The Cold Is in Her Bones

Milla has grown up on her family's farm, taught that demons are real and that fear keeps a person safe. She is never allowed into the village. Her only friend is her older brother, Niklas, so when a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes the loneliness is over.

Iris is hiding something she has been forbidden to tell. A demon haunts the village and possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in dread of its next choice. Now it appears the demon has chosen Iris.

When Iris is captured and locked away with other possessed girls, Milla leaves the farm to free her and end the curse for good. She travels with a secret of her own: something is changing inside her, and she may soon become a demon too.

This is a dark fairy tale for young readers, inspired by the myth of Medusa. It deals in love, revenge and redemption, and its tone is angry and suspenseful, with a vividly imagined world. The mood stays shadowed throughout, and the friendship at its center gives the story its warmth.