The Devil and Winnie Flynn

Now in paperback!

Winnie Flynn doesn’t believe in ghosts. (Though she wouldn’t mind a visit from her mom, explaining why she took her own life.) When her mysterious aunt Maggie, a high-profile TV producer, recruits Winnie to spend a summer working as a production assistant on her current reality hit, Fantastic, Fearsome, she suddenly finds herself in the one place her mother would never go: New Jersey.

New Jersey’s famous Devil makes perfect fodder for Maggie’s show. But as the filming progresses, Winnie sees and hears things that make her think that the Devil might not be totally fake after all. Things that involve her and her family. Things about her mother’s death that might explain why she’s never met Aunt Maggie until now.

Winnie soon discovers her family’s history is deeply entwined with the Devil’s. If she’s going to make it out of the Pine Barrens alive, she might have to start believing in what her aunt is telling her. And, find out what she isn’t.

"In a story written primarily as a letter from Winnie to her best friend , the Ostow siblings (So Punk Rock) incorporate maps, transcripts, storyboards, and wiki pages to create a 360-degree view of reality TV's inner workings.... Pop-culture asides lighten the mood of this terrifying and addictive novel."  — Publishers Weekly

"Written as a scrapbook-style letter for her friend Lucia, this novel is a mixed-media adventure filled with dry humor, illustrations, shooting scripts, and other ephemera beyond the traditional narrative....Sure to have high appeal for horror fans." — School Library Journal

"Micol Ostow carefully weaves themes of feminism in and among the tropes commonly used in horror, and equally meticulous plot twists turn the story into a genuine mystery. Winnie's narrative voice is grounded, critical, and humorous, all while being true to that of a teenager... This stylish novel is both a celebration of horror as a genre and chilling in its own right." — Kirkus Reviews 

"This mix of reality TV, your fave pop culture horror moments and Winnie's sarcastic narration blends into a suspensefully creeptastic thriller." — Justine Magazine

"Great twists... Readers who love reality television, especially the behind-the-scenes elements, as well as those who love thinking about the world of creation will dig Winnie’s story and the means through which the Ostows reveal it. A creative, engaging, memorable read." — Book Riot

*An Amazon.com bestseller

*A Kirkus Reviews Standout YA Novel of 2015

*Featured on mtv.com, ew.com, and nj.com

*A Book Riot Quarterly Selection

 


AMITY

Connor's family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic break. But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?

Because Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she's done before. As she'll do again. And again. And again.

"A dark read for a darker night." - Kirkus Reviews

"Ostow evokes classic Stephen King with this disturbing story." - Publishers Weekly  

"A page-turning thriller, Amity will have readers begging to keep the lights on at night." - VOYA

*A BookRiot Scariest YA Horror Story Selection

*A Buzzfeed Top 13 YA Novels to Spook You Selection

*An NYPL Favorite Spookly Tale of 2014

*A School Library Journal Recommended Horror Novel of 2014

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Family

It is a day like any other when seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. Henry is the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry’s family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs.  And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go.

Told in episodic verse, family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they’ll go to to make themselves “whole” again.

"Dark, mesmerizing, and hazy." — Publishers Weekly

*A Favorite Book of 2012 by Liz Burns (SLJ's "A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy)

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So Punk Rock (and other ways to disappoint your mother)

Despite his dreams of hipster rock glory, Ari Abramson's band, the Tribe, is more white bread than indie-cred. Made up of four suburban teens from a wealthy Jewish school, their Mötley Crüe is about as hardcore as SAT prep and scripture studies. But after a one-song gig at a friend's Bar Mitzvah—a ska cover of "Hava Nagilah"—the Tribe's popularity erupts overnight. Now, Ari is forced to navigate a minefield of inflated egos, misplaced romance, and the shallowness of indie-rock elitism. It's a hard lesson in the complex art of playing it cool.

“A rollicking, witty, and ultra-contemporary book that drums on the funny bone and reverberates through the heart.”
—Booklist,
 starred review

"Ostow’s bildungsroman is a witty study of Jewish day-school culture...Readers will be engaged by Ari’s droll account of his struggle to achieve indie rock stardom."
—School Library Journal,
starred review

*A Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens

*An Independent Publishers Silver Medalist for Multicultural Fiction

*A Booklist Top Ten Young Adult Arts Books for Teens Selection

*A Booklist Top Ten Young Adult Religion Books for Teens Selection


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Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa

Emily is a Jewish girl from the suburbs of New York. Her mother has family in Puerto Rico, but Emily has never had contact with them—- ever. Then Emily’s grandmother dies and Emily is forced to go to the Caribbean for her funeral. Buttoned-up Emily wants nothing to do with her big, noisy Puerto Rican family, until a special person shows her that one dance can change the beat of your heart.

"A moving story that has a solid plotline and plenty of family secrets." - Booklist

*A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age


What Would my Cell phone Do

When Aggie Eckhart's family moves from Miami, Florida, to Denville, Alaska, because of her father's job, Aggie feels like a fish out of water. Not only is frozen Denville a far cry from sunny Miami, but she's got no friends, her mother is driving her crazy, and she loses her cell phone within the first month cutting off her lifeline to civilization. But when an online search for her phone (using the schmancy built-in GPS tracker) reveals that the cell is enjoying life up north much more than Aggie is, she adopts a whole new outlook. No more woe-is-me, now it's all WWMCPD (What Would My Cell Phone Do)? And before Aggie knows it, things are looking a whole lot brighter in this charming, fun, and lighthearted YA romance.

"Aggie's openness gives just enough heft to this coming of age tale." - Publishers Weekly


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Popular Vote

Erin Bright is pretty, polished, and popular--the perfect First Daughter. Her father is the mayor of their town, so photo shoots and Inauguration balls are a part of her life. In high school, Erin is politically involved as well; her handsome boyfriend has been student council president for the past two years. But THIS election season, things change. When Erin suddenly gets passionate about an environmental cause, she decides to run AGAINST her boyfriend...and to challenge what her dad stands for! Can Erin convince her friends, and herself, that she has what it takes to lead?

"With likeable, believable characters, this novel has plenty of appeal for teen readers." - Children's Literature

*An American Library Association Popular Paperback Selection

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