When her sister returns from finishing school a total stranger, a teen seeks out the cause and discovers that the cost of becoming a perfect lady is much higher—and more sinister—than ever expected. A lush, gothic tale that will haunt readers long after they turn the last page.
Gwen Donavan adores her beautiful and rebellious older sister, Izzy. But the Izzy who returns from the Delphi School for Girls is not the sister who left. Now she is Isolde: dull and complacent and—most shocking—eager to marry.
Gwen is determined to discover what happened to Izzy at Delphi, and the only solution she can conceive of is to cheat her way into the mysterious school. If she can see for herself what they did, maybe she can get her Izzy back.
But Delphi is far from the finishing school Gwen expects. Sinister shadows lurk in the hallways of the remote estate, and she is told to never leave her room after dark. More curious, though, are the thousands of books, each with the name of a girl on its spine. They line the walls from floor to ceiling, and the students are forbidden to read them.
Delphi says they’re reforming the girls, but when Gwen discovers a note left for her by her sister, she realizes that what is happening at the school is more terrifying than she could ever have imagined. There’s something dark at the center of Delphi, and somehow it’s tied to those books—and to the girls who are sent there. And if Gwen doesn’t confront what hides in the shadows, it won’t be just Izzy who’s lost forever.
About the Author
Kristen Pipps is a PitchWars alum who lives in the New York City area with her spouse and a Maltipoo named Buffy. She has masters degrees in both Screenwriting and Management and is an avid board game player.
Praise For…
"[The] first-person-present narration enrich this feminist gothic horror, underscoring stakes, heightening suspense, and injecting heart....the twisty plot and creepy trappings command readers’ attention." —Publishers Weekly
"This is a tale of girls’ power, exploited by those who seek to control it, and of the resistance that rises in response.... A chilling, feminist debut in which friendship, love, and truth become weapons against the darkness." —Kirkus Reviews
"A highly entertaining historical take on power, agency, and responsibility." —Booklist
"Readers will be glued to the pages, trying to figure out what is going to happen next. This wonderfully dark story starts as creepy, but slowly spins itself into a horror tale with a subplot of love, both romantic and platonic." —School Library Journal
