THE GHOSTS OF BITTERFLY BAY

A ghost must team up with the living girl she’s been haunting in order to defeat a monster out of her nightmares and save her little brother, from the author of The Curse of Eelgrass Bog.

Maudie isn’t your typical twelve-year-old girl—she’s the ghost of one. Along with her best friend Kit and little brother Scratch, she haunts a cottage in the woods, doing her best to scare off the vacationers and forget her old life.

But everything changes when Kit and Scratch go missing. Maudie knows something terrible must have happened, and she’s right: Longfingers—a monster from her own nightmares, with spidery fingers and needle-sharp teeth—has stolen her friends away.

Longfingers makes Maudie a twisted deal: find the key to a door in a mysterious cabin, or she’ll never see her friends again. With nobody else to turn to, Maudie has to beg for help from Gianna, the living girl she’s been haunting. Together, the girls search for a way to thwart the monster and save Maudie’s friends.

But Maudie’s keeping secrets about the cabin and her past. Unless she finds a way to finally face the truth, she may never be able to rescue her friends from Longfingers’s grasp.

Putnam/ Penguin Young Readers, February 4, 2025

"A sinister atmosphere leeches into the story, and a nightmare figure called Longfingers finds footing in the real world. Readers—especially fans of Lora Senf’s The Clackity—will happily tiptoe among them.” —Booklist

“This tale has all the trappings of a summer horror story, with slightly grotesque body horror (which may not be for the faint of heart) and an underlying tension that keeps the story moving at a quick pace. Plenty of unexpected twists and turns will pique the interest of new and old horror readers alike.” —BCCB

"A young ghost and a living girl face down an evil threat. One of Averling’s strengths is her ear for fresh figurative language…As she did in her debut, Averling endows her young protagonist with a mysterious supernatural origin story, a beguilingly weird setting, and an anchoring friend.” —Kirkus Reviews

"A spooky tale full of love, heartbreak, and the importance of facing the truth. This is an instant classic.” —ALLY MALINENKO, author of Bram Stoker Award finalist This Appearing House and Ghost Girl

"Fast-paced and full of heart, Mary Averling’s The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay pulled me in from the first page and didn’t let me go until the last word. This one belongs on school and library shelves everywhere.” —LORA SENF, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of the Blight Harbor series

“Just like the fog in Bitterfly Bay, this story creeps in and envelops you in its dark and strange atmosphere. A perfect balance of scares and thrills for middle grade readers, seamlessly blended with themes of hope, family, and belonging.” —NICOLE LESPERANCE, author of The Nightmare Thief and The Wide Starlight

"I have never rooted for a ghost before, but I was rooting for Maudie right from the start. The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay is a captivating story full of voice, thrills, and a whole lot of heart.” —SUPRIYA KELKAR, award-winning author of American as Paneer Pie and The Cobra’s Song

“A delightfully creepy, heartfelt adventure bursting with imagination. Read with the lights on!” —MARCYKATE CONNOLLY, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Weaver and The Thirteenth Circle

“As charming as it is creepy, The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay will transport readers through the veil and into a magical, twisty tale of family, friends, fear, and second chances that both sparks suspense and warms the heart.” —JUSTINE PUCELLA WINANS, author of the Stonewall Honor Book The Otherwoods

"Chilling, evocative, and brave—embrace your fears and meet the heartfelt ghosts of Bitterfly Bay who will continue to haunt you long after the last page.” —KAMILLA BENKO, USA Today bestselling author of Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows

“The weather is otherworldly, the flora and fauna are fluorescent, and your fellow vacationers hail from across the mortal veil. You won’t want to miss this enthralling tale full of wonder, enchantment, and chills.” —ROB RENZETTI, Cartoon Network creator and author of The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things