The Coin Season

by Osaimeen Yoosuff

Welcome to Westend, Maryland. It is the winter of 1998, and snow settles across the country. But for this small, unassuming town, what should have been an uneventful season turns into a ceaseless nightmare that threatens a fate worse than death.

Fane Wallace was twenty years old that winter. Fresh out of high school, with nearly half a year before he plans to try for college, he works at the Novel Hovel for a humble wage. One morning, however, he and every other person in town wakes up to find a mysterious numbered coin sitting on their nightstand. Every single person. Even the children. What do these numbers mean? No one has a clue. Until the end of the week rolls around, and suddenly, everyone has their answer.

185 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2026

Reviews

[axel_vms]

i really loved this novella ! the story seemed intriguing and that's what made me read it and i wasn't not disappointed, the tension was great and it was very mysterious, i wanted to see where it'll go
the writing is so good, i had a feeling Osaimeen knew how to write bc of his videos and i wasn't disappointed
he's great at writing characters, in only 9 chapters i got really attached to the main character and his friends and family and it got me emotional more than once
the only problem i have is that some of my questions were left unanswered and some weren't even asked, which i found difficult to believe (im vague but i don't wanna spoil)
i hope this isn't the end of the story and we'll see more

[Riverby S Kay]

I don't know where to start!
This book shook me so much that I almost heard my brain rattle. I grew a good emotional connection to the characters pretty sprightly, and they were definitely not one-dimensional, which I ADORED<3.
An example of this in Banks' case is the sentence: Gary was a close friend of Banks. Banks never hung up on Gary. But he did, today. Even though Banks had been a moron brother for most of the book, this sentence just proves how even doofuses like Banks can have love cocooned inside, hidden from the world. And Lake saying I love you, you little coconut. was purely heart-wrenching, knowing Fane's fate.
One of the main reasons I liked this book was the impeccable language and writing style. A lot of other popular books have such simple language that I want to PRY MY EYES OUT. Why are we making everything more minimal and simple as time goes on? Humans were made to express creativity, and this novella fulfilled that, thank the Gods. The writing style was rich and overflowing(in a good way) with new vocabulary and phrases. I really appreciate that, hats off!!
And finally, the most soul-wrecking part of the book: THE FRICKING ENDING. Oh, why oh why does it have to be that? Out of all the endings I possibly could have imagined, this was the worst one, and that was the BEST thing ever! I was about to be swept off in a week of unprecedented depression if it weren't for the fact that the second book is coming out soon, oh, the Gods have blessed us.
Now, excuse me, while I go recommend this to everyone, from my loved ones to possible strangers like YOU, the one who is reading this review right now. GO READ IT, BABES!!!

[E.Halcyon]

this is so good!! from the worldbuilding to the distinct characterizations to the writing style that was absolutely exquisite. the setting has my heart and so did the characters. i did not expect to tear up while reading this... i adore the characters and dynamics so so much! especially between fane and sami, fane and little lake (<3), fane and mr clark.

a very intriguing read that kept me on my toes and threw me off track, leaving me guessing things lmao.

also what the hell was that cliffhanger? it should be illegal!! i want to know more. it merely left me with more questions than answers UGH.

kudos to the author though, this is an excellent debut novella.

[Nofil]

Not too long ago, I got into books. I came across Osaimeen's channel and was immediately hooked by his videos, so when I found out he actually wrote a book, I was totally down for a great read.
I won't lie at first, the vocabulary hit me hard. I wasn't used to it, and I honestly thought he might have intentionally thrown in words just to make me look them up every five minutes! But as the chapters flew by, I got more and more hooked.
The last few chapters completely broke me. I NEED MORE!!!! One thing's for sure: I'm desperately waiting for a sequel now. I want to see this story end the right way, not like this!

[Greg Lawrence]

Osaimeen was kind enough to share this with me prior to publication and I have to say Osaimeen's debut novella is a pleasure. He writes with a unique rhythm and his own distinct style that forces you to pay attention. He writes characters that are as important and as interesting as the plot, and creatively shows the lengths that some will go to survive, and the sacrifices we might make for the ones we love. This a great novella to spend an afternoon with and might I say would make a great graphic novel or HBO Show? I look forward to seeing what is next from Osaimeen.

[Tommy Gault]

An amazing debut novella by Osaimeen Yoosuff, I’m so happy and privileged to have been given an early copy. It kept me on the edge of my seat every time I turned the page, incredible story. Each chapter was so immersive, the world building, the character development. Such incredible descriptions of the world around the main character. The book also me left with so many questions and I’m so excited to find out!

[Oluwafikayomi Adeniyi]

“Life is full of hard decisions, boy. Full of it. Sometimes, you either carry the heavier burden in service of what lies ahead, or you entrust it to the mercy of chance.”

What do you do when faced with the hardest decision of your life... twice?

[M]

For a debut novel, this was beyond fascinating. The writing and the story is just awesome and I am in search of more adjectives to describe how good the story was. Among the fictional setup, I liked how it had some realistic parts in it. Intriguing, fast-paced, and just great. Waiting for part-2!!

[Zach Colmenero]

🪙🪙🪙🪙 04.07

[Ajna]

the last chapter was just perfect