The Night Is Not for You
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
"[A] wonderfully chilling and entirely immersive feminist horror story." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
When her sense of safety is shattered, a young girl realizes she must become something untamable—even otherworldly—to find freedom, in this visceral coming-of-age horror debut.
She's a cautionary tale for children, "Come back before it gets dark."
A man’s body is found viciously murdered behind a neighborhood corner store, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community. All the victim’s family and bystanders want is to make sense of this brutal crime and move on with their lives. All Layla dreams of is freedom—to think for herself, go anywhere, and live an independent life.
She's a warning to men, "Don't wander the streets late at night."
When a second man is murdered, rumors fly of hoofprints and a woman with hair like black silk. Ambiguous messages in lipstick and sweet smell of perfume at the crime scenes causes the men to suspect the women around them. As Layla’s world unravels, she realizes that if she wants freedom she must grow into the type of woman she’s always dreamed of becoming. A woman with sharp instincts. A woman who cannot be tamed.
The night is not for you. It has always belonged to her.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This wonderfully chilling and entirely immersive feminist horror story from Quotah (Bride of the Sea) opens with seven-year-old Layla, who dreams of owning a donkey. Readers follow Layla as she grows up and her innocence is shattered by a string of murders that upend her small town over and over again. Each time, it is a man who is killed, and each time, the scent of a different perfume lingers at the crime scene, convincing the community that the killer must be a woman. It is a perverse pleasure to try to unpick this mystery alongside Layla, who vacillates between believing the town's whispers about a vengeful murderess who may be half-jinn and dismissing these speculations. Quotah dances on the line between supernatural and psychological horror and masterfully incorporates elements of folklore into the everyday pains of growing up as a young woman under patriarchy. The characters are well drawn, the suspense is taut, and a great final twist proves very fun. There's a lot here to sink one's teeth into.