The Beaches is a 2022 Canadian middle grade supernatural ghost story novel by Rebecca Maye Holiday. Based in part on Canada's decision to release infamous rapist and criminal Karla Homolka under a fake name into the general public, The Beaches follows Levi Tremblay, a slightly overweight, awkward teenage boy who finds himself at odds with his appearances-obsessed mother, all while befriending Glyn Palermo, a girl Levi's age who appears to be a squatter on the Tremblay property. Levi also befriends a local girl and boy his own age who live close by, and learns from them about a brutal murder that occurred years earlier in town.
The book was released through imprint Sea Holly Books in 2022, and an eBook version was released through American company Lulu later that year.
This book contains examples of the following tropes:
- Albinos Are Freaks: Glyn is a girl with albinism who is very creepy and lingers, unwanted, on Levi's property. Trope is averted when it turns out that Glyn is actually a benign character trying to warn Levi of danger.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Levi's mom, in an attempt to be popular, dresses in awkward trends she's pulled off the internet, including wearing a cheap print-on-demand tank top she bought online that says "pit bull mom" on it (which Levi hates because he doesn't like pit bulls and he thinks the tank top looks trashy).
- Canine Companion: Levi has a large pet dog that is his constant companion throughout the book.
- Evil Matriarch: Levi's creepy mother has some VERY dark secrets and reasons for why she wants so badly to fit in with the neighbors.
- Human Disguise: Glyn Palermo turns out to be a ghost of a girl murdered by Levi's mother.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Levi is disappointed to see that all the kids his age in town have smartphones. Luckily he does find some friends his own age, but at first he's put off by seeing kids in the park all sitting in a circle texting on their phones.
