Publication Date: April 9, 2024
A gripping speculative thriller perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and Ginny Myers Sain, about one girl with the power to see death before it happens—and the terrible consequences she faces when saving someone goes wrong.
SOMEONE WANTS REVENGE…
Whitney knows what death looks like. Since she was seven, she’s seen it hover over strangers’ heads in dark, rippling clouds. Sometimes she can save people from the darkness. Sometimes she can’t. But she’s never questioned if she should try. Until the unthinkable happens—and a person she saves becomes the perpetrator of a horrific school shooting.
Now Whitney will do anything to escape the memory of last year’s tragedy and the guilt that gnaws at her for her role in it. Even if that means quitting dance—the thing she loves most—and hiding her ability from her family and friends. But most importantly, no one can know what really happened last year.
Then Whitney finds an ominous message in her locker and realizes someone knows her secret. As the threats pile up, one thing becomes clear—someone wants payback for what she did. And if she’s going to survive the year, she must track down whoever is after her before it’s too late.
What if you had a way to warn people before something terrible happened to them? And what if you saved someone only to have them commit an atrocious act of violence?
That’s the burden Whitney Lancaster is carrying in The Darkness Rises. Author Stacy Stokes serves up a powerful story of a teen girl who is being stalked by someone who knows her secret and seeks revenge.
The author weaves in how Whitney discovered her gift at age seven. Taking her grandmother’s advice, Whitney hides her ability to prevent her parents from taking her to any more doctors. It’s not until someone she saves initiates a deadly school shooting that Whitney withdraws from everything, including her beloved dance team.
The suspense ramps up as Whitney receives anonymous threats. Who knows her secret, and what do they want?
While geared for teens and young adults, The Darkness Rises delivers a solid storyline for adult readers interested in mystical fiction.
Stacy Stokes is a lifelong lover of stories, former improv comedy geek, and marketing professional. Her debut novel Remember Me Gone was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominee. She graduated with a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. She currently lives with her family in the Bay Area.
You can visit Stacy Stokes at StacyStokes.com or follow her on X and Instagram @StacyAStokes.
