About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is beginning to question the 'official' versions of history or feels a growing, unsettling curiosity about their own place in the world. It is a sophisticated psychological mystery that uses a found-footage style of documents, diary entries, and news clippings to tell the story of Steven Messenger, a boy who discovers 17th-century relics that seem to exert a dark, possessive influence over him. While it begins as a historical treasure hunt, it evolves into a deep exploration of identity, the treatment of Indigenous peoples, and the ways the past can haunt the present. It is most appropriate for mature readers who can handle an ambiguous, atmospheric narrative that deals with historical trauma and the unsettling breakdown of a protagonist's psyche. It is an excellent choice for sparking conversations about ethics, heritage, and the layers of truth hidden beneath the soil.
