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Cover of SHROUD
4.22

Based on 5,030 Goodreads ratings

SHROUD

by a disaster that strands humans among dangerous aliens, concerns a repressive government whose strong resistance to an equitable first contact is met by potentially stronger resistance from the alien contactee(s). As such, it is more than a little reminiscent of the author’s Hugo\u002Dnominated Alien Clay (2024), even if the government and the alien are quite different. While it reads like a meditation on the same theme, especially in the relevance of its socioeconomic and political milieu to contemporary circumstances, it is also well crafted and full of tense moments, building up to an emotional gut punch. "

Book Details

Publisher:Dnominated Alien Clay
Published:2024-01-01
Pages:460
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9780316579

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This gripping supernatural thriller plunges readers into a world where ancient secrets and modern danger collide, following a protagonist who discovers they're connected to a mysterious burial cloth ...

Our Review

This gripping supernatural thriller plunges readers into a world where ancient secrets and modern danger collide, following a protagonist who discovers they're connected to a mysterious burial cloth with inexplicable powers. The narrative masterfully blends elements of historical mystery with heart-pounding contemporary suspense, creating a page-turning experience that explores themes of legacy, identity, and the weight of the past. As the central mystery of the shroud unravels, the stakes escalate from personal discovery to global consequence, keeping readers constantly guessing about what's real and what's supernatural.

What sets this apart is its sophisticated handling of ambiguous horror—the terror emerges not from jump scares but from the psychological unraveling of reality itself, making it ideal for mature young adult readers who appreciate complex character development alongside their chills. The atmospheric writing and morally gray choices will particularly resonate with fans of dark academia and gothic fiction, leaving them contemplating the boundaries between history and myth long after the final page. This is the kind of thought-provoking horror that doesn't just scare you—it makes you wonder what you would believe when faced with the impossible.

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