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The Devil in Ohio by Daria Polatin

When fifteen-year-old Jules Mathis comes home from school to find a strange girl sitting in her kitchen, her psychiatrist mother reveals that Mae is one of her patients at the hospital and will be staying with their family for a few days. But soon Mae is wearing Jules’s clothes, sleeping in her bedroom, edging her out of her position on the school paper, and flirting with Jules’s crush. And Mae has no intention of leaving.

Then things get weird.

Jules walks in on a half-dressed Mae, startled to see: a pentagram carved into Mae’s back. Jules pieces together clues and discovers that Mae is a survivor of the strange cult that’s embedded in a nearby town. And the cult will stop at nothing to get Mae back.

Inspired by true events.

DEVIL IN OHIO

The debut novel by DARIA POLATIN

“‘Devil in Ohio’ kept me up until 3 a.m. with the lights on – in a good way. It’s a haunting thriller for readers who like fear, humor, and heart in one package.”

– Meredith Goldstein, feature reporter and columnist for The Boston Globe, author of Can’t Help Myself and Chemistry Lessons.

Gripping, urgent and addictive, ‘Devil in Ohio’ balances the dark exploration of cults with a compelling and often humorous take on teen social dynamics. This is the debut you won’t want to miss.”

– Aditi Khorana, author of critically acclaimed The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky.

“’Devil in Ohio’ will grip you with its frightening twists and turns, but it is its tenderness that will stay with you. Daria Polatin brings humor and heart to a story that shines some much-needed light on the darkness of our world.”

– Abdi Nazemian, author of People Magazine’s Teen Pick The Authentics and The Walk-In Closet.

“Deeply thoughtful, funny and human. ‘Devil in Ohio’ is a perfect blend of thriller, humor, character-driven drama, and good old fashioned storytelling.”

– Bekah Brunstetter, playwright, writer-producer of Emmy Award-winning This is Us on NBC and screenwriter of the film adaptation of bestseller The Secret.

It’s fitting that the main character in ‘Devil in Ohio’ is a Hitchcock fan. This twisty psychological thriller has the jumps, shocks and brilliant ah-ha moments that make it feel like Hitch gone YA, complete with characters as lovable as all of his best.”

– Jessie Rosen, author of YA thriller Dead Ringer and Time Magazine’s top 25 blog, 20-Nothings.

Events

November 4-5, CHICAGO – Young Adult Literature Conference – Anderson’s Bookshop

November 7, LOS ANGELES – Book Launch Party in Los Angeles! Email for a special invite: hello@moonpool.co

November 8, LOS ANGELES – Signed copies will be available at Skylight Books! 1818 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

November – Signed copies available in Los Angeles at Book Soup, Barnes & Noble at the Grove, Playa del Rey and Santa Monica locations!

Press

Kirkus Reviews – New and Notable Books

Fierce Reads – All About Cults Article

The Stripe – December Reading List

The Criminal Element – Exclusive Book Excerpt

Mental Illness Happy Hour Podcast – The Absent Father Wound

Book Room Reviews – Interview with Bookroomreviews.com

Columbia University Alumni News – Debut Novel Devil in Ohio