Description
Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller Get Out meets Holly Jackson in this YA social thriller where survival is not guaranteed. Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can’t decide what’s worse: being a medium forced to watch the dead play out their last moments on a loop or being at the mercy of racist teachers as one of the few Black students at St Clair Prep. Both are a living nightmare he wishes he could wake up from. But things at St Clair start looking up with the arrival of another Black student – the handsome Allister – and for the first time, romance is on the horizon for Jake. Unfortunately, life as a medium is getting worse. Though most ghosts are harmless, Sawyer Doon wants much more from Jake. In life, Sawyer was a troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school before taking his own life. Now he’s a powerful, vengeful ghost and he has plans for Jake. High school has become a different kind of survival game – one Jake is not sure he can win.
Trade Review"This book is absolutely incredible, chilling, and a must-read" * Buzzfeed *
"Powerfully applying the horror genre to explore racism and homophobia in a high school setting, Ryan Douglass’ The Taking of Jake Livingston is an un-put-down-able, chilling tale for our times" -- Joanne Owen * LoveReading4Kids *
"Part horror story, part study of grief, this is a compelling, page-turning novel which beautifully balances Tyrese's private crisis with menacing Jamaican folklore, and skilfully draws the two together in a dramatic ending. Both exciting and humane, this celebration of friendship will captivate many readers" * The School Librarian *
"Crucial social commentary and insight into the ways discrimination can isolate and depress young adults. Lush and emotive prose chronicles Jake’s journey… Spooky, atmospheric, and layered" * Kirkus *
"An exceptional blend of genres – horror, mystery, thriller and contemporary... An extraordinarily crafted exploration of agency during Black gay teenhood" * Shelf Awareness, starred review *
