THE HAUNTING BETWEEN US

Every place has their local legends, and for Port Townsend, it’s the long, unsolved tale of Crimson House—as a new tenant soon learns in Winters’ supernatural YA novel.

Sixteen-year-old Cameron Walsh has lived in the town of Port Townsend his whole life, and when handsome Hugo Cruz moves into the haunted Crimson House across the street, it feels as if fate is bringing them together. The house—which was, until recently, abandoned—has been the site of incidents both uncanny and inexplicable over the years, including ghost sightings, mysterious kidnappings, and deaths; it’s no wonder that Cameron has traumatic memories associated with it. Upon meeting 16-year-old Hugo, though, things change, as a romance blossoms between them; However, after a new, psychic friend (Chloe) and her girlfriend (Maya) joins their circle, things in Crimson House become stranger than ever. The group, which also includes Cameron’s best friend, Abby Nguyen, becomes determined to solve the house’s mysteries and uncover the truth about the White Lady, who haunts it. Ghost-hunting, spirituality, and tangled history—Winters’ novel has all the makings of a proper haunted house story. Along the way, the characters also learn what it means to be fully themselves, even when it feels as if the world is against them. It’s a story that’s engaging, sweet, and realistic all at once. The characters’ friendships feel meaningful, and the novel handles complex topics, such as anti-gay bigotry, family trauma, grief, and mental illness, with grace and sensitivity; it also offers moments of levity when necessary. Teen readers will find Cameron’s struggles with insecurity to be particularly relatable: “I turn away fast, a wave of self-consciousness washing over me. I wrap my arms around my stomach and shrink down, trying to be small and invisible.” Similarly, Hugo’s changing relationship with his widowed Pa in the wake of their shared loss, contrasted with Cameron’s tumultuous relationship with his dad, effectively reveals how LGBTQ+ youths can find it hard to be themselves within their own families.

A supernatural story of love, friendship, and discovery that’s heartwarming and frightening, by turns.