The Companion

Description

Katie Alender's YA psychological thriller brings us to a contemporary gothic estate where friendships last forever, even when you wish they wouldn't. Winner of the Edgar Award for Young Adult Fiction! The other orphans say Margot is lucky. Lucky tosurvive the horrible accident that killed her family. Lucky to have her own room because shewakes up screaming every night. And finally, lucky to be chosen by a prestigious family to live at their remote country estate. But it wasn't luck that madethe Suttonsrescue Margot from her bleak existence at the group home. Margotwas handpicked to be a companiontotheir silent, mysteriousdaughter, Agatha. At first, helping with Agatha--and getting to know her handsome younger brother--seems much better than the group home. But soon, the isolated house beginsplaying tricks on Margot's mind, making her question everything shebelievesabout the Suttons . . . and herself. Margot's bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha - butthe realnightmare has just begun.

Katie Alender (rhymes with "calendar"!) grew up in South Florida, and studied film at the Florida State University Film School. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in TV development and production for several years, including a long stint producing dog shows for Animal Planet. She penned Bad Girls Don't Die and two sequels, as well as Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer; Famous Last Words; and The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, sewing (especially quilts), practicing yoga, photography, visiting friends' blogs, and hanging out with her family.

Winner of the Edgar Award for Young Adult Fiction GoodReads Top Horror Novels of 2020 "[A] new life comes with a new home, where there are many things that go bump in the night." -Bustle "The best part about The Companion is the story's ability to surprise you. Most Gothic horror tales, generally, tend to follow certain formats and include certain tropes. This novel definitely features all those elements but deploys them in such a way that you're never quite sure what you're looking at. It constantly shifting plot makes The Companion difficult to put down, and will likely leave you reading long into the night." -Culturess "Katie Alender delivers a suspenseful story in her latest novel that will make you never want to trust a stranger ever again... Katie Alender knows how to write and she knows how to give you suspense. I would read this in the dead of night and would find my heart pounding." -The Fandom "Margot's narration feels intimate, especially when she reflects on her potent grief, and Agatha is never used as a prop: She and Margot develop a silent communication that transcends speech. The palpable and steadily building sense of dread throughout is enhanced by a whisper of the supernatural. A pitch-perfect contemporary gothic." -Kirkus Reviews "The suspense and chills are there, and the plot advances the story to a dramatic conclusion that, even if readers can see it coming, is still startling. This book hits all the notes of a solid thriller-creepy mansion, dark family secrets, a little romance, and a plucky heroine. Fans of suspense will enjoy this outing. Alender creates another tingly tale just right for escaping into this summer." -School Library Journal