THE MOSS

Shadowed by twin family tragedies, high school senior Emma returns to her hometown of Scarrow, Maine, seeking answers.

A bog known as the Moss abuts Emma’s home, Lark House. Tales of those drawn to the Moss’ mysterious pull have been passed down through the centuries. Its stagnant ponds, snakelike vines, and enveloping mist assert a sinister hold over those who hear the whispers and see the lurking ghostly apparitions. Five years ago, Emma’s mother fell under the Moss’ spell, vanishing into the bog without a trace. A year ago, grief over Mom’s loss led Emma’s older sister, Eve, into its depths. Police suspicions fell on Emma’s father, and he sent Emma to California to live with her aunt. But, haunted by voices and ghosts, Emma feels duty-bound to find her sister. This story contains folk-horror elements, including an atmospheric rural setting whose wild nature is both beautiful and malevolent. Emma’s first-person narration meaningfully explores themes such as isolation and helplessness and their lasting impact on emotional health, although the middle portion of her journey feels slow and repetitive. Emma’s grief, like the Moss itself, becomes a lurking presence—“untouchable” yet “always feeding and growing.” Also much like the Moss, a place caught between life and death, Emma exists in an emotional state somewhere between distress over all that has been lost and the rebirth of a fragile optimism. Main characters read white.

A haunting testament to grief’s insatiable appetite and the need for hope in our darkest hours.