Level Up

by Daka Hermon

From the author of Hide and Seeker comes a new thriller where an iconic childhood game turns creepy.

Keenan is a track star, but he's never been on the run like this before.

He and his mother have left his abusive father to start a new life in the town where his mother grew up.

But this new place has monsters of its own. When all the other kids in town have fallen under a hypnosis powered by an app on their phones, Keenan is the only kid who is not affected.

It's time to stop running and figure out who is powering the game, and how to stop them. He cannot let the monsters win.

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Daka Hermon was born in Tennessee and spent her childhood huddled under a blanket with a flashlight reading and writing fairy-tale and fantasy stories. She works in the entertainment industry, and is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She loves peach sweet tea, chocolate, cupcakes, and collecting superhero toys. Daka lives in California and can be found online at dakahermon.com and on Twitter @dakadh.

Reviews

[Alexx Burris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is seemingly marketed as a stand-alone, but I really think it benefits from reading Hide and Seeker and Nightmare King first. Nevertheless, a good creepy middle grade series.