The Companion

Winner of the Edgar Award for Young Adult Fiction!

The other orphans say Margot is lucky.
Lucky to survive the horrible accident that killed her family.
Lucky to have her own room because she wakes up screaming every night.
And finally, lucky to be chosen by a prestigious family to live at their remote country estate.

But it wasn’t luck that made the Suttons rescue Margot from her bleak existence at the group home.  Margot was handpicked to be a companion to their silent, mysterious daughter, Agatha. At first, helping with Agatha–and getting to know her handsome younger brother–seems much better than the group home. But soon, the isolated house begins playing tricks on Margot’s mind, making her question everything she believes about the Suttons . . . and herself.  

Margot’s bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha – but the real nightmare has just begun.

PRAISE FOR THE COMPANION

Winner of the Edgar Award for Young Adult Fiction
GoodReads Top Horror Novels of 2020
 
“[A] new life comes with a new home, where there are many things that go bump in the night.” —Bustle
 
“The best part about The Companion is the story’s ability to surprise you. Most Gothic horror tales, generally, tend to follow certain formats and include certain tropes. This novel definitely features all those elements but deploys them in such a way that you’re never quite sure what you’re looking at.  It constantly shifting plot makes The Companion difficult to put down, and will likely leave you reading long into the night.” —Culturess
 
“Katie Alender delivers a suspenseful story in her latest novel that will make you never want to trust a stranger ever again… Katie Alender knows how to write and she knows how to give you suspense. I would read this in the dead of night and would find my heart pounding.” —The Fandom
 
“Margot’s narration feels intimate, especially when she reflects on her potent grief, and Agatha is never used as a prop: She and Margot develop a silent communication that transcends speech. The palpable and steadily building sense of dread throughout is enhanced by a whisper of the supernatural. A pitch-perfect contemporary gothic.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“The suspense and chills are there, and the plot advances the story to a dramatic conclusion that, even if readers can see it coming, is still startling. This book hits all the notes of a solid thriller—creepy mansion, dark family secrets, a little romance, and a plucky heroine. Fans of suspense will enjoy this outing. Alender creates another tingly tale just right for escaping into this summer.” —School Library Journal

August 2020 from Penguin Teen.

The Companion is a standalone novel.