Family on the Road

Meg Russo, her husband Justin, and their daughter Lily are on a road trip to drop Lily off at college. The car is packed with Lily's musical gear and dorm essentials, and the mood is bittersweet—Meg is anxious about her daughter leaving, Justin tries to keep things light, and Lily is distant, lost in her music. The family dynamic is strained, with Meg feeling the growing distance from her daughter and the weight of impending change. On the highway, they are harassed by a car full of men who take photos and taunt them, escalating Meg's anxiety and sense of vulnerability. The incident foreshadows the dangers lurking beyond the family's control and sets the tone for the novel's exploration of fear, surveillance, and the unknown.

Shattered by Tragedy

The family's journey ends in disaster when Meg, distracted and harassed by the men in the Mazda, loses control of the car. The crash is violent and disorienting, leaving Meg injured and Justin dead. Lily survives, traumatized. The aftermath is a blur of pain, guilt, and grief. Meg blames herself for Justin's death, haunted by the choices she made and the sense that something more sinister was at play. The accident fractures the family, leaving Meg and Lily to navigate their loss in a world that suddenly feels hostile and unsafe.

Small Town, Big Shadows

Meg and Lily return to their small Hudson Valley town, Elizabethville, where Meg reopens the family bookstore, The Secret Garden, in an attempt to restore normalcy. The town is insular, resistant to outsiders, and slow to change. Meg is surrounded by familiar faces—her loyal employee Sara Beth, her stylish best friend Bonnie, and a cast of locals—but she feels increasingly isolated. The store becomes a microcosm of the town's tensions, with Meg facing both support and subtle hostility. The sense of being watched intensifies, and Meg's grief is compounded by the community's whispers and the resurfacing of old rumors about her family.

Grief and Ghosts

Meg and Lily struggle to connect, each consumed by their own pain. Meg's father, Nathan, a former rock musician with a history of paranoia, becomes more insistent that the family is being targeted by unseen enemies. Lily, meanwhile, copes by retreating into music and secretive behavior, including skipping therapy and experimenting with drugs. The family's past—especially Meg's childhood and her mother's mysterious death—haunts them, and the boundaries between real threats and imagined ones blur. The arrival of strange messages and unsettling encounters in town heighten Meg's sense of danger.

The Book No One Mentions

Lily discovers that Meg wrote a fantasy novel, The Prophesy, as a teenager—a book that eerily predicted plagues, disasters, and the "Year of Twos." The book, long out of print, becomes the center of a conspiracy theory propagated by an online cult. Lily's discovery of the book in the attic, along with hate mail and evidence of past threats, reveals that the family has been the subject of suspicion and harassment for decades. The cult believes Meg's book is cursed and that the family is responsible for the world's ills, fueling a campaign of intimidation.

The Wolves Are Watching

Nathan's fears are validated as the family is targeted by a group calling themselves the Nine-and-Tens, who believe in the apocalyptic power of Meg's book and Nathan's music. The cult's influence is both local and online, with members embedded in the community and law enforcement. Acts of vandalism, surveillance, and coded threats escalate, including a severed finger left in the bookstore. The family realizes they are being watched and hunted, and that the line between paranoia and reality has vanished.

The Cult in the Shadows

Lily and Meg uncover the extent of the Nine-and-Tens' network through a dark web image board, TheYearofTwos, led by the enigmatic Bronze Lord. The cult's members, many of whom are missing fingers or toes as proof of their devotion, share deep-fake videos, stalker photos, and violent fantasies about the family. The cult's doctrine demands that the "demon family" must repent or die on film to save the world. The family's every move is monitored, and the threat becomes existential.

The Ritual and the Finger

The cult's beliefs manifest in real-world violence: the bookstore is vandalized, a pyramid of children's books is topped with a severed finger, and coded messages flood the family's social media. The police are either ineffectual or complicit, and Meg's attempts to seek help are met with suspicion. The cult's rituals—self-amputation, surveillance, and public shaming—create an atmosphere of terror. The family is forced to confront the reality that they are the targets of a modern witch hunt.

Paranoia and Proof

Meg investigates the people around her, suspecting friends and neighbors of being cult members. Her father's old enemies resurface, and connections between past violence and present threats become clear. The cult's reach extends into the family's inner circle, and Meg's trust in those closest to her is shaken. The discovery that the men who harassed them on the highway are connected to the cult—and to a decades-old attack on Nathan—proves that the conspiracy is both personal and generational.

