Ruin Road - by Lamar Giles (Hardcover)

About the Book

High school football player Cade Webster buys a ring in a pawn shop, but when his wish that people stop acting scared of him seems to be coming true, he remembers the ring came with a warning--"When the strangeness begins, come back"--and suddenly people seem to have lost their fear of everything.

Book Synopsis

"My twin, Lamar, is a phenomenal innovative storyteller... A true king!" -- Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Grown and The Weight of Blood

Sometimes a little fear is a good thing...

Cade Webster lives between worlds. He's a standout football star at the right school but lives in the wrong neighborhood--if you let his classmates tell it. Everywhere but home, people are afraid of him for one reason or another. Afraid he's too big, too fast, too ambitious, too Black.

Then one fateful night, to avoid a dangerous encounter with the police, he ducks into a pawn shop. An impulse purchase and misspoken desire change everything when Cade tells the shopkeeper he wishes people would stop acting so scared around him, and the wish is granted...

At first, it feels like things have taken a turn for the better. But it's not just Cade that people no longer fear--it's everything. With Cade spreading this newfound "courage" wherever he goes, anything can happen. Fearless acts of violence begin to escalate in both his neighborhood and at school. With the right moves, and brave friends, Cade might have one -- and only one -- chance to save all he loves. But at what cost? After all, the devil's in the details.

Review Quotes

Praise for Lamar Giles

"My twin, Lamar, is a phenomenal innovative storyteller. His thrillers have laid the groundwork for us all. A true king!" -- Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Grown and The Weight of Blood

"Lamar Giles's work always has something to say, and it's well worth your while to listen." -- Barry Lyga, New York Times bestselling author of I Hunt Killers

"When I think of Lamar Giles's work, I think of the books that make kids love reading. Whether it's through a fantasy adventure or a nuanced YA novel, he offers readers smart characters who face impossible circumstances that will keep them guessing until the end. A Lamar Giles book never disappoints." -- Meg Medina, New York Times bestselling author of Burn Baby Burn

Praise for Ruin Road

Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

"Lamar Giles's latest thriller is filled with chilling haunts and horrors, not just in the magical curse that burdens the main character, but in the authentic real-life struggles and stigmas that plague him. A brilliant concept, deftly executed!" -- Neal Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of the Arc of a Scythe series

"Ruin Road brims with malice, each page sure to drag readers into a community's -- and boy's -- fight against the greedy forces preying on them. Exceptional and not to be missed!" -- Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She Is a Haunting

"Riveting, grounded horror tinged with characters who leap to life. Lamar Giles writes with imagination and urgency that will appeal to all horror fans, as Ruin Road raises an intriguing question with surprising answers: What would we be like if we had no fear?" -- Tananarive Due, American Book Award winner and author of The Reformatory

"A refreshing tale with twists you'll never see coming. Giles crafts an action-packed story, filled with both real-life and supernatural terrors. Ruin Road pulls your heartstrings tight and keeps you on your toes!" -- Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal

"From the first line, Ruin Road lets you know you're in the hands of a master. The story moves with the knowing swagger of its main character, Cade Webster, fascinating, charismatic, and layered. With elements of Stephen King and a double helping of that Giles magic that makes his work so unforgettable, Ruin Road is a blast of terror, heart, and intelligence, with a dash of social commentary. Giles is in peak form, and you don't want to miss out!" -- Maurice Broaddus, author of Unfadeable

★ "Giles's robust descriptions of the setting and nuanced characterization provide this intricately plotted story with incredible depth. Occasional perspective shifts deftly flesh out the landscape of suspenseful supernatural elements, and abhorrent acts of racism bring a sobering sense of reality to this magic-filled story. A riveting thriller that seamlessly incorporates powerful social themes." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "This edge-of-the-seat thriller uses occult horror elements to explore racism, classism, family, and grief... making this a genre-bending adventure that will leave readers wanting more." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★ "This book absolutely delivers as a Twilight Zone-style spine-tingler that's almost impossible to put down." -- Booklist (starred review)

