This Stays Between Us

Mack, Raffi and Priya were looking forward to their school camp for a chance to hang out and cut loose away from watchful parents. But in an abandoned mining town, filled with stories of a sinister ghost called Smiling Jack, things don’t go as planned. Raffi isn’t talking to Mack, Priya just wants to get some alone time with her boyfriend, and they’re stuck sharing a cabin with the unsettling new girl, Shelley. A séance around a bonfire starts out as a fun distraction to smooth things over, but it ends up taking an ominous turn that none of the girls could have predicted.

This Stays Between Us is a gripping thriller that had me flying through chapters, desperate to know what happens. Not only has Margot McGovern told a horror story that is truly frightening, but she’s also balanced that with a rich and nuanced cast of characters that I absolutely loved. Switching perspective in each chapter, we get an unfiltered look at the thoughts and feelings of each girl, and their well-drawn humanity makes the ever-present threat of Smiling Jack all the more terrifying.

The blurb describes this novel as an homage to ’90s horror movies – note that content warnings include sexual assault and graphic violence – and it certainly equals the dread and fascination created by any teen slasher movie, but with a diverse cast of intelligent young women. I recommend this for horror readers aged 14+, especially those interested in feminist tales.