Cursed »

Your life is no longer recognizable, every detail corrupted by unknown forces. The harder you struggle, the more you suffer. Your words mean nothing, your actions backfire, and one by one everybody you know is sucked down with you.

You are:
1) Nick
2) cursed
3) afraid all the time

That's because: a) someone or b) something is after you with a vengeance. Even with the help of other cursed people, you don't stand a chance because you're all, you know, cursed. That means you and everyone you know will:
1) suffer
2) die
3) amuse your tormentor

That is, unless you figure out how to manipulate the person behind this and turn their power against them. Check your list a second time because they're probably on it. The only thing left to do is scratch them off.

Publishers Weekly

Shipp (Sheep and Wolves) offers readers a tightly written story of suspense and occult horror. Nicholas believes that he has been cursed, and he is not alone; his eccentric love interest, Cicely, is convinced that the fate of the world depends on her possession of a tennis ball. As their loved ones express skepticism, Nicholas and Cicely seek out other curse victims, including accident-prone Abby and reluctant mentor Kin. Though at first the curses seem mere delusions, it soon becomes clear that a malevolent entity called Pete is amusing itself by tormenting them. Abby's fatalism, Nick's self-hatred and Pete's power and ruthlessness hamper their efforts to find curse-free lives. Using Nicholas's idiosyncratic voice and fondness for lists, Shipp effectively conveys the claustrophobic world of people caught up in events beyond their control. (Nov.)