In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home.
Foul is Fair, by Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins, tells the story of a girl named Megan who finds out that the medical conditions that define her life are not at all what she thought.
The Secret of Christopher Topher, by Gee Williams, tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy named Alex Smiley, and how he and his friend Karen spend four years of their lives working to save the human race. The reader is taken along with them on their journey, learning about the truth of the human race’s history. As it turns out, the Roman Catholic Church is perhaps not what it seems.
Sky Knight, by Sandra Harvey, tells the story of Taliah, a woman who has spent her life training to capture thieves and villains of the Skylands. Although she’s young, she has worked hard and risen through the ranks to become a Lieutenant. Her new assignment involves chasing after a pirate named Erikson Roarke, who wants both to evade her as well as convince her that everything she thinks she knows about her government is wrong.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, is a science fiction, futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella story. In this world, Cinder is a cyborg due to an accident that occurred when she was 11, when she had to have her hand and leg replaced. Now she’s dealing with all manner of wires and mechanical parts, but there are some benefits. She can download information to fill in the blanks when she doesn’t know something, which gives her an uncanny ability to fix machines.
There are two women. Not dissimilar to any pair of women you’ve seen walking down the street, thoughts filled with love, hate, ignorance to the cameras and surveyors watching their every move. Yet completely different. Utterly and totally different. You’ve never seen these women before. You’ve never imagined them. (Well now you have. Good job.) You don’t know these women. And they don’t know you. They don’t know a lot of things.
The Quantum Door, by Jonathan Ballagh, tells the story of two brothers named Brady and Felix, who wander into the yard next door and end up getting into a mess that is extremely over their heads. Nova, their mysterious neighbor, initially tells them not to venture into her yard again. When she finds herself in trouble, however, it is up to Brady and Felix to jump in, head first, and do what they can to help.
Sean Gibson’s The Camelot Shadow presents the story of Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam, who will do anything to save his wife, Ellen, who is dying. When approached about the possibility of King Arthur’s scabbard being preserved and its supposed abilities to heal people, he takes a chance and heads off to search for it. Joining him are his friend William Upton, and two parties both interested in taking the scabbard for their own purposes. Full of mystery and magic, this Victorian Era novel is a new and original take on the legend of King Arthur.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has a particularly striking cover and is presented alongside old photos. Some might assume that this would take away from the text, but the pictures only make the text even more engaging. The written descriptions alone, however, are capable of instilling a sense of unease in the reader.