"The Wicker King" by K. Ancrum follows the intense friendship between two high school boys, August and Jack. As they navigate their lives in a world filled with expectations and pressures, they become increasingly enmeshed in a fantastical realm influenced by their shared creativity and imagination. When Jack begins to spiral into a dark place, August struggles to maintain their bond while grappling with the weight of his own feelings and the challenges of mental health. The story intertwines themes of love, loyalty, and the delicate balance between reality and illusion, ultimately exploring the depth of their connection and the consequences of their choices. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed. This book was published in 2021 by Tantor Audio .

K. Ancrum grew up in Chicago Illinois, under the illusory rigor of the Chicago Public School system. She attended Dominican University to study Fashion Merchandizing, but was lured into getting an English degree after spending too many nights experimenting with hard literary criticism and hanging out with unsavory types, like poetry students. Currently, she lives in Andersonville and writes books at work when no one is looking. The Wicker King is her first novel.