Into the Sublime

Title:

Into the Sublime

Author:

Summary:

Amelie Desmarais' story begins believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a lake that Colorado locals call "The Sublime." Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk―and survive―its cavernous depths. They each had their reasons for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to her beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group’s dares. But as her account unwinds, and the girls’ personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she’s not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone's blood, but whose exactly? And where's the fourth girl? Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie's the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror-fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between? After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us. -- Amazon.

General Note:

Ages 14-18. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.

Grades 10-12. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

359 pages ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Thrillers (Fiction)

Psychological fiction.

Subject Term:

Teenage girls -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Publisher:

Henry Holt and Company,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9781250191700

Publication Information:

New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2022.

Call Number:

YA BOORMAN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003645093	Young Adult	BOORMAN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

"Gripping and breathless, Into the Sublime is equal parts terrifying, claustrophobic, psychological, and cunning." --Wendy Heard, author of She's Too Pretty to Burn and Dead End Girls

A new YA psychological thriller from Kate A. Boorman, author of What We Buried, about four teenage girls who descend into a dangerous underground cave system in search of a lake of local legend, said to reveal your deepest fears .

When the cops arrive, only a few things are clear:
- Four girls entered a dangerous cave.
- Three of them came out alive.
- Two of them were rushed to the hospital.
- And one is soaked in blood and ready to talk.

Amelie Desmarais' story begins believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a lake that Colorado locals call "The Sublime." Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk--and survive--its cavernous depths. They each had their reasons for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to her beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group's dares.

But as her account unwinds, and the girls' personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she's not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone 's blood, but whose exactly? And where's the fourth girl?

Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie's the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror-fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between?

After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us.

Author Notes

Kate A. Boorman is an award-winning writer from the Canadian prairies. She was born in Nepal, grew up in the small town of Rimbey, Alberta, and now lives in Edmonton, where she wrangles her family and schemes up travel to faraway lands. Kate has a MA in Dramatic Critical Theory and has held an odd assortment of jobs, from accordion accompanist to qualitative research associate. She is the author of What We Buried and the Winterkill trilogy.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up--A quartet of strangers who meet through an anonymous thrill-seeking club go exploring into a dark and perilous cave rumored to be haunted by an immortal murderous witch to face their deepest fears. The cast of characters includes the unreliable narrator, 17-year-old white Amelie, who is joined by H who is Korean, Devon who is white, and Gia who is Latina and just celebrated her quinceañera. As they descend into danger, the four teenage girls start to question one another's motivations for coming on the trip and whatever trust they had formed begins to deteriorate quickly. Each of the multifaceted characters has complicated reasons for their suspicious actions, all stemming from difficulty dealing with typical adolescent feelings around handling pressure and stress, seeking attention, and worrying what other people think. Heart-pounding action sequences keep the pages turning quickly and the vivid setting immerses readers inside the damp darkness believed to house paranormal monsters. The suspenseful story is told in multiple threads through flashbacks which results in secrets being uncovered through more of a slow reveal rather than a twist ending. VERDICT Fans of atmospheric and psychological survival novels will race to the end of this horrific nonlinear adventure.--Carrie Shaurette

Publisher's Weekly Review

Seventeen-year-old cued-white Amelie Desmarais and her cousin Sasha were members of Dissent, an "elite gathering of thrill seekers," until a tragic accident left Sasha in a coma. The pair had dreamed of locating the Sublime, an underground Colorado lake rumored to change "something important for those who dare to seek." To honor Sasha, Amelie recruits three ex-members of the disbanded Dissent to aid in her search for the Sublime--horror-loving Korean H, levelheaded cued-white Devon, and high-achieving Latinx-cued Gia. Though they barely know each other, and they all harbor their own hidden agendas for joining the dangerous excursion, the group enters the winding subterranean cave system where the lake is said to dwell. But at journey's end, only three girls return, two of whom are hospitalized. A blood-covered Amelie is questioned about the expedition as well as the missing girl by increasingly skeptical local Deputy Vargas. Amelie's pieced-together account expertly sows distrust in her traveling companions and their story, painting Amelie as a persuasive, if unreliable, narrator. Boorman's (What We Burned) labyrinthine prose and narrative structure, skillfully fleshed-out characters, and fast-paced plot make for a terrifying and enticing summer read. Ages 14--up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (July)