The Taking of Jake Livingston

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

Get Out meets Holly Jackson in this YA social thriller where survival is not a guarantee.

Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can't decide what's worse: being a medium forced to watch the dead play out their last moments on a loop or being at the mercy of racist teachers as one of the few Black students at St. Clair Prep. Both are a living nightmare he wishes he could wake up from. But things at St. Clair start looking up with the arrival of another Black student the handsome Allister and for the first time, romance is on the horizon for Jake.

Unfortunately, life as a medium is getting worse. Though most ghosts are harmless and Jake is always happy to help them move on to the next place, Sawyer Doon wants much more from Jake. In life, Sawyer was a troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school before taking his own life. Now he's a powerful, vengeful ghost and he has pla ns for Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about dead world goes out the window as Sawyer begins to haunt him. High school soon becomes a different kind of survival game one Jake is not sure he can win.

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Praise for The Taking of Jake Livingston:

A 2022 ALA Rainbow Book List Pick
A 2021 Tor.com Young Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Best Book Pick
A 2021 Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best Booklist Pick

Spine-chilling YA horror. The Boston Globe

This book is absolutely incredible, chilling, and a must-read. BuzzFeed

An exceptional blend of genres horror, mystery, thriller and contemporary that brilliantly captures how Jake, a Black gay teen medium, copes with the varying kinds of violence threatening him. . . Douglass creates a clever and effective parallel between what Jake can't control racism and how his body is perceived, a toxic father, an irresponsible brother, his mother's expectations and his fight against Sawyer. The story builds to a rewardingly chilling and sentimental climax, as Jake must look deep within himself for the power to break the cycles of harm entrapping him. . . An extraordinarily cr afted exploration of agency during Black gay teenhood. Shelf Awareness, starred review

A teenage version of Get Out, and you will not be disappointed. . . Douglass looks at race and trauma and death with a comical and horror-esque twist. The Root

Crucial social commentary and insight into the ways discrimination can isolate and depress young adults. Lush and emotive prose chronicles Jake s journey Spooky, atmospheric, and layered. Kirkus Reviews

There are many layers to navigate in this fast-paced trip to and from the world of the dead, including identity, violent and sexual traumas, and the stigma of mental illness, all with a supernatural and often gory twist. . . Ultimately, this is a satisfying addition to the supernatural horror section. The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books

YA readers looking for thrills and chills this summer will find them here. Brightly

Captures the pain of navigating teenagerhood when no one arou nd you sees the world the way you do A quick, worthwhile read that manages to pack a lot of dark themes into a tight space. The Young Folks

Chilling, edgy . . . spooky and layered. . .A wonderful genre-meld This is an excellent debut. Cinelinx

This YA debut from Ryan Douglass is a mix of genres horror, mystery, thriller, and contemporary that explores how a Black gay teen medium copes with the various kinds of violence that threaten him. Culturess

Racial and sexuality themes undercut this gripping novel where a teen is haunted by the repercussions of his own sixth sense. Cultured Vultures

A unique and terrifying world built on tension and ghosts. The Seattle Times

Tackl[ing] mental illness, rejection, and loneliness. . . this novel takes a hard look at brutality in many forms, racism, homophobia, and consequences of the choices that we make. School Library Journal, review of the audiobook