Winner of the 2016 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

“It’s easy to empathize with [Lily] . . . . Throughout, first-time author Scofield creates striking images that will stay with readers.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This is a painful and poignant story that is not for every reader; but for those ready to deal with complex realistic fiction, it has much to offer.”
—Booklist

“Dynamic . . . [Protagonist Lily Asher] comes to glorious, heartbreaking, embraceable, vibrant life courtesy of the experiences, heart and immense imagination and talent of Eugene author Chris Scofield.”
—The Register-Guard

“Chris Scofield has written a young adult novel that doesn’t compromise integrity for trendiness. . . . It’s complex and quirky . . . there can be no doubt as to its uniqueness.”
—LitReactor

“The Shark Curtain is worth a read by teens and adults alike.”
—Eugene Weekly

“Absolutely bewitching. . . . Scofield has crafted a dense, poignant book, filled with extraordinarily beautiful language. . . . In exploring themes such as art, sex, and self-acceptance, Scofield examines the trade-offs we all make to be included in the tribe.”
—KLCC

“Those who prefer edgy period fiction with truly original characters will be fascinated by this glimpse into the mind of an unmedicated non-neurotypical teen struggling to come of age in the ‘60s.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“The Shark Curtain . . . is believable and real.”
—What Is Much

“Brilliant, engaging, engulfing, fulfilling, beautiful. The Shark Curtain will turn you inside out and make you see the world differently. As well you should. As well we all should. Because life isn’t about having the answers, it’s about grappling with the questions. Chris Scofield’s fantastically fantastic novel pins the tail on the donkey with a pneumatic nail gun—I absolutely insist that you read this book!”
—Garth Stein, New York Times best-selling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“The Shark Curtain is a full-on adventure tale of the best kind. The heroine, Lily Asher, is a ‘weirdo’—a sweet, troubled, creative teenager who lives life through the lens of her hyperimagination. Regularly visited by the ghost of her dead dog as well as a tedious and melancholy Jesus, Lily struggles with her own bizarre behavior, puberty, and love for her dysfunctional family. The Ashers are going through what we all went through in the 1960s: the Vietnam War, race riots, the white patriarchy, bullies, death, and too much Valium. It’s Lily’s unusual voice that brings the story all together. Chris Scofield’s The Shark Curtain is a shout-out to all us grrrrrls. Hooray!”
—Tom Spanbauer, founder of Dangerous Writing

“You’ve never met anyone like The Shark Curtain‘s Lily Asher. With Jesus as her smart-aleck companion, a dead dog as her guide, a sister who thinks she’s a ‘weirdo,’ and parents absorbed in their own drama, Lily leads you wildly through her imagination, her dreams, and the crazy roller coaster of her teenage years. With deep wit and endless invention, Chris Scofield has created a girl—and a story—unlike any other. Read this book and experience its wonder.”
—Miriam Gershow, author of The Local News

“In The Shark Curtain, Chris Scofield offers us a rare pleasure: a startling and original heroine, Lily Asher, whose quest to understand and experience the world around her is second only to her journey inward, where she grapples with a menagerie of family members, animals, historical and religious figures, and pop cultural icons in a series of both real and imaginary encounters. These twisted and sometimes absurd relationships allow Lily to grasp fleeting and brilliant truths about the human condition, the problem of death, what it means to be ‘crazy,’ what it means to be ‘normal,’ and our very real need for love and acceptance, no matter who we are.”
—J.L. Powers, author of This Thing Called the Future