The Corruption of Hollis Brown

From acclaimed author K. Ancrum comes a queer romantic thriller in which the lives of Hollis, a boy in search of meaning, and Walt, a spirit with unfinished business, collide when Walt takes possession of Hollis’s body…and maybe his heart. For fans of Adam Silvera and Aiden Thomas!

ASchool Library Journal2025 Stars So Far list pick!

Hollis Brown is stuck. Born to a blue-collar American Dream, Hollis lives in a rotting small town where no one can afford to leave. Hollis’s only bright spots are his two best friends, cool girls Annie and Yulia, and the thrill of fighting his classmates.

As if his circumstances couldnt get worse, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger named Walt results in a frightening trap. After unknowingly making a deal at the crossroads, Hollis finds himself losing control of his body and mind, falling victim to possession. Walt, the ghost making a home inside him, has a deep and violent history rooted in the town Hollis grew up in and he has unfinished business to take care of.

As Walt and Hollis begin working together to put Walts spirit to rest, an unspeakable bond forms between them, and the boys begin falling for one another in unexpected ways. But its only a matter of time before Holliss best friends begin to notice that something about Hollis isnt quiteright.

With the threat of a long-overdue exorcism looming before them, will Walt and Hollis be able to protect their love and undo the curse that turned their town from a garden of possibility into a place where dreams go to die?

K. Ancrumis the author of award-winning thrillers, notablyThe Wicker Kingand most recentlyLethal Lit: Murder of Crows. K. is a Chicago native passionate about diversity and representation in young adult fiction. She currently writes most of her work in the lush gardens of the Art Institute of Chicago.

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publish Date: April 22, 2025
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9780063285835
• Dimensions: 8.3 X 5.5 X 1.2 inches | .9 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Teens & YAMystery, Thrillers & Crime, Teens & YARomance, Teens & YAPopular Fiction