by David Gates
First published 2016
A teenage boy ventures into the off-limits parts of Portsmouth, awakening something that should have stayed buried. The entity he releases begins hunting him, his friends, and his family with relentless fury. This creature can take any form and invades his dreams, making nowhere safe. As the boy's body changes with adolescence, he must face this shapeshifting terror that grows more savage with each encounter. The monster he created knows no mercy and will not stop until it has its revenge. Fighting for survival, the boy discovers that growing up means confronting the darkness both outside and within himself. Gates weaves local Portsmouth folklore into a tale where puberty and supernatural horror mirror each other in disturbing ways.
Genres: coming-of-age, horror, supernatural, dark-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: coming-of-age, supernatural-horror
Setting: Portsmouth
238 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: body-horror, gore, violence