SCOWLER

Nineteen-year-old Ry Burke, his mother, and his little sister eke out a living on their dying family farm. Ry wishes for anything to distract him from the grim memories of his father's physical and emotional abuse. Then a meteorite falls from the sky, bringing with it not only a fragment from another world, but also the arrival of a ruthless man intent on destroying the entire family. Soon Ry is forced to defend himself by resurrecting a trio of imaginary childhood protectors: kind Mr. Furrington, wise Jesus Christ, and the bloodthirsty Scowler. Equal parts mesmerizing and horrifying, Daniel Kraus's SCOWLER peers through a dark, warped glass at the remnants of an American dream.

Daniel Kraus is Senior Editor of Booklist magazine, author of four young adult novels, and the director of six feature films. His debut novel, The Monster Variations (Random House), was selected to New York Public Library’s “100 Best Stuff for Teens.” Fangoria called his second novel, Rotters (Random House), “a new horror classic.” It received three starred reviews, won the Odyssey Award, the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and was a Bram Stoker Award Finalist. He is also co-writing Trollhunters (Hyperion) with Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Kraus has written regularly for such magazines as Cosmopolitan, Playboy, Maxim, and Salon.com. His feature films include Sheriff (2006 season premiere of PBS's Emmy-winning “Independent Lens”) and Musician (2007 New York Times Critics' Pick).