The Night Weaver

by Monique Snyman

Overview

“Stephen King’s It meets Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight ... in a frightening story of horror and fantasy woven together to create a delectable tale of the macabre … romance and action. Snyman’s storytelling will have people lining up for the next book.” - School Library Journal

SHADOW GROVE IS A PERFECTLY PLEASANT TOWN ...

Shadow Grove isn't a typical town. Bad things happen here. Children disappear, one after the other, and nobody is doing anything about it. Parents don't grieve, missing posters don't line the streets, and the sheriff seems unconcerned.

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Cleary lives on the outskirts of Shadow Grove, next to the creepy forest everyone pretends doesn't exist. Usually the forest is filled with an eerie calm, an unmistakable graveyard solemnity. But the trees have started whispering, forgotten creatures are stirring, and the nights feel darker than ever.

Something is stalking the residents of Shadow Grove, changing them into brain-dead caricatures of themselves. It's up to Rachel to stop the devouring of her hometown before all is destroyed and everyone she loves is forever lost.

“With its boogeyman-like creature based in lesser-known folklore, the novel is unique, as well as creepy and unsettling. The familiar small town atmosphere is imbued with a chilling aura, and the mystery at the heart of the book keeps pages turning. The Night Weaver introduces a world of myth, intrigue, and darkness with considerable technique.” - Foreword Reviews

“Snyman’s creative adoption of English folklore adds a unique twist, and satisfying frights abound. An enjoyable, frenetically paced fantasy.” - Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645480068
Publisher:	Vesuvian Books
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Series:	Night Weaver , #1
Edition description:	None
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading, or fixing all the words.

Monique Snyman lives outside Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of MUTI NATION, a horror novel set in South Africa, and Bram Stoker Award® nominated novel, THE NIGHT WEAVER, which is the first installment in a dark fantasy series for young adults.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2019

The children of Shadow Grove are disappearing, and while the adults don’t seem to care, Rachel Cleary, 17, decides she’s going to find them. Helping her is Dougal Mackay, the grandson of Rachel’s endearing neighbor, Mrs. Crenshaw. Then, while coming back from a party, Rachel and Dougal come face to face with the creature that is kidnapping the kids and entrancing the adults. Dougal calls it the Black Annis (the Night Weaver)—a fae that eats children. With the help of Orion, a fae stuck in the human world, Rachel launches an assault on the Annis’s realm. Though there are many familiar YA tropes—a dead parent, a community outsider, a dreamy boy next door—Snyman’s creative adoption of English folklore adds a unique twist, and satisfying frights abound. A few scenes, particularly one in which Rachel is drugged and then forcibly kissed without consent, are unfortunate missteps in an otherwise enjoyable, frenetically paced fantasy, which was a Bram Stoker Award nominee. Ages 14–up. Agent: Gandolfo Helin, Fountain Literary Management. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2019

Gr 9 Up—Stephen King's It meets Stephenie Meyer's Twilight in Snyman's first installment of a new series. In the town of Shadow Grove, an ominous presence seeks to be fed and cause destruction. Children mysteriously vanish into thin air; all the while, adults put a veil over the history of the town, developing lies to cover up a hidden truth. With no sane adult to turn to, 17-year-old Rachel Cleary, her neighbor Mrs. Crenshaw, and teen grandson Dougal Mackay brave their way through the town's forest to search for the missing kids and ward off the Night Weaver (the evil Black Annis of folklore) before she captures and devours all of the children. This is a frightening story of horror and fantasy woven together to create a delectable tale of the macabre. Snyman effortlessly transforms an ominous story into one of romance and action, as love blossoms between Rachel and the mysterious Fae named Orion who aids her on her quest to save the town's children. The mature content intensifies the story while backing up the need for the teenagers to take on adult roles. Readers will fall in love with Rachel's no-nonsense personality and witty banter. VERDICT Snyman's storytelling will have people lining up for the next book in the series.—Beronica Puhr, Oak Park Public Library, IL

School Library Journal