A SKINFUL OF SHADOWS, by Frances Hardinge, Amulet

This is the story of a bear-hearted girl . . . Sometimes, when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding. Twelve-year-old Makepeace has learned to defend herself from the ghosts which try to possess her in the night, desperate for refuge, but … Continue reading A SKINFUL OF SHADOWS, by Frances Hardinge, Amulet

JELLY BEAN SUMMER, by Joyce Magnin, Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky

Living on the roof to escape her crazy family works…until reality pulls Joyce back to the ground Joyce has had it with her family (especially with UFO-sighting Elaine who loves her guinea pig more than her own sister). Her solution? Move out of the house and pitch a tent on the roof for the summer. … Continue reading JELLY BEAN SUMMER, by Joyce Magnin, Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky

THE MISSING HOURS, by Emma Kavanagh, Kennsington Publishing Corp.

A woman disappears One moment, Selena Cole is in the playground with her children and the next, she has vanished without a trace. A woman returns Twenty hours later, Selena is found safe and well, but with no memory of where she has been. What took place in those missing hours, and are they linked … Continue reading THE MISSING HOURS, by Emma Kavanagh, Kennsington Publishing Corp.

THE BREADWINNER, by Deborah Ellis, Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, 11-year-old Parvana has rarely been outdoors. Barred from attending school, shopping at the market, or even playing in the streets of Kabul, the heroine of Deborah Ellis's engrossing children's novel The Breadwinner is trapped inside her family's one-room home. That is, until the Taliban hauls away her father and … Continue reading THE BREADWINNER, by Deborah Ellis, Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press

THE STEEP & THORNY WAY, by Cat Winters, Amulet Books/Abrams

A thrilling re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten. 1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African American man. She … Continue reading THE STEEP & THORNY WAY, by Cat Winters, Amulet Books/Abrams

ETERNAL LIFE, by Dara Horn, W.W. Norton

Rachel is a woman with a problem: she can’t die. Her recent troubles—widowhood, a failing business, an unemployed middle-aged son—are only the latest in a litany spanning dozens of countries, scores of marriages, and hundreds of children. In the 2,000 years since she made a spiritual bargain to save the life of her first son … Continue reading ETERNAL LIFE, by Dara Horn, W.W. Norton

RELICS, by Tim Lebbon, Titan Books

  There's an underground black market for arcane things. Akin to the trade in rhino horns or tigers' bones, this group trafficks in mummified satyrs, gryphons' claws, and more. When Angela Gough's lover Vince goes missing, she sets out to find him whatever the risk. She learns that he was employed by the infamous London … Continue reading RELICS, by Tim Lebbon, Titan Books

WYCHWOOD, by George Mann, Titan Books

After losing her job and her partner in one fell swoop, journalist Elspeth Reeves is back in her mother’s house in the sleepy village of Wilsby-under-Wychwood, wondering where it all went wrong. Then a body is found in the neighbouring Wychwoods: a woman ritually slaughtered, with cryptic symbols scattered around her corpse. Elspeth recognizes these … Continue reading WYCHWOOD, by George Mann, Titan Books

CHAR, FAE OF FIRE AND STONE, by Kristina Wojtaszek, World Weaver Press

Fire is never tame—least of all the flames of our own kindling. Raised in isolation by the secretive Circle of Seven, Luna is one of the few powerful beings left in a world dominated by man. Versed in ancient fairy tales and the language of plants, Luna struggles to control her powers over fire. When … Continue reading CHAR, FAE OF FIRE AND STONE, by Kristina Wojtaszek, World Weaver Press

OPAL, FAE OF FIRE AND STONE, by Kristina Wojtaszek, World Weaver Press

In this retelling of the classic Snow White tale, the daughter of an owl is forced into human shape by a wizard who’s come to guide her from her wintry tundra home down to the colorful world of men and Fae, and the father she’s never known. She struggles with her human shape and grieves … Continue reading OPAL, FAE OF FIRE AND STONE, by Kristina Wojtaszek, World Weaver Press