One for the harvest. One for the cat. One for the little boy who never came back.

Ruth Jones is new to Lorewood, a Massachusetts town famous for its Halloween celebrations and local witch legend. This year, however, something sinister is stalking the children of Lorewood, making them disappear—as if they never existed.

Ruth meets a mysterious boy in the woods who believes their town is cursed. He tells Ruth that a full moon on Halloween means three kids will disappear, leaving not even a memory behind. Along with Ruth's best friends, they dig into the idyllic town's arcane legends and dark past. But this curse doesn't want to be broken. The delights of Halloween will become terrors for the teens as they battle to bring the truth to light before the holiday is over.

Can Ruth stop history repeating itself? Or is she doomed to be the next victim of The Wax Witch?

The Curse of The Wax Witch: A Halloween Tale

The Curse of the Wax Witch focuses on the nostalgia and traditions that accompany Halloween, highlighting how it can bring people together while also making them scream.

This self-contained upper grade school novel follows Ruth Jones and her friends as they do battle against a supernatural curse that is blinking children out of existence in a terrifying fashion. The 13-year-olds will have to contend with bugs, beasts and hordes of the undead as they race against time to solve a dark mystery and set right a grave injustice. All of this is set within the idyllic Massachusetts town of Lorewood, a place steeped in history and folklore.

This coming-of-age adventure focuses on friendship, traditions, problem-solving and heroism. The horror elements are age-appropriate, and this tale is a good gateway into the horror genre for teenagers. The novel is also heavily themed around Halloween, so will appeal to fans of the holiday and those wanting a story to 'get them into the spooky spirit'.

Cover illustration by Katie Lee Mars.