Flea in the Dark (PB) (2018)

Teresa just wants to spend the long weekend having fun with friends. But her parents stick her with taking care of her stupid little half-sister, Felicia--Flea.

But Teresa refuses to let Flea ruin her weekend plans, so she drags Flea with her to the banks of the Rio Grande, where Teresa meets up with her friends to drink beer and smoke weed.

In the midst of a lunar eclipse, painting the riverside blood red, Flea runs into the thick undergrowth of Albuquerque's Bosque Trail. When Teresa goes to find her, she catches only a glimpse of Flea before she vanishes with La Llorona, the mythical child-stealing ghost.

Frantic, Teresa entreats a witch to enable her to find her sister. To do so, she must travel to an alternate Albuquerque, where the past and present are one and madness reigns.

Flea in the Dark marks the debut of Devon Stevens, who deftly incorporates elements of Southwestern folklore and Lovecraftian horror.

This compelling modern fantasy explores the intricacies of a mixed-race family, the absurdity of discrimination based on appearance, and the difficulty in coming to terms with the past to discover a greater capacity to love.