A remote cabin. A family on edge. They are not alone.
It was meant to be a family bonding exercise: two weeks in a mountain cabin on the outskirts of a former gold-mining town. These days, Wooralla’s only claim to fame is a retro diner called The Flying Saucer and a dusty museum dedicated to the area’s history of UFO sightings. Owen knows it’s all bogus, but at least it gives him something to do.
Half a day into their holiday, Owen’s family is already bickering. By day two, his little sister is sick. On the third night, they witness peculiar lights in the sky.
By day nine they are fleeing, too panicked to grab their phones, belongings, even the family dog. Owen doesn’t know what they’re running from, he only knows he needs to keep his little sister safe. But how can he tell anyone about his dad’s erratic behaviour? Weird howling from deep in the bush? Strange entities hiding in the trees? How does he explain what was real and what wasn’t when he doesn’t even know himself?
In Owen’s search for answers, nothing is as it seems. And what he’ll uncover is beyond anything he imagined.
YA Psychological Thriller
Ages 13+ | 385 pages
ISBN: 9780645332292 (paperback)
ISBN: 9780645332285 (ebook)
Publisher: Fourteen Press
Distributor: Ingram
• Shortlisted in the Aurealis Awards for Best Young Adult Novel 2022
• Shortlisted in the Davitt Awards for Best YA Crime Novel 2023
“With a sense of place that leaves you grabbing that extra blanket to warm up, characters that you love, or love to hate, and twists and turns that will make you go “what!”, this is a master of the thriller genre at work.”
Helen Farch, librarian
“With magnificent writing and a well paced, non linear timeline that dovetails artfully, Epstein does a fantastic job of building tension and bending reality.”
Tara Jenkinson, YA author
“Sarah Epstein is one of my favourite Australian YA authors and this book did not disappoint! Sarah has an amazing ability to bring tension throughout a book and I always find myself flying through her books desperate to figure out the mystery.”
Natalie Gold, Goodreads reviewer
“I had a hard time putting it down. The the plot twists kept coming and I never knew what was going to happen next, or what was real and what wasn’t. This was a wonderful book, and a story I will most certainly read again.”
Emma Molyneux, Goodreads reviewer
“Incredibly easy to read, fast paced and filled with characters that everyone will be able to relate to. If you’re thinking about dipping your toe into the world of paranormal thrillers, this is the perfect place to start!”
Julie Oakley, Goodreads reviewer
“I couldn’t decide whether there was a logical explanation for the events that were unfolding or whether it was something totally out of this world. Night Lights was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a captivating story and fantastic characters.”
Christine Abela, book reviewer
“I loved that Epstein did something different while still bringing that horror feel, and the story really kept me glued to the page. I honestly had a lot of trouble putting it down.”
Jessica from Read book, Repeat
“This was a really intriguing story with great character development and some interesting twists and turns, and a fabulous ending. I will read this author’s work again for sure.”
Teresa, Goodreads reviewer
“Absolutely loved Night Lights. I was hooked the whole way through, needing to know what happened. But I think what I loved the most was the brilliant character development.”
Heidi Cooper Smith, Children’s book author and illustrator