The Cursed Idol

Be careful what you wish for.

Daniel feels invisible at school, suffocated at home, and an outsider in his new town. That is, until he discovers a grotesque stone idol hidden in the walls of an abandoned villa. The idol seems to grant wishes — but every gift comes at a price. Daniel soon learns that asking for what you want is the easy part. Paying for it is another story. A chilling YA horror-thriller rooted in gothic tradition, where every wish granted by a cursed idol carries a deadly cost.

• Psychological realism: Daniel’s isolation and need for validation ground the horror in emotional truth, echoing the anxieties of contemporary teens.
• An award-winning author with international reach: Guido Sgardoli, winner of the Andersen and Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi prizes, is among Italy’s most translated YA authors, with film rights to The Stone optioned by Maze Pictures (Germany).