The Bone Forest

"Sixteen-year-old Alessa Hale is seeking answers in the disappearance of her older sister, Aria, who wandered into the forest near their home in Pine Hollow, South Dakota two months ago and never returned. When Aria suddenly stumbles into town, soaked in blood, with no memory of her disappearance, the town and Alessa's own home are thrown into turmoil. The Hale family, already strained by grief and loss, try to hide Aria's bizarre behavior and violent outbursts from the prying eyes of their neighbors to keep up appearances. Within days of Aria's mysterious return, several more locals are reported missing. Each one vanished into the woods, at night with no trace of how or why they disappeared. The police are immediately suspicious of Aria, and her parents seem more concerned with upholding their duties to the church then helping their own daughter. Soon, Alessa will question the true intentions of everyone around her, including the town's priest., Father Samuel, who seems to believe Aria is beyond help. In the midst of all the chaos surrounding the local vanishings, Aria's behavior becomes erratic. She refuses to eat, she barely speaks, and she claims that voices are calling her name from deep inside the forest. To make matters worse, vicious rumors spread as Aria begins to frighten those around her, disrupting the peace of their small town, and causing local police to ramp up their investigation around her. Partnering with the only two people in the town she can trust, Alessa decides to investigate the history of Pine Hollow for clues as to how and why this happened to her sister before people in her community decide Aria is the root of the evil they face, and she loses her sister forever." -- back cover