The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum (Icarus; The Weight of the Stars) is a singularly intimate supernatural YA romance that follows a self-destructive boy who shares a body and forges an exhilarating connection with the ghost possessing him.
Seventeen-year-old Hollis Brown is an impulsive "asshole." He gets into fights, becomes reckless when angry, and won't talk to his friends about why he stands dangerously close to speeding trains every morning. Thus, he gives little thought to bargaining with a mysterious teenager living in the woods: Walt will help Hollis improve himself, Hollis will give Walt food and shelter. Walt, however, is a ghost, and possesses Hollis. The initial horror of Walt's trickery eases as Hollis learns to trust his possessor; they begin to compromise, controlling different parts of Hollis's body at different times. Hollis grows to think Walt is "spectacular," but Walt, who sees himself as an "abomination," fears letting Hollis love him.
In short, vignette-like chapters, two broken boys find pieces in one another to allow themselves to become whole. Ancrum redefines possession and brilliantly tackles self-loathing, depicting two young men openly expressing emotions and tending to one another's needs. A heady passion between Hollis and Walt ignites through tender moments of vulnerability, devilishly bold flirting, and incomparable intimacy (a touch like "souls scraping together... like charcoal... a thousand holes and a thousand places for them to catch). There are agonizing twists, a sweet mom-son relationship, exceptionally well-developed side characters, and even a playlist and a few recipes. A transcendental read. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer