Koja, Kathe

While not as well-known as Koja’s The Cipher, this title’s return to print will be welcomed at libraries looking to fulfill the high demand for extreme horror that spotlights depravity in order to reveal human truths, such as in the works of LaRocca, Alison Rumfitt, and CJ Leede.

Koja has written several YA novels and horror-tinged fiction (The Cipher; Skin) for adults. Here, she creates an atmospheric tale for those who like their historical fiction on the dark and lurid side. Those readers who enjoyed Emma Donoghue's Slammerkin or Sarah Water's Fingersmith will find similar themes.