by Tahereh Mafi
First published 2017
Laylee, 13, toils endlessly in her family's mortuary, washing and packaging corpses for the Otherwhere. Shunned by her village, she finds solace only in her work - until two strangers, Alice and Oliver, arrive determined to help. As Laylee is drawn into their quest, she must confront the darkness of her own past and the dangerous magic that lurks within Whichwood. But can she trust these newcomers, or will their meddling only bring more death and destruction?
Genres: coming-of-age, fantasy, young-adult, dark-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, outsider-protagonist
384 pages · Paperback · Speak
Content warnings: death