Beneath Strange Lights by Vivian Moira Valentine

Amelia Temple always knew she was different. Other. But that never stopped her from wanting more— especially her freedom. The Bureau of Extranormal Investigations, the shadowy government agency that has controlled her since birth, is finally allowing Amelia a pass to explore the small surrounding town where she is housed. It’s 1954, and she quickly makes friends and begins to learn the rules of this strange society. Apparently, race matters. And girls aren’t supposed to date girls. Yet the government looks the other way when it comes to locking kids up from birth and performing experiments on them because they have extra powers—kids like Amelia. Amelia and her new friends soon discover a conspiracy of so-called scientists running a bizarre experiment that threatens to unleash something terrible on her adopted hometown. As they begin to investigate, it becomes clear they must somehow stop the experiment before people die. But to do so, Amelia is forced to rely on what makes her different and decide just how human she wants to be.

Young Adult • Science Fiction/Horror and Thriller • Diversity Representation/LGBTQ+/Own Voices • Horror/Paranormal Creatures

Content Warning: Body horror, transphobia