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Rift
Some doors were never meant to be opened. Some tales were never meant to be set free. When seventeen-year-old Sahara O’Saughnessy discovers a rift into the realm of lore, the most haunting stories she’s been telling her friends come to life, and she must find a way to stop them before they tear her world apart. RIFT explores loss, longing, and courage with spine-chilling suspense. Set within the Appalachian Mountains, it walks the boundaries between the known and the unknown.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2024
4 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Steven James
133 books1,739 followersSteven James is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of twenty novels and numerous books on the craft of novel writing, including the new release, DELVE, PIVOT, PROPEL, which explores revolutionary new approaches to fiction writing. With a master's degree in storytelling, James teaches writing worldwide and has appeared on five continents telling stories and teaching storytelling at over 2000 appearances.
His latest Young Adult horror novel, RIFT, is the first in a new trilogy that takes place in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. James lives in Eastern Tennessee and loves watching sci-fi movies, playing basketball, and eating chicken fajitas—although not all at the same time.
James has been penning smart, taut thrillers that actually thrill, since 2007, when his acclaimed psychological suspense novel, THE PAWN, released.
If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.
His latest Young Adult horror novel, RIFT, is the first in a new trilogy that takes place in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. James lives in Eastern Tennessee and loves watching sci-fi movies, playing basketball, and eating chicken fajitas—although not all at the same time.
James has been penning smart, taut thrillers that actually thrill, since 2007, when his acclaimed psychological suspense novel, THE PAWN, released.
If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2025
“There’s a lot of history here in the region, and where there’s a lot of history somewhere, you can be sure you’ll find a lot of tragedy. And where there’s a lot of tragedy, there always seem to be a lot of ghosts— or at least stories about them.”
Steven James is one of my go-to authors for good suspense thrillers. I’ve read the vast majority of his books including the Patrick Bowers series and the Travis Brock series— both excellent.
Rift, though, is a departure from his MO. At least in terms of content and genre.
The website for this trilogy describes this as a ‘young adult folklore horror’ novel.
It’s set in the Appalachian mountains and, having visited that area multiple times, James definitely captures the Smoky Mountain folklore vibes and mystery.
The main character is a teenage girl which is also different than he normally writes (adult male). I thought that was an interesting change, but good for him for branching out. He does give credit to a few females in the acknowledgements who helped him ‘get into’ the mind of a teenage girl. I thought he did a pretty good job with that as well.
This book is less about suspense and more about supernatural creepiness. Not necessarily in the evil, dark, demonic sense, as much as the evil, fantasy world sense.
Basic Premise
The story begins with the tragic death of Sahara’s dad who drowned when his car went off the icy road he was driving on to go after Sahara following a fight they had. It was a life-altering moment for Sahara. Not just to lose her father, but words were said and truths revealed that also drove a wedge between her and her mom.
Her mother, struggling deeply with the grief of her husband’s death, sends Sahara from Wisconsin to live with her grandmother in Tennessee.
While working at her new job at the library she discovers a blocked off area in the basement that used to serve as a holding area for coffins (corpses) back when the library was a train station and they needed a cold dry place to store bodies in between train rides.
Even though Sahara knows she has an overactive imagination (“a polyphiloprogenitive mind” for anyone who wants a new word to use), she is convinced there was some sort of other being in that dark, haunted room with her. A ‘thin place’ where another realm bumps up into our reality. Perhaps even a portal to this other world where something may be trying to cross over.
Things get more real when Sahara, a rather good story-teller, sees these ghost stories manifesting themselves in her world. With the help of some friends from school, they investigate and try to somehow close the ‘rift.’
Though a seemingly simplistic plot, there are some deeper threads woven into this adventure.
First, we continue to walk with Sahara as she grieves and remembers her dad and carries the guilt of their last conversation. All the what ifs that led to her loss and drove her away from her mom.
“What do you do when you can’t pick up the pieces of a broken life but also can’t seem to move on without them?”
“I’m both, somehow, at the same time: the billowing sail and the sinking ship. Somehow, I feel like I am heading toward the future while also being dragged down by the past.”
She is in an identity crisis looking for a place to belong, a place to be loved. So we explore grief, family, friendship/found family.
