The Unfinished - by Cheryl Isaacs (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honoree

In her stunning debut, Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk) pulls the reader into an unsettling tale of monsters, mystery, and secrets that refuse to stay submerged.

When small-town athlete Avery's morning run leads her to a strange pond in the middle of the forest, she awakens a horror the townspeople of Crook's Falls have long forgotten.

The black water has been waiting. Watching. Hungry for the souls it needs to survive.

Avery can smell the water, see it flooding everywhere; she thinks she's losing her mind. And as the black water haunts Avery--taking a new form each time--people in town begin to go missing.

Though Avery had heard whispers of monsters from her Kanien'kéha: ka (Mohawk) relatives, she has never really connected to her Indigenous culture or understood the stories. But the Elders she has distanced herself from now may have the answers she needs.

When Key, her best friend and longtime crush, is the next to disappear, Avery is faced with a choice: listen to the Kanien'kéha: ka and save the town but lose her friend forever...or listen to her heart and risk everything to get Key back.

An unmissable horror novel for readers who devoured Trang Thanh Tran's She Is a Haunting or Claire Legrand's Sawkill Girls!

Review Quotes

Eerie monsters and beautiful folklore blend together with a spot-on grumpy teenage voice in Isaacs' horror debut about buried secrets and unspoken truths. - Booklist

Incredibly satisfying. Those wanting a small-town horror book with a romantic subplot and a nuanced Indigenous protagonist should look here for their next read. - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Sharp prose and humorous banter permeate this stellar debut by Isaacs, who crafts an atmospheric mystery filled with intrigue and harrowing imagery that shimmers brilliantly amid the eerie setting. - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A harrowing work that combines suspense with a coming-of-age journey of cultural exploration. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This chilling quest to save a best friend (and perhaps the town) reveals the bravery that Avery needs to come face to face with her greatest fears. With this fright brings bravery, a push to connect, and acceptance of change. - School Library Journal