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White Trash Witchcraft
Not yet published
Expected 15 Jun 27Set against a backwoods backdrop of motorcycles, methadone, and myth, this lush and edgy YA folk horror is perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White.
Growing up on a farm in the foothills, Sierra Maddox has spent her life resisting the call of her granny’s folk magic and dreaming of a future as a pre-med student in the city. But when her dad, a recovering addict, misses her graduation ceremony, she’s sure there’s something more sinister than a relapse to blame.
Tracking her dad’s last-known location to a methadone clinic, Sierra meets Blight, a nonbinary caseworker in the clinic’s harm reduction program. Sierra is looking for answers, but connecting with Blight only raises more questions about her dad’s whereabouts . . . and about her sexuality.
As Sierra and Blight explore their growing attraction and navigate the opioid-riddled underworld of the Blue Ridge Mountains, they discover a disease creeping through users’ veins like kudzu—and it looks a whole lot more like Granny’s magic than any ordinary sickness. Will Sierra embrace the dark inheritance of her family’s white trash witchcraft to save the ones she calls her own?
A twisted love letter to harm reduction, Southern queers, and the haunted beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Growing up on a farm in the foothills, Sierra Maddox has spent her life resisting the call of her granny’s folk magic and dreaming of a future as a pre-med student in the city. But when her dad, a recovering addict, misses her graduation ceremony, she’s sure there’s something more sinister than a relapse to blame.
Tracking her dad’s last-known location to a methadone clinic, Sierra meets Blight, a nonbinary caseworker in the clinic’s harm reduction program. Sierra is looking for answers, but connecting with Blight only raises more questions about her dad’s whereabouts . . . and about her sexuality.
As Sierra and Blight explore their growing attraction and navigate the opioid-riddled underworld of the Blue Ridge Mountains, they discover a disease creeping through users’ veins like kudzu—and it looks a whole lot more like Granny’s magic than any ordinary sickness. Will Sierra embrace the dark inheritance of her family’s white trash witchcraft to save the ones she calls her own?
A twisted love letter to harm reduction, Southern queers, and the haunted beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
211 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 1, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Want to Read
August 6, 2025TBR (August 6, 2025): My unending quest to find Southern Gothic books is going as well as ever, now I must find a way to acquire this one because the summary makes it sound super interesting.
Review of advance copy
Few can capture the insidious, slow decay of a small town in words, but Brown managed it easily, and even made it a character of sorts. Addiction is a tough topic, and this book tackles it head on, unapologetically. The main character, Sierra, has an incredible arc, and the recurring theme of self-acceptance makes the ending all the more satisfying. White Trash Witchcraft is spellbinding. Keeping both eyes on this author!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Gripping from the first page, Brighton Brown writes a love letter to Appalachia and the love/hate relationship with small hometowns. An unapologetic look at addiction and the way it infects towns down to their very roots. A stellar debut novel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews