NEED TO KNOW

Jess Lourey will publish a new dystopian novel, The Verdant Cage , next year

The author tells PEOPLE that her latest book is a timely thriller "with a twist guaranteed to give you whiplash"

Read an exclusive excerpt from the novel below

If you’re falling down the dystopia rabbit hole, you’re in luck — Jess Lourey has a new book on the way.

PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the author’s upcoming novel The Verdant Cage , out next year from Mayhem Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing.

Per its publisher, The Verdant Cage is “a gripping dystopian thriller about rebellion, survival and the terrifying cost of uncovering the truth.” It’s also been called perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Wilder Girls — and Lourey wholeheartedly agrees.

"I’ve alwa

See Full Page