The Year of Twos

The cult's prophecy centers on December 12, 2022—the "Year of Twos"—as the date of reckoning. The family is given an ultimatum: repent (by killing each other) or die at the hands of the cult. As the date approaches, the town becomes more hostile, and the family is swatted by police in a staged raid. Meg and Lily are forced to go on the run, seeking refuge with Nathan, who arms them and prepares for a final stand. The sense of impending doom is palpable, and the family must rely on each other to survive.

The Bronze Lord's Game

The Bronze Lord, an anonymous online figure, manipulates the cult's followers and directs their actions. The family is subjected to psychological warfare—deep-fake videos, public shaming, and coordinated attacks. The cult's doctrine demands a violent, filmed sacrifice to break the curse. The family's attempts to escape are thwarted by betrayal from within, and the true extent of the cult's infiltration is revealed. The Bronze Lord's identity remains a mystery, but his influence is omnipresent.

Swatting and Betrayal

The family's few remaining friends are revealed to be either cult members or powerless to help. A swatting incident nearly results in Meg's death, and Lily is kidnapped by Carl, a trusted friend who is revealed to be a cultist. The family's isolation is complete, and their survival depends on their ability to outwit and outfight their pursuers. The cult's demand for a filmed sacrifice comes to a head, and the family must make impossible choices to save each other.

The Final Confrontation

Meg tracks Lily to a remote location, where the cult attempts to force Lily to kill her mother on camera. In a desperate struggle, Meg and Lily fight back, using the skills and weapons passed down from Nathan and Bonnie. They wound their attackers, destroy the evidence, and escape. The cult's prophecy fails to come true, and the family survives—but not without loss. Nathan is killed in a livestreamed attack, sacrificing himself to give Meg and Lily a chance to escape.

Sacrifice and Survival

The cult's online presence vanishes, and its members are arrested or go into hiding. Meg and Lily find temporary refuge, haunted by the trauma and loss they have endured. The town returns to normal, but the scars remain. The family's survival is a testament to their resilience, but the cost is high. The question of who the Bronze Lord was—and how many cultists remain—lingers.

Aftermath and Unanswered Questions

A year later, Meg and Lily are rebuilding their lives. Lily attends college, forms new friendships, and continues to play music. Meg renovates the house and tries to move on. The trauma lingers, but the family is stronger for having survived. The cult's influence has faded, but the fear of being watched never fully disappears. The novel ends with a note of hope, but also with the unsettling possibility that the threat is not entirely gone.

Trauma's Lingering Curtain

The story closes with Lily reflecting on the nature of trauma and the difficulty of finding peace. The family's ordeal has left them changed, but not broken. The bonds between mother and daughter, and between friends, are tested and ultimately strengthened. The question of who can be trusted remains, and the possibility of betrayal lingers. The novel ends on a note of cautious optimism, with Lily wishing for peace of mind as she blows out her birthday candle.

Characters

Meg Russo

Meg is the emotional center of the novel—a mother paralyzed by guilt over her husband's death and desperate to protect her daughter. She is intelligent, anxious, and fiercely loyal, but her grief and self-doubt make her vulnerable to paranoia. Meg's journey is one of transformation: from passive victim to active defender, forced to confront both external threats and her own complicity in the family's history. Her relationships—with Lily, her father Nathan, and her friends—are fraught with miscommunication and mistrust, but ultimately she finds strength in her love for her daughter and her willingness to fight back.

Lily Russo

Lily is a talented musician whose life is upended by the accident that kills her father. She copes by withdrawing into music, drugs, and secrecy, struggling to connect with her mother and process her grief. Lily's discovery of her mother's book and the cult's obsession with her family thrusts her into a nightmare of surveillance and violence. Her psychological journey is one of awakening and empowerment, as she learns to trust herself and fight for her own survival. Lily's relationship with Meg is central to the novel, evolving from estrangement to solidarity.

Nathan Lerner

Meg's father, Nathan, is a former rock musician whose life has been shaped by paranoia and trauma. Haunted by past attacks and convinced that his family is being targeted by a conspiracy, Nathan is both a source of wisdom and a cautionary figure. His fears, once dismissed as delusions, are revealed to be grounded in reality. Nathan's relationship with Meg is complex—marked by love, resentment, and mutual misunderstanding. His final act of sacrifice is both redemptive and tragic, cementing his role as the family's flawed protector.

Justin Russo

Justin is Meg's husband and Lily's father, whose death in the car accident sets the novel's events in motion. His presence lingers throughout the story as a symbol of stability, love, and what has been lost. Justin's memory motivates Meg and Lily, and his absence is felt in every decision they make. He represents the life the family once had and the future that was stolen from them.

