First published 2013
The playground swings creak in the wind. A child's laughter echoes from an empty hallway. These moments should bring comfort, but in these twenty-seven tales, they signal danger. McCammon has gathered stories where innocence becomes a weapon and youth masks malevolence. Children plot against their guardians with calculated precision. Teenagers orchestrate elaborate schemes that leave adults helpless. Parents discover too late that their offspring harbor deadly intentions. The familiar spaces of home and school transform into hunting grounds where small hands wield surprising power. Each story reveals how quickly trust can turn fatal when those we protect decide to destroy us instead. The tears might be real, but the embrace that follows could be your last. These young antagonists don't seek love or guidance. They want control, and they'll kill to get it.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, horror, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: children-as-antagonists, unreliable-narrator
384 pages · Paperback · Prime Books
Content warnings: child-death, violence