It Looks Like Us

From the author of To Break a Covenant comes an edge-of-your-seat read that will leave your heart pounding. One week ago, Riley Kowalski joined a team of four other teens for an internship on climate change research in the Antarctic, sponsored by one of the world's largest tech companies. It was just the opportunity she had been searching for―an escape from the ridicule she'd received after a panic attack at school, a fresh start. But their small team isn't alone in the remote, frozen reaches of the polar south. In the eerie haze of evening sunlight, Riley sees something out of the corner of her eye―something that's watching them. She writes it off as the effects of her anxiety, but when their expedition leader begins to change―her limbs elongating, her body contorting―and grow violent, Riley knows the danger she feels is real. Something is stalking them, infecting them, and slowly infiltrating the team. There is more to this research trip than any of them bargained for, and if they aren't careful, none of them will make it out alive.

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—This is a fun and scary horror send-up. Beginning with a quote from John Carpenter's The Thing, this novel immediately clues readers in to its simple premise; it's The Thing, but with teenagers. A group of teen interns in the Antarctic think they are collecting environmental samples, but they are actually there as part of a tech billionaire's plot to capture a shapeshifting monster. When the monster inevitably escapes, it begins to infect the teens with a flesh-eating virus, collecting them into a hivemind. Many elements are referential to 1970s and 1980s horror and action films—The Breakfast Club set of teen characters, the final girl hunting the monster back with a flamethrower, etc. This story definitely leans into tropes with an enjoyable effect, including a positive reversal of romantic tropes with an asexual main character. This edge-of-your-seat, action-packed story is perfect for teens looking for a scary winter read. Some body horror elements may be disturbing to sensitive readers, and this story contains strong language. VERDICT Highly recommended for horror fans.—Jeri Murphy

School Library Journal, starred review

"This edge-of-your-seat, action-packed story is perfect for teens looking for a scary winter read. [...] Highly recommended for horror fans."

Booklist

"An homage to John Carpenter's The Thing, [...] Ames' second novel is delightfully gruesome and truly scary. A must-read for horror fans."

Kirkus Reviews

"The unforgiving setting is automatically fascinating, and the monster is a good, gory, bone-cracking invention [...] fans of horror will find a lot to enjoy."

Publishers Weekly

"Readers looking for a full-on creature feature won't be disappointed [...] [T]he dynamic cast and their complex relationships propel this frightful adventure toward a bloody conclusion."

BCCB

"Lightning-paced."

Erica Waters, author of The River Has Teeth

"Eerie, unsettling, and absolutely captivating, It Looks Like Us hooked me on the first page and never let me go. Ames has crafted a chilling eco horror novel that will keep you reading late into the night, engrossed by its shape-shifting horrors."

Courtney Gould, author of The Dead and the Dark

"Ames has truly hit her stride in this bone-chilling story of isolation, resilience, and the monstrous nature of man. Be sure to lock your doors, because this book is as creeping and deadly as the Antarctic cold, and just as unforgiving."

About the Author

Alison Ames is the author of the upcoming To Break a Covenant. She lives in Colorado with a lot of animals and her almost-wife.

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