When a brutal murder rocks her neighborhood and shatters her sense of safety, seven-year-old Layla realizes that she needs to grow into something untamable, even otherworldly, if she wants the freedom she's always dreamed of in this visceral and captivating horror debut based on Middle Eastern folklore.
A man is found viciously murdered behind a neighborhood's corner store, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community in this small-town neighborhood. The victim's family and bystanders struggle to make sense of this brutal crime and only want to move on with their lives.
All seven-year-old Layla dreams of is freedom. To go where she wants, make her own decisions, and live independently. For her it is simply a matter of riding away from her small neighborhood on a pet donkey. But the next murder hits close to home, and Layla realizes that freedom is not so easily achieved.
With whispers of the signs of a vengeful female jinn—the lingering scent of sweet perfume; mysterious hoof prints—at the crime scene, the men begin to suspect the women around them. But Layla learns that this violence is not the fault of the women in her neighborhood; it is a response to the world around them. As her freedom is increasingly curbed and her frustration mounts, Layla becomes determined to take control and grow into the sort of untamable woman most feared by the men around her.
The night is not for you. It has always belonged to her.
"[A] wonderfully chilling and entirely immersive feminist horror story." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
When her sense of safety is shattered, a young girl realizes she must become something untamable—even otherworldly—to find freedom, in this visceral coming-of-age horror debut.
She's a cautionary tale for children, "Come back before it gets dark."
A man’s body is found viciously murdered behind a neighborhood corner store, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community. All the victim’s family and bystanders want is to make sense of this brutal crime and move on with their lives. All Layla dreams of is freedom—to think for herself, go anywhere, and live an independent life.
She's a warning to men, "Don't wander the streets late at night."
When a second man is murdered, rumors fly of hoofprints and a woman with hair like black silk. Ambiguous messages in lipstick and sweet smell of perfume at the crime scenes causes the men to suspect the women around them. As Layla’s world unravels, she realizes that if she wants freedom she must grow into the type of woman she’s always dreamed of becoming. A woman with sharp instincts. A woman who cannot be tamed.
The night is not for you. It has always belonged to her.
