The Southern Reach Trilogy meets Us--I literally couldn't put it down

First off, I must say that Kate Alice Marshall's earlier novel, "Rules for Vanishing," was a favorite read of last year, so I was beyond excited when I heard about this novel and realized it was a follow-up/companion novel to the earlier YA horror-thriller. Imagine my joy when this novel not only lived up to those high expectations but far exceeded them. This novel is highly atmospheric from the very beginning, and the character development was excellent. I will say that the official comp to 'Twin Peaks' is a bit misleading, in my opinion, as the quirky Lynchian atmosphere is nowhere to be seen (don't expect cozy cherry-pie filled diners!!) Instead, the comparison is more about the horror elements of the old show (and, I'd imagine, the presence of a great old talking raven). I would say the novel has more in common with Jeff VanderMeer's Area X from 'Annihilation' and its sequels, and [minor spoilers] has thematic resonances with Jordan Peele's film 'Us.' However, I think this novel does very interesting, nuanced, and unique things with these elements, and the emotional payoff is so stunning. I legitimately cried at moments toward the end, which I was not expecting at all in a YA horror. That being said, the horror element of this novel is strong, and it is legit. I was reminded of vintage Stephen King, without the requisite racism, homophobia, sexism, or ableism that's par for the course with King. This novel even deals very explicitly with mental illness and the overuse of the stigmatizing term "sociopath" in thrillers and horror narratives, which I particularly appreciated.
One final caveat: I don't think you need to read "Rules for Vanishing" to appreciate and understand this novel, though a few brief passages might be a bit random-seeming. HOWEVER, this novel does spoil the twist ending of its predecessor, so be aware of that going in, if you are on the fence about reading "Rules."