When the Forest Whispers

The end of the world isn’t what you’d expect in this gripping postapocalyptic horror debut about trauma, survival, love, hope, and found family—with a very good dog.

Even before the apocalypse, Remembrance Kingston didn’t have an ordinary life, raised by doomsday preppers deep in the woods. And when ninety-nine percent of the world’s population dropped dead and strange creatures started whispering in the forest, the rules her father drilled into her became even more important if she wanted to survive.

Now, Remy lives on alone with only her faithful dog, Clementine, and the decaying ghosts of her family for company, Waiting. Always waiting, for her childhood friend Hunter to come back to her, like he promised he would. But when a strange, savage child called Rabbit turns up on her doorstep, with news of his whereabouts, Remy will discover that she is stronger and more powerful than she ever knew. And for the people she loves, she will take on the whole damned world.

• “[A] nuanced and resonant debut . . . a rich tapestry of grief, loneliness, and healing, set against a fantastical and frightening version of our own world.”  
  Sunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book Eaters
• "An unputdownable debut that interweaves darkness and light into a sparkling story that will both scare and delight you." 
  Molly O’Neil, author of Greenteeth
• “When the Forest Whispers is a gripping story about more than just the end of civilization as we know it. Family, both biological and found, including one very good dog, make Megan Flynn's novel an unforgettable and essential read.”
  Del Sandeen, author of This Cursed House
• “Richly imagined, thrillingly plotted, and deeply felt, When the Forest Whispers spins a tale of an apocalypse you’ll not see coming with characters you’ll want to hold on to forever. A stunning debut.”
  Jennifer Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of Diavola
• “When the Forest Whispers is a benchmark example of found family done beautifully, brilliantly right. An unrelentingly tense story, but one that breaks and mends your heart over, and over, and over again.”
  Megan Bontrager, author of The Sea Hides Its Dead
• “A unique post-apocalyptic fable full of vivid characters and compelling mysteries.”
  M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts