Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: They Bloom at Night by Trang Than Tran

In the coastal Louisiana town of Mercy, few residents remain after a hurricane floods the region, leaving an especially widespread toxic algae bloom to take over the local landscape. Among the remaining locals, an alarming number have gone missing. Vietnamese-American teen Noon and her mother are forced to strike a deal with an unsavory gator park operator that will send Noon and the operator’s daughter, Covey on a mission to trap or kill a monster that locals believe is responsible for their missing loved ones. The mission will not only be dangerous, it will force Noon to reengage with a past trauma as she also contends with disturbing physical changes in her own body and growing feelings for Covey.

This atmospheric climate-themed horror novel is a coming-of-age story at heart. Though the mystery of what lurks beneath the algae infested waters is what propels the narrative along, the real substance of the story is Noon’s development as she processes trauma and grief while coming to understand her identity. The horror elements are visceral and the setting feels vivid. The poetic writing style and moderate pacing give this novel a dreamy, literary quality that distinguishes it from many other queer horror stories.

Fans of queer and trans horror stories, particularly those that also serve as ruminations on identity will find much to love in Tran’s latest. Fans of Tran’s debut novel, She is a Haunting, will feel right at home with the intersection of horror and generational trauma present in her newest outing. Readers who enjoyed the grisly body horror and rural setting of Andrew Joseph White’s Hell Followed With Us will be similarly drawn to They Bloom at Night. For another novel with body horror elements, sapphic characters, and a poetic writing style, readers may also enjoy House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026