I Was a Teenage Death God

In this contemporary dark fantasy, a nonbinary teen who takes life force via touch hunts down the ghost threatening their twin sister. HIGH SCHOOL IS HARD ENOUGH WITHOUT BASICALLY BEING A DEATH GOD

Every time seventeen-year-old Charlie Ford touches someone, they absorb seconds of their life . . . which adds up when Charlie has no way of giving that time back. It feels like enough of a curse without Lou - the bratty bully of a ghost who’s hung around Charlie since childhood - forcing them to hand over that stolen life for her to use. Charlie will steal life from whomever Lou tells them to, as long as she doesn’t hurt Charlie’s twin Sam or their best friend and secret crush Ravi. So, when Lou tries to force Charlie to take life from Ravi, Charlie refuses, and Lou retaliates. When Lou goes after Sam, Charlie breaks down and finally tells Ravi about their life-stealing abilities - and after some internet sleuthing, Ravi finds out that Charlie might not be the only person born with that power. Along with Sam, they embark on a weekend road trip to meet a pair of self-proclaimed “death gods,” hoping for answers and, if they’re lucky, a solution to the whole Lou problem. But the answers about their powers only bring up more questions. With dark discoveries at every turn, Charlie must wrestle with a supernatural legacy that redefines their relationships to Sam and Ravi - and calls their very humanity into question.