Something about summer makes us extra excited to explore the latest that pop culture has to offer. Whether it’s finding an amazing new book to read poolside or the songs that perfectly fill in the gaps of your road trip playlist, the season has its own special kind of magic.
Speaking of books and music, we have some new recommendations for both to start your summer right. Marisha Pessl’s (Night Film) first YA novel, Neverworld Wake, hits shelves tomorrow – and to get you in the mood for this psychological thriller, we’re sharing Marisha’s playlist for the book.
But first, let’s talk about Neverworld Wake. Here’s the official summary:
Once upon a time, back at Darrow-Harker School, Beatrice Hartley and her six best friends were the cool kids, the beautiful ones. Then the shocking death of Jim—their creative genius and Beatrice’s boyfriend—changed everything.
One year after graduation, Beatrice is returning to Wincroft—the seaside estate where they spent so many nights sharing secrets, crushes, plans to change the world—hoping she’ll get to the bottom of the dark questions gnawing at her about Jim’s death. But as the night plays out in a haze of stilted jokes and unfathomable silence, Beatrice senses she’s never going to know what really happened.
Then a mysterious man knocks on the door. Blithely, he announces the impossible: time for them has become stuck, snagged on a splinter that can only be removed if the former friends make the harshest of decisions. Now Beatrice has one last shot at answers–and at life.
The story is a dreamy blend of intrigue, clues, misdirection, pop culture references, and darkness that we couldn’t put down.
To get more of a feel for the interesting vibe of Neverworld Wake, listen to the official playlist below. Here’s what Marisha had to say about the song selection:
For Neverworld Wake I wanted to capture a feeling of passion, youth, and friendship, and very much used music to transport me to that place while writing. The soundtracks of John Hughes movies made a huge impression on me growing up, so I very much used music to set a tone for a scene.
Most of these songs have either a shimmering suggestion of immortal beauty, an outsized sense of bravado or anxiety, or tenderness for some lost time or person. They all suggest beginnings, fresh starts, illustrating how beginnings are actually always happening for all of us all of the time—quite literally so for Bee in the Neverworld.
If you’re ready to be hooked by Neverworld Wake, don’t miss your chance to receive free rewards – including an exclusive poster and notebook, plus access to Marisha’s secret Facebook Group – when you pre-order the novel. More information is available here.
Neverworld Wake releases tomorrow, June 5.
Featured Image via Bustle
