As I Descended
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

Maria and Lily aren't just roommates at their prestigious prep school they're secretly in love. They plan to go to Stanford together, but that dream can only become reality if Maria wins the Cawdor Kingsley Prize and scholarship. But Delilah Dufrey, Maria's rival, is the clear favorite, despite an addiction to the painkillers she swipes from Lily, who was left disabled after a childhood accident. Their school, built on an old southern plantation, is rumored to be haunted, and armed with a Ouija board, Maria and Lily desperately contact these spirits for help taking down Delilah, only to find that what they unleash is stronger than they can control. This update of Macbeth is best when it expands on the original; at times, it cleaves too closely to the source material, leaving few surprises. Still, Talley wrestles with interesting themes, including several same-sex relationships and race relations in the contemporary South Latina Maria is constantly reminded of the school's white supremacist past. An intriguing, appropriately atmospheric take on one of Shakespeare's most spine-tingling plays.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist

Talley (What We Left Behind) creates a dark and twisted gothic boarding school setting replete with vengeful spirits, drugs, and suicide in this Shakespeare-inspired tragedy. Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten, roommates at Virginia's exclusive Acheron Academy, are also secretly in love. The girls plan on attending Stanford after graduation, far from disapproving parents and peers. Standing in their way is Delilah Dufrey, the school's golden girl, who is poised to win the coveted Cawdor Kingsley Prize, which guarantees the winner full tuition to the college of their choice. Lily uses a Ouija board and Maria's belief in the paranormal to persuade her that they should expose Deliah's drug use, but her plans go horribly awry when the girls inadvertently release angry ghosts. Third-person narration shifts among multiple characters, revealing more to readers than they do to each other. As Talley adeptly weaves elements of horror into the narrative, she creates an ominous yet comfortable boarding school environment that lulls readers into a false sense of security while setting them up for the next chilling event. Ages 14-up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 10 Up-Something wicked comes to Virginia's elite Acheron Academy in this modern retelling of one of Shakespeare's darkest works. Overachiever and second-most-popular girl Maria, who is bisexual, and her scheming girlfriend, Lily, who is disabled and a lesbian, are determined to have Maria win the coveted Kingsley Prize, which guarantees entrance into any college and will enable the couple to stay together after high school. A séance reveals cryptic prophecies and opens the door to a plethora of spirits, leaving the girls unable to control their own action. Their cruel and manipulative plans to unseat the most popular girl are just the first of many schemes that go horribly wrong. Before long, Maria and Lily are not the only ones admitting to interacting with spirits. Students are having bad dreams, hearing phantom noises, and seeing ghosts. The couple's desire for power grows, and what looked like ruthlessness now seems like madness. As the tragedy unfolds, no one at Acheron is safe-least of all Maria and Lily. Talley's novel is ambitious but successfully so. The work address racism, classism, and homophobia, all couched in a horror retelling of Macbeth. Notably, all four of the main characters-Maria, Lily, Mateo, and Brandon-are not straight. Those familiar with the source material will not be surprised at how the story plays out, but knowing the eventual outcomes does not diminish Talley's dark tale about fate and ambition. VERDICT A highly recommended, absorbing read with wide appeal.-Amanda MacGregor, Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, MN © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Maria and Lily aren't just roommates at their prestigious prep school—they're secretly in love. They plan to go to Stanford together, but that dream can only become reality if Maria wins the Cawdor Kingsley Prize and scholarship. But Delilah Dufrey, Maria's rival, is the clear favorite, despite an addiction to the painkillers she swipes from Lily, who was left disabled after a childhood accident. Their school, built on an old southern plantation, is rumored to be haunted, and armed with a Ouija board, Maria and Lily desperately contact these spirits for help taking down Delilah, only to find that what they unleash is stronger than they can control. This update of Macbeth is best when it expands on the original; at times, it cleaves too closely to the source material, leaving few surprises. Still, Talley wrestles with interesting themes, including several same-sex relationships and race relations in the contemporary South—Latina Maria is constantly reminded of the school's white supremacist past. An intriguing, appropriately atmospheric take on one of Shakespeare's most spine-tingling plays. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Talley (What We Left Behind) creates a dark and twisted gothic boarding school setting replete with vengeful spirits, drugs, and suicide in this Shakespeare-inspired tragedy. Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten, roommates at Virginia's exclusive Acheron Academy, are also secretly in love. The girls plan on attending Stanford after graduation, far from disapproving parents and peers. Standing in their way is Delilah Dufrey, the school's golden girl, who is poised to win the coveted Cawdor Kingsley Prize, which guarantees the winner full tuition to the college of their choice. Lily uses a Ouija board and Maria's belief in the paranormal to persuade her that they should expose Deliah's drug use, but her plans go horribly awry when the girls inadvertently release angry ghosts. Third-person narration shifts among multiple characters, revealing more to readers than they do to each other. As Talley adeptly weaves elements of horror into the narrative, she creates an ominous yet comfortable boarding school environment that lulls readers into a false sense of security while setting them up for the next chilling event. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Sept.)

Gr 10 Up—Something wicked comes to Virginia's elite Acheron Academy in this modern retelling of one of Shakespeare's darkest works. Overachiever and second-most-popular girl Maria, who is bisexual, and her scheming girlfriend, Lily, who is disabled and a lesbian, are determined to have Maria win the coveted Kingsley Prize, which guarantees entrance into any college and will enable the couple to stay together after high school. A séance reveals cryptic prophecies and opens the door to a plethora of spirits, leaving the girls unable to control their own action. Their cruel and manipulative plans to unseat the most popular girl are just the first of many schemes that go horribly wrong. Before long, Maria and Lily are not the only ones admitting to interacting with spirits. Students are having bad dreams, hearing phantom noises, and seeing ghosts. The couple's desire for power grows, and what looked like ruthlessness now seems like madness. As the tragedy unfolds, no one at Acheron is safe—least of all Maria and Lily. Talley's novel is ambitious but successfully so. The work address racism, classism, and homophobia, all couched in a horror retelling of Macbeth. Notably, all four of the main characters—Maria, Lily, Mateo, and Brandon—are not straight. Those familiar with the source material will not be surprised at how the story plays out, but knowing the eventual outcomes does not diminish Talley's dark tale about fate and ambition. VERDICT A highly recommended, absorbing read with wide appeal.—Amanda MacGregor, Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, MN