Make Me Better : A Novel by Sarah Gailey
Sarah Gailey's Make Me Better is an eerily seductive look at the desire for community connection and self-improvement---and the darkest places inside us all. Urgent and yet timeless, this read is perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson, Ari Aster, and Patricia Highsmith.
An exclusive invitation.
A remote island infamous for its miraculous ecology.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix everything that's broken.
But sometimes growth requires sacrifice....
WELCOME TO KINDRED COVE.
Celia is so tired of being alone. All she wants is to have a family—to belong to someone. That's why she's going to Kindred Cove for the annual Salt Festival held by the secluded community that lives there. They promise that healing is possible. They promise that transformation is inevitable. There is no grief at Kindred Cove, because there is no suffering. Nothing is ever lost.
Celia knows that, at that mysterious island surrounded by that impossible, ever-growing reef—she will find herself.
She’s ready to be healed. She’s ready to be transformed.
She's ready to believe.
Also by Sarah Gailey:
Spread Me
Just Like Home
The Echo Wife
Upright Women Wanted
When We Were Magic
Magic for Liars
American Hippo
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Praise for this book
"With a gloriously creepy atmosphere, unreliable narrators on every page, and a story that will hurt in the best way possible, this is absolutely Gailey at their finest." —Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Olympus series
"Emotionally arresting, deliciously provocative, impossible to predict, MAKE ME BETTER is a singular novel by a singular artist. I loved it. Sarah Gailey—your mind!" —Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie
"Make Me Better is a hypnotic tide pool of a novel, a habitat of horror teeming with all types of taxonomies of folkish frights. It is a dizzying display of unwell wellness, encrusted in the brine of belief systems unfamiliar and curdled, that sucks you right in and never lets you up for air." —Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
"Gailey does impressive work .....Readers are sure to be unsettled." —Publishers Weekly
"A crash course in how people can be manipulated by promises of purpose and belonging. The folk horror feel of Gailey's must-read novel might remind readers of Ari Aster's movie Midsommar, while others might read this thoughtful book and think of George Orwell's 1984." —Library Journal, starred review
"Gailey is a chameleonic master of their trade...Make Me Better is weird in all the best ways. Go get lost in it. And put your feet in the water." —Locus
"Devastatingly compelling, with emotional and eerie images that will last long after the final page." Booklist, starred review
"Spanning 16 years and incorporating multiple perspectives and flashbacks, Sarah Gailey’s twist-filled cult story is a thrilling ride." —Bookpage
"The most honest and unflinching depictions of a cult I’ve ever read in fiction. The result is a work of stunning verisimilitude, and since it’s a horror novel, that means we don’t just witness the dread, but embody it." —Book Riot
"Rewards with a multifaceted portrait of a community that's anything but well." —Book Reporter
"Make Me Better come[s] together in a way that elevates it from some of its peers in the 'is something amiss in this isolated community' narrative world.... The result is a slow-building sense of dread, a cautionary tale as chamber epic." —Reactor
About the AuthorSarah Gailey is a Hugo Award and British Fantasy Award winning and bestselling author of speculative fiction, short stories, and essays. Their nonfiction has been published by dozens of venues internationally. Their fiction has been published in over seven different languages. They have written comics for Marvel, EC, and BOOM! Studios, including multiple original series. They are the editor and publisher of Stone Soup and Love Letters: Reasons To Be Alive. You can find links to their work at sarahgailey.com.
Title: Make Me Better : A Novel
Author(s): Sarah Gailey
ISBN: 9781250851765
Copyright 2026
Release Date: May 12, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
Dragonmount is a proud provider of DRM-free eBooks. By purchasing any eBook from our store, you are not only helping support our website, but you are helping small businesses thrive in a market traditionally dominated by large companies. Learn more in our eBook FAQ.
About Make Me Better : A Novel by Sarah Gailey
An instant USA Today bestseller • Amazon's May sci-fi & fantasy pick!
Sarah Gailey's Make Me Better is an eerily seductive look at the desire for community connection and self-improvement---and the darkest places inside us all. Urgent and yet timeless, this read is perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson, Ari Aster, and Patricia Highsmith.
An exclusive invitation.
A remote island infamous for its miraculous ecology.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix everything that's broken.
But sometimes growth requires sacrifice....
WELCOME TO KINDRED COVE.
Celia is so tired of being alone. All she wants is to have a family—to belong to someone. That's why she's going to Kindred Cove for the annual Salt Festival held by the secluded community that lives there. They promise that healing is possible. They promise that transformation is inevitable. There is no grief at Kindred Cove, because there is no suffering. Nothing is ever lost.
Celia knows that, at that mysterious island surrounded by that impossible, ever-growing reef—she will find herself.
She’s ready to be healed. She’s ready to be transformed.
She's ready to believe.
Also by Sarah Gailey:
Spread Me
Just Like Home
The Echo Wife
Upright Women Wanted
When We Were Magic
Magic for Liars
American Hippo
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Praise for this book
"With a gloriously creepy atmosphere, unreliable narrators on every page, and a story that will hurt in the best way possible, this is absolutely Gailey at their finest." —Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Olympus series
"Emotionally arresting, deliciously provocative, impossible to predict, MAKE ME BETTER is a singular novel by a singular artist. I loved it. Sarah Gailey—your mind!" —Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie
"Make Me Better is a hypnotic tide pool of a novel, a habitat of horror teeming with all types of taxonomies of folkish frights. It is a dizzying display of unwell wellness, encrusted in the brine of belief systems unfamiliar and curdled, that sucks you right in and never lets you up for air." —Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
"Gailey does impressive work .....Readers are sure to be unsettled." —Publishers Weekly
"A crash course in how people can be manipulated by promises of purpose and belonging. The folk horror feel of Gailey's must-read novel might remind readers of Ari Aster's movie Midsommar, while others might read this thoughtful book and think of George Orwell's 1984." —Library Journal, starred review
"Gailey is a chameleonic master of their trade...Make Me Better is weird in all the best ways. Go get lost in it. And put your feet in the water." —Locus
"Devastatingly compelling, with emotional and eerie images that will last long after the final page." Booklist, starred review
"Spanning 16 years and incorporating multiple perspectives and flashbacks, Sarah Gailey’s twist-filled cult story is a thrilling ride." —Bookpage
"The most honest and unflinching depictions of a cult I’ve ever read in fiction. The result is a work of stunning verisimilitude, and since it’s a horror novel, that means we don’t just witness the dread, but embody it." —Book Riot
"Rewards with a multifaceted portrait of a community that's anything but well." —Book Reporter
"Make Me Better come[s] together in a way that elevates it from some of its peers in the 'is something amiss in this isolated community' narrative world.... The result is a slow-building sense of dread, a cautionary tale as chamber epic." —Reactor
About the Author
Sarah Gailey is a Hugo Award and British Fantasy Award winning and bestselling author of speculative fiction, short stories, and essays. Their nonfiction has been published by dozens of venues internationally. Their fiction has been published in over seven different languages. They have written comics for Marvel, EC, and BOOM! Studios, including multiple original series. They are the editor and publisher of Stone Soup and Love Letters: Reasons To Be Alive. You can find links to their work at sarahgailey.com.
Title: Make Me Better : A Novel
Author(s): Sarah Gailey
ISBN: 9781250851765
Copyright 2026
Release Date: May 12, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
Dragonmount is a proud provider of DRM-free eBooks. By purchasing any eBook from our store, you are not only helping support our website, but you are helping small businesses thrive in a market traditionally dominated by large companies. Learn more in our eBook FAQ.
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