Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
"No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the mountains of East Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations. . . . Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa, has returned from Iraq, wounded in body and spirit, but her troubles are far from over. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, while a restless "haint" has followed her home from the war. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once a part of her. With death stalking her family, will she ever again join in the song of her people, and let it lift her onto the night winds? "--
Is The Hum and the Shiver appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
Adult contemporary fantasy with a wounded war veteran protagonist dealing with PTSD and supernatural threats. Contains war-related trauma, moderate violence from combat memories and supernatural encounters, and mature themes about death and recovery.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death, grief, and war (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Older teens who enjoy atmospheric fantasy with folklore elements and stories about finding yourself after trauma will be drawn to this Appalachian mystery.