This Diwali, bookstores are preparing for a title that is already being touted by trade as the book of the year for young adults. Published by Bloomsbury, Bishhal Paull’s The Liar Among Us has been generating immense buzz among young readers for a debut.

Described by early readers as “India’s answer to Stranger Things,” the novel delivers a blend of elite boarding-school drama, paranormal suspense, and Himalayan folklore. It’s rare for a first book to combine literary craft with binge-worthy readability, but Paull manages both, and that’s where the excitement lies.