{"product_id":"and-the-trees-stare-back-9780823459124","title":"And the Trees Stare Back","description":"\u003cb\u003eMany go into the forest. Only one comes back.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e1989, Soviet Estonia. In sixteen-year-old Vik's village--and the cursed forest that looms beyond--danger is everywhere. Soldiers threaten those who so much as dream of dissent. The villagers' words are sharp with accusations of witchcraft. And deep in the heart of the wood, a lantern-eyed spirit lies in wait to disappear those who wander too far past the trees. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eVik knows because five years ago, she led her little sister Anna over that invisible line--and never saw her again. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe only thing Vik has wished for since then is her sister's safe return. So when Anna stumbles back through the tree line on the anniversary of her disappearance, it's a miracle... \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOr is it a lie? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs unsettling inconsistencies between this girl and the one who vanished reveal themselves, Vik starts to doubt whether this Anna is her Anna--or something else entirely. Whoever she is, one thing is clear: she was never meant to escape the trees. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAnd unless Vik can uncover the secrets of the forest, it's going to take her back. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRooted in real history with a speculative twist, the horrors of And The Trees Stare Back are the ones we already know: existing as a marginalized person under a hostile state. Raising powerful questions about whose humanity counts and how to survive if the governing body decides yours doesn't, this politically incisive folk-horror irresistibly explores ever-relevant legacies of activism and solidarity. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGigi Griffis \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of the Netflix tie-in novel \u003ci\u003eThe Empress\u003c\/i\u003e and creepy YA horror \u003ci\u003eThe Wicked Unseen \u003c\/i\u003e(2023), \u003ci\u003eWe Are The Beasts \u003c\/i\u003e(2024), and \u003ci\u003eAnd The Trees Stare Back\u003c\/i\u003e (2025), among other things. She's a sucker for little-known histories, \"unlikable\" female characters, and all things Europe. After almost ten years of semi-nomadic life, she now lives in Portugal with an opinionated Yorkie-mix named Luna and a collection of very nerdy books. Gigi's work has been translated into 19+ languages, and she has been featured in \u003ci\u003eTeen Vogue\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNetflix Tudum\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Salon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGay Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and more.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Holiday House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51298701607186,"sku":"9780823459124","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9b388bd8-bbd5-4382-991a-0d854154c03e.jpg?v=1747832609","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/and-the-trees-stare-back-9780823459124","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}