The Ones Who Come Back Hungry - by Amelinda Bérubé (Paperback)

About the Book

After her sister Audrey's sudden death, Jo discovers her resurrected but decaying sibling, leading her on a desperate quest to sustain Audrey's hunger for human blood while navigating Audrey's jealousy, secrets hidden within their family and friends, and the realization that this new Audrey might not be the same Audrey she knew and loved.

Book Synopsis

From the author of Here There Are Monsters comes a chilling supernatural horror that is part terrifying vampire legend and part modern exploration of toxic relationships wrapped up in a novel about hunger, yearning, and loss.

After the sudden death of her perfect, popular older sister, Jo and her family feel empty. But days after crying at Audrey's graveside, Jo stumbles on the impossible: Audrey, standing barefoot in the snowy backyard. But Audrey isn't breathing. She's still marred with the evidence of an autopsy. She's decaying. And worst of all, Audrey is hungry, and only human blood can curb her relentless appetite.

Jo knows she can put her family back together; she just has to figure out how to fix Audrey. She hides her sister and sustains her with her own blood, determined to figure out how to keep Audrey with them. When her search takes her to her sister's grieving inner circle of friends, Jo finds herself drawn into their fold--and to Audrey's boyfriend, Sam.

As Jo slips further into her sister's old life, Audrey's hunger and jealousy grow more insatiable. She's not going to sit back and let Jo replace her or, worse, discover the secrets hidden beneath her golden girl facade. As Jo struggles to juggle everything she will be forced to decide which of her loved ones needs her the most --and who she's willing to sacrifice to save them.

Review Quotes

"A poignant look at family dynamics and will resonate deeply with teens" -- School Library Journal

"Bérubé mines the chill factor of a wintry, icy landscape for maximum tension, creating scenes that have both a sense of claustrophobia and endless, unknowable terror." -- The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books