He’s So Possessed with Me

Gr 10 Up–Colin grows up in Canada under the shadow of his single mother’s rejection; she once called him ugly to ward off spirits and later recoiled at his sexuality. Now a high school senior, Colin feels invisible beside his dazzling best friend Ren, whose glittery self-confidence and open queerness win constant attention. The two have been inseparable since childhood, but Ren’s sudden change in personality after a strange encounter in the woods threatens their bond, Colin’s fragile sense of self, and possibly Ren’s life. Part coming-of-age romance, part supernatural horror, this novel blends familiar tropes of hookup culture, anime fandom, and school drama with an escalating possession plot. The text revels in nicknames, social media callouts, and queer cultural references, but also pushes into darker territory: violent bullying, fraught parental relationships, and the lure of an enigmatic spirit that may or may not be protecting Ren. Lines such as parents who “tell you they love you as they ask you to change” cut through the chaos with poignancy. Though Colin’s voice is sometimes overshadowed by Ren’s larger-than-life presence and the demon backstory grows convoluted, the novel vividly captures the longing, jealousy, and desperation of queer teen friendship at the edge of adulthood. Readers drawn to Kelly Loy Gilbert’s Picture Us in the Light will recognize the aching intensity of bonds tested by secrets and change, even as the gothic elements shift the tone toward a Carrie-style spectacle.