Publishers Weekly
01/29/2024
This mystery thriller by Miller (Redemption Prep), based on real accounts of sundown towns, or all-white municipalities, is replete with twists and long-awaited reckonings. High school freshman William “Willie” Eckles describes his Calico Springs, Mo., hometown as a place where “people believe in God.” After almost dying as a child, Willie was dubbed “Miracle Boy” by Calico Springs locals, and he’s certain that God has a plan for him. He’s eager to spend the summer with his older brother Bones, a recent graduate, even as tensions rise throughout town surrounding all-white Calico Springs’s imminent merge with Lawton, a predominantly Black neighborhood. But Willie’s plans are derailed when he and new friend Sarai Lewis—guided by a tracking app called Manifest Atlas, which provides directions to an unknown location based on the user’s provided “intention”—discover Sarai’s stepfather’s corpse. As Willie contends with his parents’ separation and Bones’s controlling behavior, he stumbles onto mysterious forces seemingly determined to keep the towns apart. A lack of focus on Lawton residents somewhat dampens Miller’s powerful depiction of Willie’s awakening to his community’s deep-rooted racism. Effective use of fictional newspaper articles, message boards, and testimonies establish the history of Calico Springs, and violent scenes are tempered by evocative and lyrical prose. Most characters are white; Sarai is Black. Ages 13–up. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Dark Parts of the Universe serves as a terrifying mystery while examining an important history. Masterfully done!” — Nick Brooks, author of Promise Boys
A raw and daring portrait of Middle America, Dark Parts of the Universe defies categorization. Part tech thriller, part small-town mystery, Miller explores the complexities of family secrets, and what happens when the unshakeable foundation of brotherhood begins to shake, without ever shying away from the beating heart of the story: the reckoning of one town’s racist past (and present), through the eyes of a boy reckoning with his own complicity. Propulsive and genre-bending, I couldn’t put it down. — David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland
“Evocative exploration of the suffocation of small town life, where a dark past controls present chaos.” — Mindy McGinnis, award-winning author of Heroine
“The page-turning suspense is a draw, but the book’s ultimate strength is its skillful exploration of racial injustice in rural America. A multifaceted thriller with a powerful social message.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In the richly detailed plot, Miller deftly captures the claustrophobic nature of small-town residents locked into what they believe is the way things should be.” — Booklist (starred review)
Praise for Redemption Prep: "The moody atmosphere, the science/religion dichotomy, and the constant cliff-hangers will keep readers hooked till the shocking finale." — Booklist
"Readers looking for a unique take on the isolated-house mystery, with a bizarre setting and a cast of unstable characters, will enjoy losing themselves in this strange yet compelling tale of drugs, power, and the future of the human race." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“A tense and atmospheric thriller with a truly surprising twist. I can’t wait to see what Samuel Miller does next!” — Kara Thomas, award-winning author of The Cheerleaders
“Clever, drama-filled, and mind-blowing. My mind is still reeling from the twists and turns, and I loved every second of it.” — Sasha Alsberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Eerie, atmospheric, and smart as a whip, Redemption Prep kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page.” — Brittany Cavallaro, New York Times bestselling author of the Charlotte Holmes series
Praise for A Lite Too Bright: “What a compelling journey this is—and what an accomplished debut too. Beautifully conceived and executed, it has an irresistible premise; an ingenious plot tinged with mystery; compelling, multidimensional characters; and a haunting ethos that will linger in readers’ minds long after they have finished.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“Jumping from clue to clue and train to train across the country, Arthur stumbles upon extraordinary discoveries, from long-lost family members to secret societies. This fresh incarnation of the great American road trip novel is bursting with big ideas, enigmas, poetry, and flashes of humor.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Charmingly written, this debut novel introduces rounded characters and an engaging mystery. Wonderfully mirroring the disjointed feelings and thoughts of young Arthur and those who have dementia, this literary piece has a satisfying conclusion. A highly recommended purchase for fans of literary and realistic fiction centered around family.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Miller’s debut novel weaves together several other larger-than-life literary figures and events, including gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, the beat generation, and the Kent State shootings, creating a love letter to social justice and American literature.” — Publishers Weekly
“Debut author Miller peppers his well-paced chapters with the poetry of ALP the First. This earnest homage to writers, rebels, and the evergreen ideals of youth will appeal to devotees of John Green and Gayle Forman.” — The Horn Book
“Arthur’s coming-of-age journey communicates that today’s young rebels’ most important cause may be their own mental health.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
School Library Journal
★ 05/31/2024
Gr 8 Up—In southern Missouri, the vote to consolidate two small towns—Calico Springs, predominately white, with Lawton, predominately Black—looms, and a group of kids find themselves playing The Game, a powerful online app which promises to create destinies. Manifest Atlas, as the app is called, asks players to enter an Intention. Once entered, a map appears, leading players to their supposed Destiny. It seems like it might actually work: one person was led to some relevant graffiti, while two other kids asked for a dog and got one. Willie, a Calico Springs resident, decides to test it for himself. He asks to "see my future." The map leads him into the Basin and he tumbles into one of three open graves. His friend, Sarai, a Black girl who has moved from Lawton, decides to really test the app when she requests it show them "something bloody." When the abandoned mill shivers to life and spits out a maimed body, the kids begin to speculate about how the game works and what kind of menace is afoot. Painterly language moves the story forward, digging into the relationships between Willie and his brother, and the difficult family dynamic they've survived. Ultimately the novel delves into the sinister history of sundown towns, where Black people are not allowed on the streets of all-white communities after dark. The racial aspects of this book, although painful, ring true—including Sarai's differential treatment by the white police force. VERDICT A powerful thriller with a poignant message.—Leah Krippner
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-02-03
Residents of a small town experience a reckoning when a mysterious app leads a group of teens to a dead body.
The first time he plays Manifest Atlas, an app game that people claim can give you anything you ask for, Willie Eckles wants a sign. Life feels stagnant in rural Calico Springs, a predominantly white Missouri town, and Willie yearns for some direction. He’s mystified to find that the app delivers on his requests—albeit with a cryptic twist each time—but no one believes him, not even Bones, his older brother. Eventually, Willie convinces Bones and his friends (including Sarai from neighboring Lawton, a predominantly Black town) to play with him, but they get more than they bargained for when it leads them to the dead body of Sarai’s white stepfather, who was in a rare interracial marriage. Unconvinced by the authorities’ ruling out of foul play, Willie and his group begin an investigation that stirs up tensions in a community that doesn’t like people probing for answers. As Willie tests the limits of the game’s abilities, he finds that their small town holds darker secrets than he ever expected. Willie’s journey is one of awakening—opening his eyes to social problems and choosing to face that reality rather than turn from it. The page-turning suspense is a draw, but the book’s ultimate strength is its skillful exploration of racial injustice in rural America.
A multifaceted thriller with a powerful social message. (author’s note, further reading) (Thriller. 14-18)
