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Nest of Tongues

Nest of Tongues

HorrorYoung Adult
Pages
384
Language
English

Synopsis

Lily and Caleb are manananggal — vampires out of Philippine folklore, who sprout wings and detach from their lower bodies to hunt at night. When a monster hunter kills one of their kind and marks Caleb as his next prey, the siblings have to protect their secrets, their community and, most of all, each other. A lyrical, evocative horror novel from the National Book Award finalist behind Patron Saints of Nothing, weaving teenage angst, family responsibility and identity through old-world myth.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

DarkCreepyAtmosphericEmotionalTense
Secret IdentityComing of Age

Genres

Horror Young Adult Vampire YA Fantasy Folklore

About the author

R
Randy Ribay

Randy Ribay is a Filipino American author of young adult fiction. Born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest, he studied English literature at the University of Colorado Boulder and holds a master's degree in language and literacy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education; he has also worked as a high school English teacher. His novels include An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes (2015), After the Shot Drops (2018), Patron Saints of Nothing (2019) and Everything We Never Had (2024...

Characters

LilyProtagonist

A manananggal who hunts, and whose brother becomes a hunter's target.

CalebProtagonist

Lily's brother, marked for death by a monster hunter.

All characters in Nest of Tongues

Frequently asked questions

  • Does this book resolve its main conflict or is it a cliffhanger?

    The narrative provides a satisfying conclusion to the central plot while leaving thematic and narrative space for a potential sequel.

  • Are there any notable structural elements to the story?

    The story features the siblings' grandparents, who provide moments of comedic relief that contrast with the more intense, high-stakes sequences.