“Tragic stuff happening to you doesn’t change who you are. It just reveals who you are underneath. The real you.”
Second, we have the concept of story. Stories handed down. Stories written down. What do stories do, what are they for? How do stories grow and change?
Steven James has written a few non-fiction books where he explores story. I’ve always appreciated his deep thinking and the way he incorporates that into his books.
Here are a few quotes from this book:
“We turn our pain into narrative so we can bear it; we turn our ecstasy into narrative so we can prolong it. We tell our stories to live.”— John Shea
“Stories are perennials. They’ll keep flowering as long as they’re told and retold and allowed to grow in the wild.”
“Some doors were never meant to be opened. Some tales were never meant to be told.”
Sahara earns herself the nickname ‘Zod’ which in a roundabout way comes from the story of 1001 Arabian Nights. The story is told in the book so I won’t spoil it if you don’t already know it but in the story Scheherazade (see: Sahara-zade to Zod) is a heroic storyteller.
James recognizes and incorporates the biblical truth of self-sacrifice that is so common in story:
“‘I’m guessing your story’s climax required a valiant choice or a selfless act, because ‘happily ever after’ always comes at a cost.’”
Love always costs us something.
This is brought up in terms of a ‘good story’ and then is part of Rift as the book climaxes and Sahara is faced with her own valiant choice or selfless act. It is also what leaves this book on a cliffhanger!
I thought these two quotes were thought-provoking and may make good discussion topics:
“Love hurts because to love someone you have to give away part of yourself and— obviously— you suffer when you lose them. And you do all of this willingly. But love is essential, so maybe it is torture— the kind that keeps us alive, gives us a reason for living.”
“If the choice costs nothing, it means nothing.”
A note on the ‘creepiness’ factor of the book: If you’re used to reading horror or a bit gruesome novels, what’s in here probably won’t even make you flinch. If you are apprehensive about what that means in this story I will say it’s not over the top but there are a couple ‘ghost stories’ that are told that involve “skin and hair and teeth and blood in the closet”.
There are also talk of elementals and changelings. Of elementals, it is said,
“They’re like livin’ shadows, formless and hungry and bent on causin’ nothing but pain and suffering. Some people say they feed on fear and tears and the dread of children.”
There are definitely moments that will make you scrunch up your nose or feel creeped out. So if any of that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, this probably isn’t the book for you. If you like some creepiness or ghostly elements, then you will probably enjoy this.
Now if you’re looking for extreme levels of horror, you also won’t find that here. It’s a good in-between.
Considering how this book left off, I’m guessing there is ‘more where that came from’ coming down the line in book two, as well. It’s the theme of the series.
A note on the local delicacy of using Goo Goo Clusters to make smores: we are headed to Tenneesse in August and we may need to try this treat while we spend a week in the Smokies!
A note on the publication: I see there aren’t many reviews for the book even though it published last December. I’m not sure if this didn’t get the same kind of marketing as his other books or if his usual audience was unsure about this diversion from the norm. I’m also a bit confused because it looks like the second book was supposed to come out in April but I can’t find it or any information on it. Just an overall odd rabbit trail Steven James has found himself on.
Recommendation
If you enjoy Steven James and aren’t afraid of a little ghost story, I would definitely recommend.
If you prefer Steven James’ typical type of thriller this may not scratch the itch for you.
If you avoid all things supernatural/creepy/teeth and bones, then by all means, avoid this book as well.
If you say- ‘the more guts and demons, the merrier’ then this is also not going to scratch your itch.
Like I mentioned, this is a new type of book coming from Steven James so I’m not entirely sure what to expect going forward in the series, but if I can find the others, I plan to see what happens to Sahara and the rift!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
[Content Advisory: no swearing or sexual content; ‘ghosts’ or supernatural beings are part of the story and some stories told within are a bit gruesome]
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | StoryGraph
Steven James is one of my go-to authors for good suspense thrillers. I’ve read the vast majority of his books including the Patrick Bowers series and the Travis Brock series— both excellent.
Rift, though, is a departure from his MO. At least in terms of content and genre.
The website for this trilogy describes this as a ‘young adult folklore horror’ novel.
