Model Home by Rivers Solomon
The author of genre-defying novels likeAn Unkindness of GhostsandSorrowlandis back with a take on haunted houses like no other. The Maxwell siblings grew up the only Black family in their neighborhood, in a house haunted by unexplained phenomena. Their mother refused to give the house up, so they endured—but as adults, they avoid it at all costs. When their parents die, they’re forced to walk inside again to determine what led to their demise. This is a queer, trans haunted house story that is more about the aftermath of being haunted—and real-life horrors—than it is about the setting. Check out the content warnings, including child sexual abuse, before picking this one up, but it’s a powerfully written, unsettling, and unforgettable read that I cannot get out of my head. —Danika Ellis