★ "An unnerving, spine-tingling paranormal horror novel driven by a frank and sharp dissection of race and class." --Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Giles's horror thriller is expertly crafted and indeed truly horrifying, weaving many threads into this tapestry of evil.... Pair this with Giles's The Getaway for a double-header of evil and mayhem." --Horn Book

"Giles blends horror and social commentary in this innovative tale." -- Washington Post

Praise for The Getaway

YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults

YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

"Timely, thrilling, and gripping from start to finish. An absolute page-turner." -- Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

"The Getaway grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. I was immediately fascinated and disturbed by the fictional Karloff Country. You too will be lured in and then horrified by the truth behind those perfect customer service smiles..." -- Malinda Lo, New York Times best selling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

★"With hints of Cory Doctorow, Jordan Peele, and Richard Matheson, this book stands on its own as a dystopian adventure, but the deeper metaphors around servitude, privilege, class, and solidarity mean that there's a lot to think about as the characters reckon with their proximity to and complicity in violence both local and far-flung. Hold tight: You'll want to stay on this nightmarish roller coaster till the end." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★"This arresting and engaging dystopian thriller interrogates the horrors of racism, classism, unregulated capitalism and eco-fascism." -- Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Giles's harrowing dystopian novel combines an exploration of capitalistic greed and systemic racism and oppression with gripping psychological horror, resulting in a read that is guaranteed to terrify." --Publishers Weekly

"With elements of adventure, science fiction, horror, and even a bit of romance in a broken world, Giles keeps readers wondering who can and cannot be trusted throughout this page-turning novel." -- Horn Book

Praise for Spin

New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

"The first test of a whodunit is how heart-stopping and strange a thing has actually been dun. In Spin, Lamar Giles nails the murder... What's even more impressive is the subtle stuff you almost don't notice because Giles wears his intellect so lightly: the masterly knowledge of hip-hop and R&B; the command of technology's uses and abuses; the discerning ear for the way high schoolers talk... A two-time nominee for an Edgar award, Giles is a terrific plotter... Spin champions the resourcefulness of teenagers and pities the grown-ups -- villainous or just clueless -- who underestimate them." -- New York Times Book Review

★ "Not to be missed." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "Spin delivers everything you could want in a book: lush, complex characters; a spine-chilling plot; a vividly drawn world; and, best of all, hip-hop." -- Booklist (starred review)

★ "This novel transcends its genre." -- School Library Journal (starred review)

★"This fast-paced tale seizes attention from the first thrown punch to the final curtain call...." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Lamar Giles has spun together a fast-paced, music-forward whodunit..." -- School Library Connection

Praise for Overturned

A YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

★"An utterly compelling whodunit." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Giles, a founding member of We Need Diverse Books and two-time Edgar Award finalist, is in top form, weaving together the threads of his whodunit-and-why and resonantly depicting his characters' home and school lives. As a poker genius Nikki may be a singular sort of teenager, but she's grounded in desires and motivations that make her story as moving as it is thrilling." -- New York Times Book Review

"Another Giles winner." -- BCCB

"A fast-paced, endlessly intriguing mystery." -- Booklist

"Giles excels at pulpy crime drama, including a romance with a wealthy casino heir, scattering a trail of clues and bluffs to keep readers guessing." -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Lamar Giles is the critically acclaimed author of Ruin Road; The Getaway, a YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction title and a Quick Pick; Spin, which was a New York Times Editors' Choice and a YALSA Quick Pick; Overturned, which was also a YALSA Quick Pick; Not So Pure and Simple; Fake ID, which was an Edgar Award finalist and a YALSA Quick Pick; and Endangered, which was also an Edgar Award finalist, as well as numerous middle-grade novels and comics. He is the editor of the anthology Fresh Ink. Lamar is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. He resides in Virginia with his family.