About This Book
And the Trees Stare Back is a politically incisive YA folk horror novel set in 1989 Soviet Estonia, blending real history with a speculative twist. Sixteen-year-old Vik's younger sister, Anna, mysteriously returns from a cursed forest five years after disappearing, seemingly unchanged. Vik, grappling with PTSD and OCD from Anna's absence, must confront the unsettling truth about her sister's return and the dark secrets of the forest, all against the backdrop of a crumbling communist regime where dissent is dangerous. The book explores themes of political oppression, identity, family trauma, and mental health, offering an atmospheric and suspenseful read for mature young adults.
