British readers are in for a treat this July with a selection of new paperbacks that span genres from supernatural family sagas to psychological thrillers. Nigerian-British novelist Oyinkan Braithwaite returns with 'Cursed Daughters', a spectral follow-up to her acclaimed debut 'My Sister, the Serial Killer'. The novel follows the Falodun family, haunted by a curse that causes heartbreak across generations, exploring dark secrets that bind women together.
American author Michael Clune's first novel 'Pan' offers a harrowing look at adolescence and mental illness through 15-year-old Nicholas, who becomes possessed by the god Pan—or so he perceives his debilitating anxiety. The story delves into how teenage friends are drawn into a small cult led by a manipulative older man, blending realism with the supernatural.
Hal Ebbott's debut 'Among Friends' dissects male friendship through Amos and Emerson, college friends whose bond is tested during a 52nd birthday weekend. The novel is a sharp examination of abuse, family dynamics, and self-deception, ultimately shattering the facade of an ideal relationship.
Finally, 'The Matchbox' by a Danish author (unnamed in source) centres on Adelheid Brunner, a girl obsessed with matchboxes, who is admitted to a children's hospital. There, she and other young patients become subjects of study by doctors, sometimes helped, sometimes discarded—a poignant narrative about childhood fixations and medical observation.
