Empty Heaven

By Author / Illustrator

Freddie Kölsch

Genre

Horror

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Farshore YA

ISBN

9780008623524

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

11-09-2025

Synopsis

"This sensational YA debut blends tense, terrifying horror with dark humour, queer romance and hugely original storytelling." The Guardian on Now, Conjurers

You are safe, my child. You are loved, my child. You are surrounded by the good earth.

Darian Sabine Arden loves her family's summer home in the picturesque Massachusetts village of Kesuquosh. It's where her three best friends live, and it's the only place in her life where she isn't haunted by reminders of the worst thing that ever happened to her. The villager's belief in a godlike, benevolent scarecrow who protects the town only adds to the charming local colour. But when Darian's magnetic, mercurial crush KJ is chosen during a bizarre ritual on Halloween, Darian is forced to admit that Good Arcturus is more than just a quaint, folksy superstition - he's terrifyingly real.

Something ancient and sinister lurks behind the autumnal fields and warmly glowing windows of Kesuquosh. Something that doesn't take kindly to its paradise being threatened by a group of scrappy, weird teenagers. To save KJ - and themselves - Darian and her friends will have to follow a tangled trail of clues and question everything they thought they knew about their home. And Darian will have to finally face up to her own ghosts...

EMPTY HEAVEN is a YA-crossover horror novel about queer found family, redemptive romance, overcoming trauma, and the dark sides of beautiful places. Full of cinematic prose, and late-90s grunge music, it asks: who pays the price for perfection? And what if the real monsters don't always look like monsters?

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Reviews

Clair

Empty Heaven is a truly terrifying supernatural horror which contains themes that are suited to a young adult reader. It is set in a creepy small town of Kesuquosh, New England, where all seems perfect on the surface. Darian Sabine Arden spends her summers there with friends as a place to escape to and to recover from past trauma. However, it soon becomes apparent that the locals are part of a cult, following and worshiping a scarecrow figure known as Good Arturus…

If you enjoy a creepy setting and an emotional storyline, this book is for you. I liked the supportive, queer friendship group who shared their stories and looked out for one another. I found that this gave it added depth and interest and helped to give some balance to the horror element. I did quite enjoy the dark humour but I'm not a fan of offensive language and this book contained more than I felt was needed.

Some of the themes explored by Empty Heaven are also quite heavy so you would need to be in the right mindset to read this one. The darkness is counteracted with light and there is a positive outcome for the main character who processes her trauma.

Freddie Kolsch's writing is utterly gripping and in places I found myself fully immersed. Empty Heaven is a compelling read. It will appeal to readers that are interested in LGBTQ+ themes, fans of Kalynn Bayron and VE Schwab.

Content of Note: Mention of child sexual abuse, suicide and attempted suicide, bereavement, drug taking and dealing, drug overdose and strong language throughout. Also contains horror, gore, violence and witchcraft (but you’d expect that from this genre!)

496 pages / Reviewed by Clair Bossons, school librarian