A YA unbury-your-gays horror in which an undead teen must find the boy he loves before he loses his mind and body.

 

Five years ago, a parasite poisoned the water of Ian’s West Virginia hometown, turning dozens of locals into dark-eyed, oil-dripping shells of their former selves. With chronic migraines and seizures limiting his physical abilities, Ian relies on his best friend and secret love Eric to mercy-kill any infected people they come across.

 

Until a new health report about the contamination triggers a mandatory government evacuation, and Ian cracks his head in the rush. Used to hospitals and health scares, Ian always thought he'd die young … but he wasn’t planning on coming back. Much less face the slow, painful realization that Eric left him behind to die.

 

Desperate to find Eric and the truth before the parasite takes over him, Ian along with two others left behind—his old childhood rival Monica and the jaded prepper Angel—journey to track down Eric. What they don't know is that Eric is also looking for Ian, and he's determined to mercy-kill him.

 

★ “Sharp, surreal prose depicts gory scenes of body horror while quick pacing ferries Leif’s compassionate debut horror novel, a deliciously readable ode to disabled kids fighting for survival.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review