Renee Runge

🤫 all the unreliable narrators, repressed trauma, memory fog, pathological liars, etc. etc.

🫨 thrillers with absolutely unpredictable endings, I neeeed something in the vein of We Were Liars where the twist slaps you in the face and you get SO mad and rate it 3* on Goodreads and then go back a month later to rate it 5* because you’re STILL thinking about it

🧛🏻👽 supernatural creatures of all shapes and colors - I would love to see a new take on vampires (I know everyone is asking for this…), werewolves, aliens, or something or someone else fresh and funky

💀 if your MS is going to make a child go “that book traumatized me as a kid” 10 years from now, in the sense that it has a uniquely shocking element or resolution, I want it

🦇 I don’t shy away from grit and gore in my inbox! I want to see your jaw-droppingly gross-out, sick, edgy, twisted stories (child appropriate… (barely))- I just finished the new Ed Gein season of Monster and my face the entire time looked like this: 🫣 but I couldn’t stop

it’s spooky season and I want to read some spooky queries 👻 I’m still very much on the hunt for horror and thrillers in both MG (is MG thriller a thing? it should be…) and YA! here are a few concepts really piquing my interest right now 👇🏻🎃 #mswl #amquerying

kind of specific ask for the #mswl , but I would really love to see a MG where the MCs live normal lives in the “real” world, but when they go through a portal, they play a different role that nobody in the “real” world knows about (Pevensie children as Narnia royalty vibes)

(4) all the Donner Party vibes. a gritty survival story that you can’t look away from. I’m watching Yellowjackets right now and am absolutely hooked.

(3) YA dystopia - it’s time for the revival. incredibly high stakes, lots of action, multifaceted characters, maybe even a love triangle….?

(2) you already know I’m obsessed with Erin Hunter’s Warriors. please please please give me the next big animal series that can spawn a years long saga that’s really engaging for fans! maybe with an unexpected species? we have lots of 🐈‍⬛🐁🐇🐉s already… but I do love them

some absolute dream projects:
(1) something extremely atmospheric that captures The Real Florida (or a region you’re passionate about!) - I love when the setting of a story could almost be a character of its own

I’m looking for ALL genres of MG and YA, but might be slightly prioritizing….
- MG magical realism
- MG animal fantasy
- YA fantasy/sci-fi (DYSTOPIA)
- YA contemporary
- YA thriller
- historical fiction OR alternate history in both age groups

allow me to reintroduce myself:
hi! I’m Renee, an Associate Agent at Spencerhill Associates! I’m building a list in middle grade and young adult fiction, and am super excited to support and develop authors wherever they are in their careers! check out my #mswl 🧵