Assistant editor Emily Yau bought British Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to When We Were Animals by Joshua Gaylord from Margaret Halton at United Agents on behalf of Eleanor Jackson at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner in the States.

Described as a “dark gothic coming-of-age tale with a paranormal twist”, Ebury said  When We Were Animals is a “literary crossover book for fantasy and general fiction fans alike”.

It’s true to say his books have been hailed `An instant post-apocalyptic classic’ and likened to I am Legend. He has been an ALA Alex Award Winner, Nominated for the 2010 Philip K. Dick Award and Nominated for the 2010 Shirley Jackson Award.

Each rare first edition  first printing has been signed, lined, dated, doodled and numbered at his home in New York.

About the book

The truth is, nobody knew why it happened this way, but in the town where I grew up, when the boys and girls reached a certain age, the parents locked themselves up in their houses, and the teenagers ran wild…

As a well-behaved and over-achieving teenager, Lumen Fowler knows she is different. While the rest of her peers are falling beneath the sway of her community’s darkest rite of passage, she resists, choosing to hole herself up in her room with only books for company.

For Lumen has a secret. Her mother never ‘breached’ and she knows she won’t either. But as she investigates the town’s strange traditions and unearths stories from her family’s past, she soon realises she may not know herself – or her wild side – at all…

A gothic coming-of-age tale for modern times, When We Were Animals is a dark, provocative journey of self discovery.

Review

“When We Were Animals is so utterly compelling and absorbing that every time I (reluctantly) broke from it, I not only had to remind myself where I was, but who I was. Superbly written, chilling, original and deeply affecting, it will stay with me for a long time” (Sarah Lotz)

“An eerie tale … poetically written, thought-provoking and has a good eye for life’s small but important details” (Sun)

“When We Were Animals conjures the dreamy satisfaction of revisiting the cult horror movies of your youth – things are familiar but they resound in new and unexpected ways, revealing subtle depths and poignancy. This is a dark, inventive and absorbing story, fittingly theatrical. It disturbs and entertains in equal measure” (Benjamin Wood author of the Costa-shortlisted The Bellwether Revivals)

“In ­Lumen, Gaylord creates an unforgettable and, well, luminous narrative voice, and his language captures the lush, dangerous possibilities of teenage nights to perfection. . . . this book deserves a breakout success like that of Jeffrey ­Eugenides’s first novel, The Virgin Suicides” (Library Journal)

Book Description

A gothic coming-of-age tale for modern times

About the Author

Joshua Gaylord grew up in Anaheim, California, and currently resides in New York City. Using his own name and the pen name Alden Bell, he has authored three previous novels, including The Reapers Are the Angels. He received his Ph.D. from New York University and has taught high school English as well as literature courses at both NYU and the New School.

Product details

• First Edition First Printing
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (3 Sept. 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1785030949
• ISBN-13: 978-1785030949
• Product Dimensions: 14.4 x 3.1 x 22.2 cm