­to-­goodness \u003ci\u003eI competed in the Junior Olympics\u003c\/i\u003e sprinter. He was beloved. Janitors high-­fived him in the hallway, and girls, if given the option, would line up in formal wear for a chance to accept his thornless rose.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVera was different, for a slew of reasons that added up to her not being the type who’d catch Maxwell Oliver’s eye. Yet he was \u003ci\u003estaring,\u003c\/i\u003e almost like he had something to say. It made no sense. Every cell in her brain screamed \u003ci\u003eDon’t fall for it, it’s a trick!\u003c\/i\u003e But still her stomach twisted with the toxic taste of hope. A shoved-­down piece of her soul longed for someone to look at her and see something other than the five-­year-­old everyone avoided on the playground.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVera tucked a thick lock of hair behind her ear and gnawed on her lip. She was under no obligation to pretend she didn’t notice. \u003ci\u003eHe\u003c\/i\u003e was staring at \u003ci\u003eher.\u003c\/i\u003e So technically \u003ci\u003ehe\u003c\/i\u003e should be embarrassed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe steadied herself, preparing to meet his gaze head-­on. What was the worst that could happen? After today, she wouldn’t see Maxwell again until the start of senior year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVera inhaled, summoning all her courage from down deep, when Jackson Johnson stumbled into the classroom. He tripped in a walloping belly flop onto the linoleum floor, and the room erupted into laughter. Jackson immediately bounced up, milking the crowd with his arms spread in a victorious V. “We’re almost out of heeeere!” he shouted.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eApplause broke out, everyone whooping and giggling as he danced about as if in a training montage. Even Vera chuckled as she stole another peek at Maxwell. His gaze still lingered, lips parted, and he was prepared to mouth something. Then both his friends abruptly turned her way. They whispered, chuckled, clearly talking about her. Vera’s cheeks flushed, and she let her eyes flit about the room until the heat in her face subsided. When she glanced back, Maxwell’s focus hadn’t shifted. Only, before he could speak, Jackson snatched a notebook and smacked Maxwell on the top of his head. Ms. Spuhler dimmed the classroom lights.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd the moment was shattered.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut it \u003ci\u003ehad been\u003c\/i\u003e a moment. Vera was certain of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe just didn’t know what it meant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe would soon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe darkness hanging over Roaring Creek was inching closer to Vera Martinez.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd it all began with a single look.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChapter Two\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Oh my God! You are so dumb!” yelled Leo Rambutan, thrusting his hands in frustration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Why the hell would I know where Indonesia is?” Jackson scrunched his eyes. “It’s an island. I thought it was in the Caribbean.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s \u003ci\u003ethousands\u003c\/i\u003e of islands, and because I’ve been your friend since preschool!” Leo slammed the door to his empty locker.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax Oliver watched as his best friends bickered, shoving one another, but didn’t intercede, because (1) Jackson was that clueless, and (2) Max hadn’t slept more than a couple hours a night for the past two weeks and he didn’t have the energy to referee. His brain throbbed behind his eyes, and it took all his effort to fake some end-­of-­year enthusiasm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Max, please tell me you know my dad’s Indonesian.” Leo slapped his back as they trudged toward English. Only two hours left before the final bell.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax debated staying home. It was a blow-­off day, movie after movie after movie. He tried to get some sleep when the teachers dimmed the lights, but his classmates kept interrupting with invites to parties and flyers for bonfires. \u003ci\u003eMan,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eI sound pathetic.\u003c\/i\u003e It was the last day of eleventh grade, which meant it was almost the first day of senior year. He and his friends had been looking forward to this moment since they first stepped into the building, and now he was whining about going to parties? Nothing felt right anymore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, your father was born in Indonesia,” Max said. “Which is somewhere in Southeast Asia. And your mom is, like, Polish?” It sounded like a question.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Czech, but close enough.” Leo nodded.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Max got \u003ci\u003ethat\u003c\/i\u003e wrong,” Jackson huffed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Poland and the Czech Republic are right next to each other.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Why would I know that?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Because one day, believe it or not”—­Max wrapped an arm around his friend’s broad shoulders—­“you might actually leave Connecticut.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Says the guy who’s taking over his dad’s business,” Jackson quipped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax shut his mouth. \u003ci\u003eTouché.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis family owned Oliver Seafood, one of the town’s only restaurants on the waterfront. Max grew up waddling around picnic tables full of lobsters in plastic tubs, while his dad worked the kitchen and his mom kept the books.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen, just like it had for many people in Roaring Creek on that same hideous, unforgettable day, his world changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sorry, man, didn’t mean to bring it up.” Jackson caught the change in Max’s face, or the laser stare from Leo; either way, he shifted to pity mode. It always came back to the dead dad.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Underlined","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302230970597,"sku":"NP9780593427514","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593427514.jpg?v=1767736792","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/small-town-monsters-isbn-9780593427514","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}