The Tenth Girl

by Sara Faring

Overview

A haunted Argentinian mansion.
A family curse.
A twist you'll never see coming.
Welcome to Vaccaro School.

Simmering in Patagonian myth, Sara Faring's The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls.

Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored... and one of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence.

An Imprint Book

"Layered and challenging, and full to bursting with intelligence, while at the same time exuberantly bizarre, like it’s having the best time on its own and daring you to join in."—Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls

"Faring's exquisite prose weaves a tale that is both seductively eerie and wildly original. I've never read anything like it."—April Genevieve Tucholke, author of The Boneless Mercies

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250620828
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/22/2020
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	1,037,924
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.35(d)
Age Range:	15 - 18 Years

About the Author

Born in Los Angeles, Sara Faring is a multilingual Argentine-American fascinated by literary puzzles. After working in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, she worked at Penguin Random House. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in International Studies and from the Wharton School in Business. The Tenth Girl is her debut book. She currently resides in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

"A hauntingly good read, full of terror and mystery." —Hypable

"Gothic thriller meets science fiction in this enthralling labyrinth of a story that is as deeply emotional as it is entirely unpredictable. Faring is brilliant." —The Bulletin, starred review

"The story delivers numerous twists and turns, each a deliriously unreal blow... [A] wholly original tale." —Kirkus Reviews

"A shocking twist of an ending... Those in search of classic Gothic horror will be drawn in by the elegant writing and eerie atmosphere—before it changes into something unexpected." —Booklist

"Faring's exquisite prose weaves a tale that is both seductively eerie and wildly original. I've never read anything like it."
—April Genevieve Tucholke, author of The Boneless Mercies

From the Publisher

09/20/2019

Gr 10 Up-Faring's impressive debut brings readers to a school for only the most elite girls in a remote corner of Argentina, where death, ghosts, and dangerous secrets lurk in the forbidden hallways at night. At the isolated and prestigious Vaccaro School, the young English teacher Mavi has found refuge from a life on the run following the disappearance of her political activist mother. In exchange for room and board, she must take on the challenge of educating privileged girls barely younger than herself, resisting her attraction to the handsome and unpredictable son of the headmaster, and secretly investigating the ancient curse that is sweeping the school in the form of a mysterious illness. Unbeknownst to her, a ghost by the name of Angel aids in her investigation of the school's dark past and the encroaching Others—but at the Vaccaro School, no one is who they seem. An undertaking in terms of length and concept, Faring has crafted an evocative novel narrated in alternating chapters, which may prove difficult for some readers to easily and fully immerse themselves in, but is ultimately worth the time and effort. VERDICT Recommended for older readers of prep-school stories who want to sink their teeth into something more sinister and paranormal.-Emily Grace Le May, Cross' Mills Public Library, Charlestown, RI

School Library Journal

Frankie Corzo and Mark Sanderlin alternately narrate this innovative gothic thriller with a twist that involves South American mythology. Fleeing the city, 18-year-old Mavi accepts a teaching gig at the famed but haunted Vaccaro School in the south of Argentina. And then, a spirit named Angel possesses a young man in order to befriend her. Soon, they develop a friendship, but her uncovering of the school’s secrets, along with Angel’s revelations, forces her on a journey of self-discovery and liberation. Corzo’s powerful voice and varied tone propel the suspenseful narrative. Sanderlin’s voice is charming but could use stronger vocal characterizations to effectively portray a host of young characters. The story’s anticlimactic ending is disappointing, but the work of both narrators redeems this audiobook. A.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile

2019-07-13
Following the death of her mother at the hands of the military government, an 18-year-old Argentinian girl escapes to desolate Patagonia, finding refuge in a finishing school besieged by hostile spirits.

The year is 1978. Mavi ends up teaching at the infamous Vaccaro School, led by the enigmatic Carmela De Vaccaro. Marred by a curse that wiped out its inhabitants 60 years before, and surrounded by an icy hellscape, the school sits atop land seized from the fictional Zapuche people. As she grows closer to her nine students (the 10th girl is missing), Mavi, whose father had Zapuche roots, uncovers more about the school's grisly origins, its eccentric occupants, and the ghastly Otros (Others) who feed on the inhabitants as they sleep. She soon befriends Carmela's son, Domenico, a cruel, handsome boy who seems to change overnight thanks in part to Angel, a benevolent Other who's curious about Mavi—and the mysterious 10th girl. The story delivers numerous twists and turns, each a deliriously unreal blow. Though the narrative drags at times and some quieter moments feel needlessly long, debut author Faring spins a deceptively simple haunted tale via the alternating viewpoints of Mavi and Angel. Anachronistic hints gesture toward what's really happening at Vaccaro School, culminating in an unanticipated final twist that's sure to be divisive. While the author draws attention to the oppression of Indigenous peoples, the treatment of this subject is cursory.

An inspired, cluttered, wholly original tale. (Gothic horror. 14-19)

Kirkus Reviews