Lueddecke, Lisa. The Moss. Simon & Schuster. 2025. 978-1-665-98449-2. $20.99. 293 p. Grades 9-12.

There’s something dangerous about a misty Maine bog that local residents call, the Moss. Emma Carver should know. Her house is on the edge of it, and she was always told not to go in. Her father even built a fence at the edge of the yard. Despite that, Emma’s mother disappeared and a few years later, her sister did too; everyone presumes they went – or were taken into – the Moss. Emma and her father both experience the grief from their disappearances, but only Emma seems to see the ghosts, hear the voices, and feel the unyielding pull of the mist. Emma decides she must find out what happened to her mother and sister, no matter what.

THOUGHTS: Fans of ghost stories will appreciate this book’s terrifying and beautiful descriptions of the supernatural visitors and the eerie atmosphere of this unique setting. Emma is a determined heroine haunted by uncertainty. The story slows in the middle as it seems she’s figuring out what to do and wallowing in her grief, but the beginning and the end are propelled by her resolve to discover the history of her old house and her dangerous trek through the bog. An author’s note mentions that this book originated during the pandemic, and the bog makes a brilliant metaphor for the feelings of disorientation and loss that many of us experienced during that time.

Mystery