Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper

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A Starlet's Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulpepper cover shows a woman in a dress facing forward, her gaze looking sideways. A theater entrance fills the background and a man in a suit stands by the entrance.

A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife
Kendall Kulper
Holiday House
Published May 23, 2023

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About A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife

A budding starlet and her handsome-but-moody co-star go from bitter enemies to reluctant partners when they get tangled up in the disappearance of a beautiful young actress in 1930s Hollywood.

Eighteen-year-old Henrietta arrives in Los Angeles in 1934 with dreams of trading her boring life for stardom.

She’s … Continue reading →

Review: Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

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Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

Something Close to Magic
Emma Mills
Atheneum
Published June 13, 2023

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About Something Close to Magic

A baker’s apprentice reluctantly embarks on an adventure full of magic, new friendships, and a prince in distress in this deliciously romantic young adult fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Gail Carson Levine.

It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her … Continue reading →

Review: Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson

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Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thompson cover shows a girl in overalls, a long braid over her shoulder. A black and white cat sits on her shoulder. She holds a glowing ball in her right hand. A glowing doorway is behind her.

Greenwild: The World Behind the Door
Pari Thomson
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published June 6, 2023

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About Greenwild: The World Behind the Door

Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself . . .

Eleven-year-old Daisy Thistledown is on the run. Her mother has been keeping big, glittering secrets, and now she … Continue reading →

Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

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Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Gilded (Gilded Duology #1)
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
Published November 2, 2021

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About Gilded

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed … Continue reading →

Review: The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade

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The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade cover shows a girl's face partly obscured by flowers. A butterfly sits on her left eye.

The Shadow Sister
Lily Meade
Sourcebooks Fire
Published June 27, 2023

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About The Shadow Sister

Sutton going missing is the worst thing to happen to Casey, to their family. She’s trying to help find her sister, but Casey is furious. And she can’t tell anyone about their argument before Sutton disappeared. Everyone paints a picture of Sutton’s perfection: the popular cheerleader with an entourage of friends, a doting boyfriend, and a limitless future. But Sutton manipulated everyone around her, even stole an heirloom bracelet from Casey. People don’t look for missing … Continue reading →

Review: Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston

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Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston cover shows a girl with a hand extended over a glowing ball. Swirls of light extend out from the ball, circling around her, lifting her hair.

Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1)
B. B. Alston
Balzer + Bray
Published January 19, 2021

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About Amari and the Night Brothers

Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do … Continue reading →