My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham

Abstract

Reviewed by: My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham Quinita Balderson Cottingham, Kayla My Dearest Darkest. Sourcebooks Fire, 2022 [368p] Paper ed. ISBN 9781728236414 $10.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781728236421 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 9-12 For Finch Chamberlin getting into Ulalume Academy means everything, but a campus visit to Rainwater's prestigious boarding school ends with a freak accident that leaves her parents dead. Despite her grief, Finch still ends up attending Ulalume, and the shy girl promptly finds her place among the cool kids, including part-time mean girl Selena for whom she develops an obvious crush. While Finch grapples with coming out (she wasn't sure she was gay but she's definitely attracted to Selena) and new school dynamics, a sinister force hidden in the sea caves is drawing strength from students, promising to fulfill their deepest desires. But when you make a deal with the devil—or in this case, Nerosi the Horned Queen, a soul-sucking god driven by an insatiable hunger to consume worlds—the bargain always comes at a cost. Exaggerated imagery and shifting perspectives, along with the over-the-top supernatural elements, call back to '90s teen horror movies à la The Craft and The Faculty. Finch comes across as sincere but sheltered, and her arc follows the familiar track of self-discovery through tragedy, as she struggles with guilt over her parents' death and her culpability in unleashing a murderous god. Mean girl Selena is well-developed as it's revealed that her callous façade is due to being outed by a friend, but several secondary characters fall into uncomfortable stereotypes. The twists definitely call for a reread, and whether readers identify with the queer characters or simply crave supernatural horror, Cottingham should be encouraged to continue her craft. [End Page 246] Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois