Alex Crespo in Conversation with Markelle Grabo

Alex Crespo is joining us for an evening at Three Avenues Bookshop. We'll be celebrating the release of his latest book, A Feast for the Eyes. The event will feature a conversation and audience Q&A moderated by Markelle Grabo, whose YA fantasy debut Call Forth a Fox came out last year. An author meet & greet and book signing will follow.

When: Saturday, October 4th at 6:30 pm (doors open at 6:15 pm)

Where: Three Avenues Bookshop - 3009 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Copies of will be available for purchase at the event. Everyone will have a chance to get your copy signed by Alex Crespo!

Sawkill Girls meets Twin Peaks in a page-turning queer supernatural thriller, where four teens must track down a local cryptid that's feeding off secrets, before their own hidden truths are exposed.

"Alex Crespo thrills with a meticulously crafted page-turner. A feast of twists, tension and secrets." --C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

On the dreary Oregon coast, an all-seeing beast--known as the Watcher--lies in wait. When Shay and her girlfriend, Lauren, get into a fight over whether to go public with their clandestine relationship, they awaken the creature. Although Lauren is badly injured, the girls escape with their lives but can't shake the feeling of the creature's eyes tracking them.

Meanwhile, aspiring photographer Zoe is desperate to put together a portfolio worthy of earning a scholarship to attend art college. Her photography teacher praises her skill but urges her to select more daring subjects for her submissions--a tall task when Zoe's camera acts as a barrier between herself and the rest of the world.

As rumors swirl about Lauren's injuries, Shay remains steadfast in that the Watcher is to blame, not her. She asks for Zoe's help in snapping a photo of the local legend. Proof would help Shay clear her name and certainly be daring enough for Zoe's scholarship. Together with their friends Jack and Parker, they set out to expose the Watcher before its ever-creeping eyes cast the secrets they're all keeping from the town--and one another--into the light.

Eerily atmospheric and as piercing as a pair of eyes on the back of your head, Alex Crespo's LGBTQ+ supernatural thriller is a poignant story about the prices we pay to keep our secrets hidden—sometimes for good reason. Through creeping tension and mounting horror, readers will furiously turn the pages with their breaths held.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Sapphic yearning
• Popular girl/Unpopular girl romance
• Slow Burn
• Secret Relationship
• Small Town with a Dark Secret
• Found Family
• Eldritch Abomination
• Hunter Becomes the Hunted

Alex Crespo writes about queer love, magic, and all the ways they intersect. His books include Saint Juniper’s Folly and A Feast for the Eyes. When not writing, you can find him making art or daydreaming about Mothman. He currently lives in Chicago with an endless anime watchlist and his black cat, Hex. Find him on social media @ByAlexCrespo.

Markelle Grabo retells the fairy tales that frustrate her, which, based on that guideline, could include nearly all of them. Her YA fantasy debut, Call Forth a Fox, received a starred review from Shelf Awareness for its “beautifully layered construction of identity” and was selected for the CBC Teacher Favorites List and the ALA Rainbow Book List. Her upcoming YA gothic fantasy, The Redwood Bargain, will be released in April 2026. Markelle earned her master’s degree in creative writing for children and young adults from Hamline University and lives in the Greater Chicago Area with her husband and two cats.

Three Avenues Bookshop's goal is to be a safe, accessible, and inclusive space for all. Please email us at [email protected] to let us know if you need any accommodations for this event, and we'll do our best to meet them. Accommodations can include but are not limited to the following: space for a wheelchair or other mobility device, masks, answering questions about the space over the phone or email ahead of time, etc.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Three Avenues Bookshop, 3009 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, United States