It’s set in the Appalachian mountains and, having visited that area multiple times, James definitely captures the Smoky Mountain folklore vibes and mystery.
The main character is a teenage girl which is also different than he normally writes (adult male). I thought that was an interesting change, but good for him for branching out. He does give credit to a few females in the acknowledgements who helped him ‘get into’ the mind of a teenage girl. I thought he did a pretty good job with that as well.
This book is less about suspense and more about supernatural creepiness. Not necessarily in the evil, dark, demonic sense, as much as the evil, fantasy world sense.
Basic Premise
The story begins with the tragic death of Sahara’s dad who drowned when his car went off the icy road he was driving on to go after Sahara following a fight they had. It was a life-altering moment for Sahara. Not just to lose her father, but words were said and truths revealed that also drove a wedge between her and her mom.
Her mother, struggling deeply with the grief of her husband’s death, sends Sahara from Wisconsin to live with her grandmother in Tennessee.
While working at her new job at the library she discovers a blocked off area in the basement that used to serve as a holding area for coffins (corpses) back when the library was a train station and they needed a cold dry place to store bodies in between train rides.
Even though Sahara knows she has an overactive imagination (“a polyphiloprogenitive mind” for anyone who wants a new word to use), she is convinced there was some sort of other being in that dark, haunted room with her. A ‘thin place’ where another realm bumps up into our reality. Perhaps even a portal to this other world where something may be trying to cross over.
Things get more real when Sahara, a rather good story-teller, sees these ghost stories manifesting themselves in her world. With the help of some friends from school, they investigate and try to somehow close the ‘rift.’
Though a seemingly simplistic plot, there are some deeper threads woven into this adventure.
First, we continue to walk with Sahara as she grieves and remembers her dad and carries the guilt of their last conversation. All the what ifs that led to her loss and drove her away from her mom.
“What do you do when you can’t pick up the pieces of a broken life but also can’t seem to move on without them?”
“I’m both, somehow, at the same time: the billowing sail and the sinking ship. Somehow, I feel like I am heading toward the future while also being dragged down by the past.”
She is in an identity crisis looking for a place to belong, a place to be loved. So we explore grief, family, friendship/found family.
“Tragic stuff happening to you doesn’t change who you are. It just reveals who you are underneath. The real you.”
Second, we have the concept of story. Stories handed down. Stories written down. What do stories do, what are they for? How do stories grow and change?
Steven James has written a few non-fiction books where he explores story. I’ve always appreciated his deep thinking and the way he incorporates that into his books.
Here are a few quotes from this book:
“We turn our pain into narrative so we can bear it; we turn our ecstasy into narrative so we can prolong it. We tell our stories to live.”— John Shea
“Stories are perennials. They’ll keep flowering as long as they’re told and retold and allowed to grow in the wild.”
“Some doors were never meant to be opened. Some tales were never meant to be told.”
Sahara earns herself the nickname ‘Zod’ which in a roundabout way comes from the story of 1001 Arabian Nights. The story is told in the book so I won’t spoil it if you don’t already know it but in the story Scheherazade (see: Sahara-zade to Zod) is a heroic storyteller.
James recognizes and incorporates the biblical truth of self-sacrifice that is so common in story:
“‘I’m guessing your story’s climax required a valiant choice or a selfless act, because ‘happily ever after’ always comes at a cost.’”
Love always costs us something.
This is brought up in terms of a ‘good story’ and then is part of Rift as the book climaxes and Sahara is faced with her own valiant choice or selfless act. It is also what leaves this book on a cliffhanger!
I thought these two quotes were thought-provoking and may make good discussion topics:
“Love hurts because to love someone you have to give away part of yourself and— obviously— you suffer when you lose them. And you do all of this willingly. But love is essential, so maybe it is torture— the kind that keeps us alive, gives us a reason for living.”
“If the choice costs nothing, it means nothing.”
A note on the ‘creepiness’ factor of the book: If you’re used to reading horror or a bit gruesome novels, what’s in here probably won’t even make you flinch. If you are apprehensive about what that means in this story I will say it’s not over the top but there are a couple ‘ghost stories’ that are told that involve “skin and hair and teeth and blood in the closet”.
