Bloomsbury signs ‘riveting’ YA thriller by Clare Edge
Bloomsbury has acquired Natural Selection, a YA thriller by Clare Edge. The book follows three girls whose plan for revenge against a local boy spirals into something far more sinister when a grizzly bear enters the picture.
Alex Antscherl, senior editorial director for fiction at Bloomsbury Children’s Books, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in two books – Natural Selection and a second, standalone YA novel.
The deal was negotiated by Kiya Evans, while at Mushens Entertainment, on behalf of Jennifer Azantian of Azantian Literary Agency. Delacorte will publish the titles in the US, while Brazilian rights were sold to Faro and Spanish rights to VR Editoras MEX by Mushens Entertainment.
Bloomsbury will publish Natural Selection in b-format paperback, e-book and audiobook on 27th August 2026.
The blurb reads: “Natural Selection tells the story of Megan, Megan and Meghan who have three things in common: their name, their small town and Kevin Johnson. When the trio realise they’ve all been Kevin’s victim, they plan a revenge prank in the woods. But things take an unsettling turn with the appearance of a grizzly bear.
"Now the girls don’t just share a name, but also a very dark secret. Bear attacks on local men begin to multiply and the girls start to wonder, who is more dangerous? When it comes to boys and bears, always choose the bear. With its blend of supernatural suspense, biting humour and a premise that taps perfectly into the internet’s obsession with choosing the bear over the man, Natural Selection is set to become the next must-read for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.”
Edge said: “Natural Selection couldn’t have found a better home than the incomparable Bloomsbury. I’m so grateful that Alex and her team saw my vision and wanted to help get this story to readers around the world who need it. Especially women, girls and queer people surviving unsafe spaces. This book is for everyone who can’t grin and bear it anymore. I wrote the final chapters of Natural Selection in the weeks following the 2024 US election. It was an incredibly cathartic experience to tell this story of pain and rage and revenge, and my dearest hope is that readers find a similar, much-needed catharsis in its blood-soaked pages.”
Antscherl said “This is a riveting YA thriller with a devastating twist. It’s a powerfully satisfying revenge story that will have every reader rooting for the three young women at its heart. I am so proud to bring the brilliant Clare Edge to the Bloomsbury list and to UK readers.”
