THEY STAY
Book 1
BOOK 1
To a necromancer, the dead aren’t gone—they just need a new body.
16-year-old Shiloh Oleson would do anything for her little brother Max. Protecting him is all she’s ever known how to do, especially with things at home being as … well, crappy as they are. So when he goes missing after tee-ball practice, her world implodes.
She would do anything to get him back. Then this girl she barely knows corners her at school and says she knows where Max is. Her source?
A ghost.
Yep. A ghost told her.
Shiloh is forced to confront a horrifying truth: some psycho kidnapped Max and plans to kill him and use his body to bring another boy back from the dead. He’s going to murder Max soon, so Shiloh teams up with a quirky medium who can talk to the dead, her brainy boyfriend, and the school bad boy with a ridiculously punchable smirk to solve the mystery of who this necromancer is and where he’s keeping Max before her brother is gone for good.
Someone will have to die to save the boy. Who will it be?
There’s no way she’s going to believe in ghosts. But when her sibling is kidnapped, the only clues she has come from the other side…
Shiloh Oleson loves her six-year-old brother more than life. So the headstrong teen’s world shatters when he goes missing after tee-ball practice and her abusive father gives up the search. But the devastated girl doesn’t know what to think when a weirdo classmate claims a dead spirit told her his location.
Outright rejecting any paranormal garbage, Shiloh and her friends frantically investigate a similar disappearance in the hope of uncovering the truth. But all the desperate teenager unearths are disturbing secrets about her family, the school… and a sinister force on her tail.
Can the determined young woman bring the little boy home before all hell breaks loose?
Content warning: Contains scenes of physical and mental abuse, alcoholism, and abduction.
praise for they stay
“This is a powerful novel that shows a lot of promise from its author. Fraise has outdone herself in not only creating a gripping plot that keeps the pages turning, but also crafting something that feels original and new. Shiloh is a compelling main character, and we're offered her idiosyncrasies and love for Max early on in a way that feels smart. Francesca's participation feels like a great addition, and I'm sure many readers will gravitate towards her as their favorite. All in all, this is one of the strongest books I came across in this competition, and it deserves every bit of its strong reception.”
— Writer’s Digest
"This story held me in its ghostly grip from start to finish, and the twists left me reeling."
— Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake and Burden Falls
"Fraise's novel is a tense thrill-ride of a read. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough, partly because I was so engrossed and partly because I knew I had to finish it before nightfall or I'd never sleep a wink. It features a cast of beautifully broken characters who find the strength in their unlikely bond to face unspeakable evil. This is a book that will seep beneath your skin and haunt you long after you turn the final page."
— E.E. Holmes, bestselling author of Spirit Legacy
"An intriguing paranormal mystery with unforgettable characters and poignant meditations on grief, family, and trauma."
— Emma Berquist, author of Missing, Presumed Dead
What readers are saying
“This was such a good read. There were suspenseful parts, heart wrenching parts and mystery all throughout the book. Hard to find a book that has plot twists you haven’t seen before.”
“A story of courage, heart and trust, They Stay is a unique Supernatural YA Thriller that I enjoyed every second of reading.”
“Wow!!! Just wow. I loved this story and need book two! It was thrilling and suspenseful, funny and cute, and so very sad. I read this book in a day. I could not put it down!”
“The story was so original that I couldn’t even guess what was going to happen and that last page…. Dear lord I might have screamed but DO NOT jump ahead! Read it all!”