There are also talk of elementals and changelings. Of elementals, it is said,
“They’re like livin’ shadows, formless and hungry and bent on causin’ nothing but pain and suffering. Some people say they feed on fear and tears and the dread of children.”
There are definitely moments that will make you scrunch up your nose or feel creeped out. So if any of that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, this probably isn’t the book for you. If you like some creepiness or ghostly elements, then you will probably enjoy this.
Now if you’re looking for extreme levels of horror, you also won’t find that here. It’s a good in-between.
Considering how this book left off, I’m guessing there is ‘more where that came from’ coming down the line in book two, as well. It’s the theme of the series.
A note on the local delicacy of using Goo Goo Clusters to make smores: we are headed to Tenneesse in August and we may need to try this treat while we spend a week in the Smokies!
A note on the publication: I see there aren’t many reviews for the book even though it published last December. I’m not sure if this didn’t get the same kind of marketing as his other books or if his usual audience was unsure about this diversion from the norm. I’m also a bit confused because it looks like the second book was supposed to come out in April but I can’t find it or any information on it. Just an overall odd rabbit trail Steven James has found himself on.
Recommendation
If you enjoy Steven James and aren’t afraid of a little ghost story, I would definitely recommend.
If you prefer Steven James’ typical type of thriller this may not scratch the itch for you.
If you avoid all things supernatural/creepy/teeth and bones, then by all means, avoid this book as well.
If you say- ‘the more guts and demons, the merrier’ then this is also not going to scratch your itch.
Like I mentioned, this is a new type of book coming from Steven James so I’m not entirely sure what to expect going forward in the series, but if I can find the others, I plan to see what happens to Sahara and the rift!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
[Content Advisory: no swearing or sexual content; ‘ghosts’ or supernatural beings are part of the story and some stories told within are a bit gruesome]
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | StoryGraph
July 31, 2025
From the very first page, Rift by Steven James had me hooked. Imagine telling spooky stories around a campfire... and then waking up to find them crawling into your world. That’s exactly what happens to Sahara O’Saughnessy—a seventeen-year-old whose imagination opens a door that should’ve never been unlocked.
Set deep in the eerie beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, this story pulls you into a realm where folklore isn’t just legend—it’s dangerously real. The writing is sharp, the pacing keeps your heart racing, and the atmosphere? Absolutely chilling. Think Stranger Things meets Appalachian ghost tales.
What I loved most is how the book doesn’t just entertain—it lingers. It explores grief, bravery, and the line between truth and tale in a way that feels personal and raw. You’ll be turning pages long into the night, whispering, “Just one more chapter.”
If you're craving a fresh, suspenseful YA fantasy with a psychological twist, Rift isn’t just worth reading—it’s unmissable. Trust me, once you enter the rift... there’s no turning back.
Set deep in the eerie beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, this story pulls you into a realm where folklore isn’t just legend—it’s dangerously real. The writing is sharp, the pacing keeps your heart racing, and the atmosphere? Absolutely chilling. Think Stranger Things meets Appalachian ghost tales.
What I loved most is how the book doesn’t just entertain—it lingers. It explores grief, bravery, and the line between truth and tale in a way that feels personal and raw. You’ll be turning pages long into the night, whispering, “Just one more chapter.”
If you're craving a fresh, suspenseful YA fantasy with a psychological twist, Rift isn’t just worth reading—it’s unmissable. Trust me, once you enter the rift... there’s no turning back.
January 22, 2025
I’ve read just about every book written by Mr. James. I thoroughly enjoy his writing style and storytelling. Rift was a very entertaining read. It is based in northeast TN, not far from where I grew up and so I enjoyed that local flavor as a part of the story. The short list of characters makes it easy enough to keep up with and develop a relationship with each, which makes it even more difficult when there are twists and turns in their storylines to put the book down - no accident by the author, I’m sure.
If you’re looking for a book that will hold your attention, thrill you a bit here and there, and make you want to look for the next book in the series - give this one a read.
If you’re looking for a book that will hold your attention, thrill you a bit here and there, and make you want to look for the next book in the series - give this one a read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews