Cruel Instincts

A nerve-clanging YA thriller from the author of Natural Selection, Cruel Instincts is the perfect, gripping read for fans of Megan Lally’s That’s Not My Name and Trang Thanh Tran’s She is a Haunting. After surviving a horrific accident, seventeen-year-old Tesla goes to live with her aunt in a remote mountainside cabin. The Aviary has been the Wilde family’s home for several generations, though all are now either estranged or dead. With no internet or neighbours to distract her, Tesla decides to explore her new surroundings. Her aunt won’t let her go into parts of the Aviary, but there is a sparkling alpine lake to hike to and a range of beautiful wildlife to admire. The birds seem strangely drawn to Tesla, attacking her on her walks and crashing into the cabin’s windows. Still healing physically and mentally from her accident, when her cousin and his friends arrive to party, she lets them take her under their wing instead. But Tesla soon finds herself stifled by a toxic nest of family trauma, shocking revelations and brutal betrayals. Is the Aviary trying to cage her in, or keep something desperately cruel out? And can Tesla unlock the truth that will set her free?Praise for NATURAL SELECTION:“Suspenseful, witty, and oh so timely. It’s been ages since I devoured a book this quickly.” —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is LyingThis is a perfectly timed novel and a must-read.” —C. G. Drews, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t let The Forest In“Natural Selection is a feminist revenge masterpiece that’ll leave you both horrified and amused. Once you dig in, it’s un-BEAR-able to put it down.” —Megan Lally, New York Times bestselling author of That’s Not My Name