The Fireman

America is burning—people and entire cities are going up in flames, thanks to a spore called Dragonscale that is infecting humans worldwide. Nurse Harper Grayson is in her element trying to help the afflicted at the local hospital, but when she becomes infected around the same time she discovers she is pregnant, her husband goes insane and tries to kill her. Harper escapes and finds refuge with other infected people at a rural camp. With the help of The Fireman (a mysterious man who can shoot fire from his fingertips) and others, Harper discovers the cause of Dragonscale and how to control it. While this entry is not as scary as Hill's Horns or Heart-Shaped Box, the horror of mob mentality will remind teens of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," William Golding's The Lord of the Flies, and the author's father Stephen King's The Stand. With likable characters, glib dialogue, suspense, and inevitable doom, the book feels like a popular television series script, and teens will appreciate the pop culture references—Harry Potter, Narnia, The Walking Dead, Mary Poppins, and more.