The Taking of Jake Livingston

Ryan Douglass

A New York Times bestseller

Get Out meets Holly Jackson in this YA social thriller where survival is not guaranteed.

Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can’t decide what’s worse: being a medium forced to watch the dead play out their last moments on a loop or being at the mercy of racist teachers as one of the few Black students at St Clair Prep. Both are a living nightmare he wishes he could wake up from. But things at St Clair start looking up with the arrival of another Black student – the handsome Allister – and for the first time, romance is on the horizon for Jake.

Unfortunately, life as a medium is getting worse. Though most ghosts are harmless, Sawyer Doon wants much more from Jake. In life, Sawyer was a troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school before taking his own life. Now he’s a powerful, vengeful ghost and he has plans for Jake. High school has become a different kind of survival game – one Jake is not sure he can win.

Reviews

"This book is absolutely incredible, chilling, and a must-read"
Buzzfeed

"Powerfully applying the horror genre to explore racism and homophobia in a high school setting, Ryan Douglass’ The Taking of Jake Livingston is an un-put-down-able, chilling tale for our times"
Joanne Owen - LoveReading4Kids

"Part horror story, part study of grief, this is a compelling, page-turning novel which beautifully balances Tyrese's private crisis with menacing Jamaican folklore, and skilfully draws the two together in a dramatic ending. Both exciting and humane, this celebration of friendship will captivate many readers"
The School Librarian

"Crucial social commentary and insight into the ways discrimination can isolate and depress young adults. Lush and emotive prose chronicles Jake’s journey… Spooky, atmospheric, and layered"
Kirkus

"An exceptional blend of genres – horror, mystery, thriller and contemporary... An extraordinarily crafted exploration of agency during Black gay teenhood"
Shelf Awareness, starred review