The first boy to change was Brian Ahearn. A fold of skin developed on his forehead while they were at the pool. All the mothers noticed it, and some of the fathers. It looked like an abrasion, as if he'd scraped his forehead on the pool bottom. His mother worried, but only a little. Unfortunately, by the time she checked on the fold of skin, after they had come home and all showered and were waiting for their Thai food to be delivered, it was too late.

Abigail F Taylor's first novel, Maryneal 1962, is a powerful mixture of supernatural horror, personal coming-of-age narrative, and sharp social critique. Set