“There’s nothing like the acrid smell of a building on fire.”

So begins Zac Brewer’s novel The Blood Between Us.  Brewer is known for The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod and The Slayer Chronicles, but his latest work is a creation of its own.  The story centers around Adrien, a teenager who has more than enough on his plate, balancing a sister who hates him for being adopted and parents who died in a lab fire–all while trying to come to terms with his sexual orientation.

When Adrien returns to his childhood home after being away in boarding school, one more challenge arises–should he believe the rumors that his sister played a role in his parents’ deaths?

A lot of words have been thrown around to describe this novel–dark, twisted, sinister, shocking–and all are pretty accurate.  As one reviewer puts it, “the author takes great glee in not just presenting a great reveal towards the end, but also twisting the knife.”  Yes, you will fall in love with the characters.  Yes, horrible stuff happens.  And yes, you’ll probably cry.

This new novel is great for anyone interested in mystery, YA, LGBT fiction, romance…well, we could go on, but it’s basically all there.  It’s a short read, technically easy but definitely ending with an unexpected punch.

Thanks for reading!

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