A Crooked Mark

Starred review from April 10, 2023
Kao deftly blends chilling, slow-burn psychological horror with supernatural elements and moving relationships in this intense debut. Seventeen-year-old Matt Watts works with his father as members of Second Sweep, a covert organization dedicated to identifying and executing people marked by Lucifer. The Marked, those who have escaped certain death, are considered very dangerous, especially because of their rapidly developing abilities that allow them to psychically manipulate their surroundings. Matt’s first solo mission is to befriend and, if necessary, execute 16-year-old Rae Winter, the sole survivor of a multi-fatality car accident. Matt inserts himself into Rae’s mundane life, moving to the charming suburb of Mills Creek and enrolling in school for the first time after being homeschooled by his father. But as the two teens grow closer, Matt struggles to reconcile kind and beautiful Rae with the treacherous Marked he’s been forced to annihilate and confront horrifying truths about his profession. Through Matt’s snarky first-person narration, Kao weaves a captivating tale laced with aptly fatalistic humor that closely examines the unraveling of one teen’s entire worldview and the overwhelming stress of living a double life. Matt is half Chinese, half white; Rae has light brown hair and hazel eyes. Ages 14–up.

June 1, 2023
A life of demon-hunting doesn't leave much time to examine personal demons. Matthew Watts has grown up on the road with his father, following assignments from the Second Sweep, a secret organization whose mission is to hunt the Marked, people whose souls have been claimed by Lucifer. On his 17th birthday, Matt is gifted with his first solo mission. It's up to him to determine if Rae Winter, the only survivor of a tragic accident that claimed her father's life, may have been possessed in the moments between life and death. After settling into Mills Creek near San Francisco, Matt infiltrates Rae's life, trying to identify signs that will prove she is Marked. What he doesn't expect is to find himself wondering what might have been if he'd had a typical teen experience--or developing an interest in Rae that goes beyond his assignment. The diversity of ways grief can be expressed is smartly woven into the narrative through Matt's observations of the Winter family; his own mother died when he was a toddler. Matt's questions about the mutability of identity and values as his worldview expands outside the bubble of the Second Sweep will resonate with readers as he comes to terms with the bad he has done and determines how to make things right. Matt's late mother was Chinese, and his father is implied White; Rae reads White. This thoughtful debut offers both supernatural thrills and careful character development. (Paranormal. 12-18)

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June 1, 2023
Grades 7-12 In Matthew's world, Lucifer often marks the souls of those who survive near-death experiences; some Marked will cause escalating harm to those who cross them. Matthew and his father have always moved around for his dad's work with the Second Sweep, the shadowy and dangerous organization responsible for judging and eradicating the Marked. On his seventeenth birthday, the Sweep sends Matthew a solo assignment to test his readiness. As Matthew watches Rae, aka "the project," for signs of the Mark, he also gets a chance to experience living a more normal teenage life, and his perspective begins to shift. Main characters are thoughtfully drawn and interesting, and the slow-burn romantic chemistry is cute. While a large secondary cast feels a bit muddled, and some foundational relationships a little thin, deep questions of morality, judgment, and inevitable outcomes are counterweighted by violent action scenes that are numerous and engaging. Readers will forgive the ending for wrapping up a little neatly as thoughts about the potential for darkness lurking inside anyone will linger after the story ends.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-When teenager Matthew Watts and his dad set Mrs. Polly's house ablaze with her trapped inside it, they do it believing she has been corrupted (Marked) by the Devil. As agents of the Second Sweep, they covertly document the lives of potentially Marked individuals, with every observed mishap or injury connected to the person serving as possible proof that their soul is beyond saving. Matthew's first solo job comes when his father tasks him to evaluate Rachel (Rae) Winters and Matthew embeds himself at Mills Creek High School. Rae was unharmed in a car accident that killed her father; Matthew befriends Rae while secretly evaluating her using his father's methods. However, Rae's grief over the loss of her dad, the strength of her bonds with friends, and her emerging relationship with Matthew ultimately put pressure on his connection to his own father and cause him to question the existence of the Sweep itself. This builds to a confrontational climax that twists to an unexpected conclusion. The book has an arresting opener, but the uncertainty created over the Sweep's existence makes Matthew's actions difficult to justify. He does have a redemptive arc, but it strains credulity given what transpires. Rae is a strong character, and while there is diversity in the secondary cast, they are ancillary to the progression of the main story. VERDICT Some appeal for readers of supernatural thrillers, but the lack of clarity muddles the narrative and results in a messy conclusion. An additional selection.-Michael Van Wambeke

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