Little Apocalypse: A Creepy Middle Grade Debut Where a Girl Home Alone Uncovers Monster Hunters After an Earthquake (Ages 8-12)

Monsters aren’t real. Everyone knows that. Full of creepy-cool atmosphere and monstrous magic, this gripping middle grade debut will sink its claws into fans of supernatural adventures like Holly Black’s Doll Bones and Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters.

When a sudden earthquake strands Celia’s parents out of town, she finds herself on her own in a shaken city. She tries to reach out to other kids around her apartment building. Some of them, like the sad boy named Demetri, seem wary of letting her too close. The others call themselves Hunters. They claim the earthquake was caused by monsters only kids can see. And they think Celia is destined to save the city.

Celia doesn’t feel destined to save anything—but for the first time, she feels like maybe she’s seeing things as they really are….

• A Secret War: After a magical earthquake, Celia discovers creatures lurk in the shadows of Youngstown, and she’s one of the few who can see the truth.
• An Ancient Prophecy: The Hunters claim Celia is the “doom girl,” a figure destined to decide the city’s fate. But Celia doesn’t feel like a hero.
• Unlikely Friends: Torn between the ruthless Hunters and a mysterious, sad boy named Demetri, Celia must decide who to trust in a city where nothing is what it seems.
• Urban Fantasy Adventure: Perfect for fans of modern-day magic and kids who save the world, this story plunges you into a secret war fought in the alleys and on the rooftops of a city in chaos.

Katherine Sparrow writes middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction for humans of all ages. Little Apocalypse is her first middle grade novel. She was nominated for a Nebula Award, attended the Clarion West Writers Workshop, and organizes workshops for writers at all parts of their journey. She was raised in Seattle and has lived up and down the West Coast, usually in rainy and foggy milieus that are excellent at convincing her to stay home and write.