The summer before college Luca Piccone returns to Copper Cove, the idyllic campsite he and his closest friends have visited every year since they were kids. To Luca, Copper Cove is like the setting of the fantasy movies he loves, a sanctuary, protected from the dangers of the outside world, where nothing goes wrong and everything stays the same.
But this year things are changing.
Desperate to make this summer the best one yet, Luca tries to ignore the freshly torn rifts within his tight friend group, the pangs of unrequited love, the anxiety attacks he thought he’d left back at school, and the shadows at the edge of the forest threatening to break free. Until he learns the terrible truth.
Every generation the children of four families are bound by a pact. A pact designed to keep the camp pristine and the monstrous force lurking beneath the campsite imprisoned. But in order to do this, an unthinkable price must be paid--a price that has soaked the previous generations in blood. Can Luca keep his friends, and his favorite place, from being ripped apart?
By the end of the summer, only one thing is for certain: Copper Cove will never be the same again.
"Zachary Sergi once again proves he has one of the most inventive minds in YA. Exhilarating, visceral, funny, and profound, This Pact Is Not Ours brings to life both supernatural horror and the terror of becoming an adult with equal energy and brilliance. A must-discover read!" - Stephan Lee, author of K-Pop Confidential
"This Pact Is Not Ours is a genuinely terrifying, inventive teen horror novel that sheds light on the painful complexities of battling one's inner demons as well as the more tangible ones." - Aaron Aceves, author of This Is Why They Hate Us
"Sergi's spooky story is certain to chill like deep lake water, but the real soul of the tale lies in the friendship and growth within the Copper Cove Core Four. A thrilling andventure about growing up and becoming your own person." - Erik J. Brown, author of All That's Left in the World
"Zachary Sergi knows how to create the perfect mix of goosebump chills, deep emotion, and page-turning anticipation! This Pact is Not Ours had me clutching my heart for the characters and looking over my shoulder for monsters!" - Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue
"Weaving together nostalgia, yearning, and some things that go bump in the night, Zachary Sergi's This Pact is Not Ours made my skin crawl and my heart ache." - Emery Lee, author of Meet Cute Diary and Café Con Lychee
"Pure bone-chilling, spine-tingling fun full of creep crawlies, This Pact Is Not Ours is simply unputdownable! Zachary Sergi smartly takes the concept of a utopia and mines its murky underbelly to create a sinister summer camp romp that explores generational family trauma and what it means to carry the sins of your parents. This is a hauntingly rich story about the bonds and boundaries of friendship that is sure to give everyone the chills!" - Steven Salvatore, critically acclaimed author of And They Lived... and No Perfect Places