Other Words For Smoke
- Author
- Sarah Maria Griffin
- Publisher
- Titan
- Publication date
- 2 April 2019
- Other publishers
- US (Greenwillow)
Other Words For Smoke
From the author of Spare and Found Parts, described as “fierce and fearless” by V. E. Schwab and “beautifully written and compelling” by Marian Keyes, comes a story of a haunted house, magic behind the wallpaper, and the strangest summer ever.
The house at the end of the lane burned down, and Rita Frost and her teenage ward, Bevan, were never seen again. The townspeople never learned what happened. Only Mae and her brother Rossa know the truth; they spent two summers with Rita and Bevan, two of the strangest summers of their lives…
Because nothing in that house was as it seemed: a cat who was more than a cat, and a dark power called Sweet James that lurked behind the wallpaper, enthralling Bevan with whispers of neon magic and escape.
And in the summer heat, Mae became equally as enthralled with Bevan. Desperately in the grips of first love, she’d give the other girl anything. A dangerous offer when all that Sweet James desired was a taste of new flesh…
**Voted Teen & YA Book of the Year at the 2019 Irish Book Awards**
“Griffin spins a surreal and haunting tale. . .Family problems and adolescent trials tether the narrative to reality, while heightening the otherworldly threats surrounding its characters. Griffin’s hallucinatory novel creeps under the skin, unnerving readers while urging them forward.” — Booklist (starred review)
“This is a rare, rich treat of witchery and whimsy, the magical and the mundane.” — Daily Mail
“A beautiful novel woven from magic that seeps into your blood and bones and lingers there…Sarah’s gorgeous prose will haunt you.” — Christina Henry
“A fascinating coming-of-age story…Griffin has a keen eye for the beautiful agony of adolescence, and that’s what makes this book such a compelling read.” — Charlie Jane Anders
“Creepy and thrilling, this is part haunted-house, part coming-of-age novel and readers who like their fiction dark and otherworldly will love it.” — The Sunday Independent
“An impressive and lyrical novel that deftly uses horror to tell a coming-of-age story.” — The Irish Times
“Lyrical… Powerfully told… A haunting tale of love both teenage and lifelong.” — SFX
“Reading the novel is a bit like falling under a spell, or falling in love: it is both beautiful and scary, and, most importantly, utterly impossible to resist.” — SciFi Now
“A haunting and beautiful literary novel.” — Image
“Dripping in mystery, tension and beautifully surreal imagery, it’s a story that gets under your skin.” — GCN
"A Neil Gaiman for the millennial generation... The book s language and construction is simply exquisite; lavish but economical, surreal but contained. — The Gloss
"A sublime and sexy tale of temptation and belonging. This book latches onto you and won't let go. I loved every minute of it!" — Helen Marshall, award-winning author of Gifts for the One Who Came After and forthcoming
"Other Words for Smoke will crawl inside of you and linger there for months, quietly influencing your thoughts much like the magical beings at the center of this story and the women who deal with them. Visceral prose and deep characterization make this book impossible to put down while you re reading, and impossible to forget once you re done." — Christine Lynne Herman, author of The Devouring Gray
"A stunning example of not just a novel, but a work of art that is sure to stick with the reader long after the final page has been read." — Set The Tape
"This book has a heart to it and you can feel it beating. This is a story you won t want to miss out on. I loved it." — Not Another Book Blogger
"A captivating story of witchcraft, magic, first loves, sibling dynamics, found families and sisterhood. Sarah has such a poetic, fluid writing style... I adored this book." — Two Book Thieves
"A raw and enthralling read." — Pythia Reads
"Artfully written, compelling and fearless." — Mummy is Reading Books