To break a covenant

Title:

To break a covenant

Author:

Summary:

Moon Basin has been haunted for as long as anyone can remember. It started when an explosion in the mine killed sixteen people. The disaster made it impossible to live in town, with underground fires spewing ash into the sky. But life in New Basin is just as fraught. The ex-mining town relies on its haunted reputation to bring in tourists, but there’s more truth to the rumors than most are willing to admit, and the mine still has a hold on everyone who lives there. Clem and Nina form a perfect loop―best friends forever, and perhaps something more. Their circle opens up for a strange girl named Lisey with a knack for training crows, and Piper, whose father is fascinated with the mine in a way that’s anything but ordinary. The people of New Basin start experiencing strange phenomena―sleepwalking, night terrors, voices that only they can hear. And no matter how many vans of ghost hunters roll through, nobody can get to the bottom of what’s really going on. Which is why the girls decide to enter the mine themselves. -- Amazon.

Physical Description:

vii, 312 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Paranormal fiction.

Subject Term:

Lesbian youth -- Fiction.

Female friendship -- Fiction.

First loves -- Fiction.

Spirit possession -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Page Street Publishing Co.,

Publication Date:

2021

ISBN:

9781645672067

Publication Information:

Salem, MA : Page Street Publishing Co., 2021.

Award Note:

Colorado Book Award finalist, 2022.

Call Number:

YA AMES

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003633198	Young Adult	AMES	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Debut voice Alison Ames delivers with a chilling, feminist thriller, perfect for fans of Wilder Girls and Sawkill Girls.Moon Basin has been haunted for as long as anyone can remember. It started when an explosion in the mine killed sixteen people. The disaster made it impossible to live in town, with underground fires spewing ash into the sky. But life in New Basin is just as fraught. The ex-mining town relies on its haunted reputation to bring in tourists, but there's more truth to the rumors than most are willing to admit, and the mine still has a hold on everyone who lives there. Clem and Nina form a perfect loop--best friends forever, and perhaps something more. Their circle opens up for a strange girl named Lisey with a knack for training crows, and Piper, whose father is fascinated with the mine in a way that's anything but ordinary. The people of New Basin start experiencing strange phenomena--sleepwalking, night terrors, voices that only they can hear. And no matter how many vans of ghost hunters roll through, nobody can get to the bottom of what's really going on. Which is why the girls decide to enter the mine themselves.

Author Notes

Alison Ames lives in Colorado with a lot of animals and her almost-wife. She loves birds, comics, and the rule of three. TO BREAK A COVENANT is her debut novel. Find her on social media @2furiosa, and if you know (or are) Harry Styles she insists you do so.

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-- No one ever leaves Moon Basin, where an ongoing coal mine fire keeps raining ash on Old Town. The mine affects residents and visitors, calling them in like a demented siren and generating strange events that draw in paranormal shows. Clem, Nina, and Lisey live in New Town, built right next to Old Town. The summer of their senior year, they meet Piper and her dad, who was hired to assess the coal mine for potential collapse. They join her and her dad on a trip into the mine, against their better judgement. They find themselves haunted by strange dreams and experiences afterwards. Circumstances require them to return to the mine where they realize something has entered their psyches. They can either flee or fight it. Clem tells their story, and is open about being a lesbian. Transcripts of tapes and interviews from various ghost hunting shows are interspersed throughout and provide more history and perspective on Moon Basin, its residents, and visitors. Nina is Latinx, Piper African American, and Lisey is described as pale and waiflike. The residents are described as white and working class. The community of Moon Basin is united in its fear of the mine; they are its hostages. VERDICT A good first purchase for fans of subtly paced horror or Shirley Jackson.--Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Lib., WA