Come Out, Come Out

Ages 14 And Up, Grades 9 And Up

A spine-tingling LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister.

Perfect for fans of Kayla Cottingham, Andrew Joseph White, and Ryan La Sala.

"A searing and poignant portrait of queer identity wrapped in an unflinching tale of terror." —Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight

"Modern horror at its best." —Bram Stoker Award Nominee Sarah Henning

It's never been safe for Fern, Jaq, or Mallory to come out to their families. As kids their emerging identities drove them into friendship but also forced them into the woods to hide in an old, abandoned house when they needed safety. But one night when the girls sought refuge, Mallory never made it back home. Fern and Jaq did, but neither survivor remembered what happened or the secrets they were so desperate to keep. 

Five years later, Fern and Jaq are seniors on the verge of graduation, seemingly happy in their straight, cisgender lives—until a spirit who looks like Mallory begins to appear, seeking revenge for her death, and the part Fern and Jaq played in it. As they’re haunted, something begins to shift inside them. 

They remember who they are. 

Who they want to love. 

And the truth about the vicious secrets hiding in their woods.  

This delightfully dark and pointed novel calls out the systems that erase gay and queer and trans identity, giving space to embrace queerness and to unleash the power of friendship and found family against the real monsters in the world.

About the Author

Natalie C. Parker is the author and editor of several books for young adults, among them the acclaimed Seafire trilogy. Her work has beenincluded on the NPR Best Books list, the Indie Next List, the TAYSHAS ReadingList, and Junior Library Guild selections. Natalie grew up in a Navy family, finding home in coastal cities from Virginia to Japan. Now she lives with her wife on the Kansas prairie. Find her at nataliecparker.com.

Author Residence: Lawrence, Kansas