The Afterdark

 Latimer, E. The Afterdark. 2025. 400p. ISBN 9781774882245.

The summer before her senior year, Evie Laurent witnesses the drowning of her twin sister, Ada. Though a part of her is now missing, Evie is not really all that sad. All of their lives, Ada has been trying to punish Evie, which even escalated to half-hearted attempts on her life, like the time Ada tried to shove Evie off a cliff during a hike. Evie's mother, a Supreme Court judge, has always been distant, and she decides to send her daughter to live with her father, the principal of Northcroft, an elite boarding school located on an island in Washington State, the school her sister Ada was attending before she died.

Arriving at Northcroft, Evie is immediately ignored by her father, who refuses to welcome her or even to accept an appointment with her. She meets Holland Morgan, former child star of the Wizards television series, and she finds herself attracted to Holland's magnetic personality, sparking an intense desire to learn everything about her. At the same time, Evie is hiding her own dark secrets, including the guilt she carries for her sister's drowning and the growing strength of her own troubling impulses that make her want to hurt others.

Holland Morgan, no stranger to making questionable choices, finds herself drawn to Evie despite knowing it's a dangerous path. As their attraction deepens into obsession, they become entangled in a dangerous game, both feeling a pull towards the darkness that permeates Northcroft. Soon, Evie discovers Northcroft's secret. The school serves as a gate to the Afterdark. Each night, as the school is locked down, the surrounding forest transforms into a nightmarish reflection of itself, a place crawling with unseen horrors. Evie and Holland must now confront a critical choice: fight the seductive call of the shadows and protect each other, or succumb to the darkness and embrace its destructive power that comes with choosing Northcroft!

Fans of paranormal novels will enjoy this creepy story with two strong female characters and a cast of denizens drawing power and corruption from the gate to the Afterdark.