Demi-Gods

Book excerpt: A bold debut novel for fans of Emma Cline's The Girls and Edan Lepucki's California--a story of love, lust, and the spaces in between, from a "captivating" (NYTBR) new voice in fiction. It is 1950, and nine-year-old Willa's sheltered childhood is about to come to an end when her mother's beau arrives with his two sons to her family's summer home in British Columbia. As Willa's older sister pairs off with the older of these boys, Willa finds herself alone in the off-kilter company of the younger, Patrick. When, one afternoon, Patrick lures Willa into a dilapidated rowboat, Willa embarks upon an increasingly damaging relationship with Patrick, one that will forever reconfigure her understanding of herself. Demi-Gods traces the tumultuous years of Willa's coming-of-age as she is drawn further into Patrick's wicked games. Though they see each other only a handful of times, each of their encounters is increasingly charged with sexuality and degradation. When Willa finally realizes the danger of her relationship with Patrick, she desperately tries to reverse their dynamic, with devastating results. Daring, singular, and provocative, Demi-Gods announces the arrival of one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary literature.