Bonnie Claeson

Bonnie is Meg's childhood friend and the owner of Divine Vintage. Stylish, supportive, and fiercely protective, Bonnie provides emotional and practical support to Meg and Lily. She is one of the few characters who remains trustworthy throughout the novel, and her willingness to fight for her friends is a source of strength. Bonnie's relationship with Meg is a model of enduring friendship, and her presence is a reminder that not all connections are tainted by betrayal.

Sara Beth

Sara Beth is the longtime employee at The Secret Garden, a fixture in Meg's life and a surrogate family member. Her loyalty is unquestioned, but her eccentricities and possible secrets add an undercurrent of uncertainty. Sara Beth's role is to provide continuity and comfort, but her past and true allegiances are left ambiguous, reflecting the novel's theme of mistrust.

Carl Lindstrom

Carl is Lily's friend and brief romantic interest, whose apparent kindness masks his true allegiance to the cult. His betrayal is a devastating blow to Lily, illustrating the dangers of misplaced trust and the insidiousness of the cult's reach. Carl's psychological profile is that of a follower—eager to please, easily manipulated, and ultimately dangerous. His actions force Lily to confront the reality that evil can wear a friendly face.

Trey McNally

Trey is the son of one of Nathan's old enemies and a key member of the cult. He embodies the novel's theme of inherited trauma and the perpetuation of violence across generations. Trey's actions are driven by a warped sense of justice and loyalty to the cult's doctrine. He is a physical and psychological threat to the family, and his presence ties the past to the present.

The Bronze Lord

The Bronze Lord is the enigmatic leader of the Nine-and-Tens, orchestrating the cult's actions from the shadows. His identity is never fully revealed, and his power lies in his ability to manipulate others through fear, propaganda, and the promise of salvation. The Bronze Lord represents the dangers of online radicalization and the seductive power of conspiracy theories.

Claire Cassadine

Claire is a local woman whose erratic behavior and threats make her an early suspect in the cult's campaign against the family. Her actions are driven by grief and mental illness, and she serves as a red herring—distracting the family from the true threat. Claire's character highlights the novel's exploration of scapegoating and the consequences of unchecked suspicion.

Plot Devices

Intergenerational Trauma and Paranoia

The novel uses the family's past—Nathan's career, Meg's book, and the legacy of violence—as both a source of vulnerability and a means of survival. Paranoia, once dismissed as delusion, becomes a necessary tool for recognizing real threats. The cyclical nature of trauma is explored through flashbacks, letters, and the resurfacing of old enemies, illustrating how the past shapes the present.

Online Conspiracy and Collective Delusion

The cult's activities are coordinated through anonymous image boards, deep-fake videos, and social media campaigns. The Bronze Lord's posts serve as both foreshadowing and incitement, blurring the line between fiction and reality. The novel critiques the power of online radicalization, the spread of misinformation, and the ease with which ordinary people can be swept up in collective delusion.

Ritual, Symbolism, and Sacrifice

The cult's rituals—self-amputation, public shaming, and the demand for filmed sacrifice—are both symbolic and literal. The severed finger, the pyramid of books, and the demand for a violent, on-camera death are plot devices that heighten the stakes and underscore the cult's fanaticism. The use of Meg's book and Nathan's music as "cursed" artifacts ties the family's creative legacy to their persecution.

Mistrust, Betrayal, and Uncertainty

The novel employs red herrings, shifting alliances, and ambiguous motivations to keep both characters and readers off-balance. Friends become enemies, and enemies masquerade as friends. The narrative structure uses multiple points of view, flashbacks, and unreliable narration to create a sense of pervasive mistrust and uncertainty.

Countdown and Foreshadowing

The "Year of Twos" and the date 12/12/22 serve as a countdown, building tension and urgency. The cult's prophecies and the family's attempts to decipher them drive the plot forward, with each chapter bringing the characters closer to a final confrontation. Foreshadowing is used extensively, with early incidents (the highway harassment, the hate mail, the hidden book) prefiguring later violence.

Analysis

We Are Watching is a chilling exploration of how fear, misinformation, and collective delusion can destroy lives and communities. Through the lens of one family's ordeal, Alison Gaylin examines the corrosive effects of trauma, the dangers of online radicalization, and the fragility of trust in an age of surveillance and suspicion. The novel's structure—interweaving past and present, reality and fiction—mirrors the characters' psychological unraveling and the blurring of truth and lies in the digital age. Ultimately, the story is about survival: the power of love, creativity, and solidarity to withstand even the most insidious threats. The ending, with its lingering doubts and unresolved questions, reflects the reality that trauma does not simply end—it is managed, survived, and, with luck, transformed into strength. The lesson is clear: vigilance is necessary, but so is hope, and the greatest weapon against darkness is the refusal to be broken by it.

Last updated: July 24, 2025