When seventeen-year-old Riley is murdered in an occult ritual, the witch's daughter Madelyn resurrects her in an attempt to break the cycle of violence and escape the horrors of Voynich Woods

Ages 14-18

"Voynich Woods has rules: Always carry a whistle. Never go alone. Always come home before dark. And if anyone calls your name, don't answer. Riley knows better than to stray from the trail in the woods behind her house. But when her little sister, Sam, breaks the rules in pursuit of a local legend, Riley chases after her and discovers a knife-wielding figure and a waiting grave. Madelyn lives deep in the forest. Subject to her mother's strict rules, she's forbidden from leaving home or using her magic -- but one night, she risks everything to help a stranger who got lost in the woods. Riley is murdered in a strange ritual, and Madelyn uses her magic to resurrect her, immediately entwining them both in the gnarled history of Voynich Woods. Riley, who feels trapped in her small town but too afraid to leave, was never a believer, but now the evidence is taking root under her skin. Madelyn has the scars to prove how terrible magic can be, and she longs for a life beyond her mother's grasp. As old legends become all too real, Riley and Madelyn must confront their deepest fears to survive the woods and uncover the truth. At once tender, violent, and thrilling, Dead Girls Don't Dream is a novel about the monsters we fear and the monsters we risk becoming." --

Grades 10-12