Synopses & Reviews
A magical romance between a boy cursed with invisibility and the one girl who can see him, by New York Times bestselling authors Andrea Cremer and David Levithan. Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.
Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When youre invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. Its easy to blend in there.
Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephens amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeths amazement, she wants him to be able to see herall of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their waya world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once theyre thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep theyre going to gobecause the answer could mean the difference between love and death.
From the critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Andrea Cremer, who wrote the Nightshade series, and David Levithan, who wrote Every Day and co-wrote Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Rachel Cohen and Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green, as well as many other novels, comes a remarkable story about the unseen elements of attraction, the mortal risks of making yourself known, and the invisible desires that live within us all.
Praise for INVISIBILITY
* " Levithan and Cremer again prove themselves masters of their craft. The inventive, enrapturing story that follows involves spellseekers and a curse-casting grandfather, but Stephens and Elizabeths journey is largely about redemption, self-acceptance, and love. Cremer and Levithan make Stephens invisibility something every reader can relate to, and therein lies the magic." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A must-read for both the realist and the romantic!" --Teen Vogue
"This dynamic duo has crafted a magical NYC love story that brings everything wonderful from their previous books into a novel that packs the adventure and plot twists of the Curse Workers series with a story that celebrates the joy of being honest and truly VISIBLE to another person." --Justine Magazine
"[An] enigmatic mash-up of fantasy and romance set in contemporary real-world Manhattan. The collaboration of Levithan and Cremer creates a seamless narrative." --Booklist
An interesting tale with plenty to offer, thought-provoking and entertaining all in one. TOR.com
I hear David Levithanhis soulfulness, his tenderness, his yearning, his lovewhen I read this book. I hear Andrea Cremerher careful and credible world building, her necessary specificity, her other-worldly imagination. It's a potent combination in a story about a Manhattan boy whom no one in the world can see.” --Beth Kephart, author of Small Damages
Once in a while, along comes a book like this one, written by two great authors, with a fun premise and nice execution, and I don't feel like I need to cover my enjoyment of it with a cough and a sheepish grin. So thanks for that, Andrea Cremer and David Levithan!” --ForeverYA
Invisibility is a novel that is both beautifully romantic and magical while hosting a storyline that is wickely dark and frightening.” --Tales of the Ravenous Reader
Invisibility is a fascinating and unusual take on a modern love story with a whimsical, timeless romance vibe.” --The Compulsive Reader
"The characters are also so effortlessly likable." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Cremer and Levithan craft a tale of love and magic in their first collaborative effort." --School Library Journal
"A fast-paced supernatural thriller that will surely leave readers wanting more.[A] love child of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Levithans Every Day." --Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The romantic scenes are delicious. The fantasy of being pursued by two young men is alluring in itself, but when one is a pierced and tattooed sexy outsider and the other is a blindingly beautiful King of Faery, how much better can it get? Halfway through the book, I knew which characters I wanted to end up together, and that made me read greedily on. Readers will beg for a sequel." Washington Post
Synopsis
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty especially if they learn of her Sight and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.
Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.
Synopsis
Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black won't be able to resist the world of Melissa Marr's #1 New York Times bestselling series, full of faerie intrigue, mortal love, and courtly betrayal.
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty--especially if they learn of her Sight--and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost--regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom, her best friend Seth, her life--everything.
Synopsis
In a world unseen by mortals, the forces of Summer and Winter are at war. Two Faery Courts have been seeking the Summer Queen for more than nine centuries one to restore the power of Summer and the other to banish it in this gritty modern Faery tale.
Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Addie McNeal is a typical teen with a comfortable life. She lives in a cozy apartment above her family's bookstore in Seattle with her dad, her little brother, and her best friend, Whaley, who was kicked out of his own home after getting in trouble at school. Her biggest worry is overcoming the humiliation of not getting a part in the school play. But then a war is declared in the Middle East, and Whaley gets it into his head that the only way to stay out of trouble and make something of himself is to join the military. An earthquake and the discovery of a mysterious antique mirror unleash forces that jolt Addie back to 1917 Seattle, just as the United States is entering World War I. While at first she struggles to accept that she has somehow traveled through time, Addie soon finds herself shuttling back and forth between past and present, and eventually even learns how to control her leaps across the decades. In both times, she is drawn to the grand Jewel Theater, where she discovers that the lives of the people she meets are connected across the span of years. In both times, the existence of the Jewel is threatened. And, perhaps most importantly, in both times, there is a war going on . . . and someone she cares about is determined to get caught up in the fighting. Eventually, Addie understands that the Jewel holds the answers to questions she has about her own future, and only she holds the key to saving the Jewel--and the lives of her friends--in both the past and the present. But will she figure out how to manipulate the intricately woven threads of time and truly set things right?
Synopsis
An earthquake and the discovery of a mysterious antique mirror unleash forces that jolt sixteen-year-old Addie McNeal back to 1917 Seattle, just as the United States is entering World War I. Addie finds herself shuttling back and forth between past and present, drawn in both times to the grand Jewel Theater. In both decades the existence of the Jewel is threatened and war is looming . . . and someone she cares about is determined to fight. Eventually, Addie realizes that only she has the key to saving the Jewel—and the lives of her friends. But will she figure out how to manipulate the intricately woven threads of time and truly set things right?
Synopsis
A magical romance between a boy cursed with invisibility and the one girl who can see him, by New York Times
bestselling authors Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.
Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.
Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.
Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.
From the critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Andrea Cremer, who wrote the Nigthshade series, and David Levithan, who wrote Every Day and co-wrote Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Rachel Cohen and Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green, as well as many other novels, comes a remarkable story about the unseen elements of attraction, the mortal risks of making yourself known, and the invisible desires that live within us all.
Synopsis
A magical romance between a boy cursed with invisibility and the one girl who can see him, by New York Times
bestselling authors Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.
Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.
Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.
Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.
From the critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Andrea Cremer, who wrote the Nigthshade series, and David Levithan, who wrote Every Day and co-wrote Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Rachel Cohen and Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green, as well as many other novels, comes a remarkable story about the unseen elements of attraction, the mortal risks of making yourself known, and the invisible desires that live within us all.
Synopsis
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.
Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.
Synopsis
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
Praise for Splintered:
STARRED REVIEW
"Fans of dark fantasy, as well as of Carroll’s Alice in all her revisionings (especially Tim Burton’s), will find a lot to love in this compelling and imaginative novel."
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Alyssa is one of the most unique protagonists I've come across in a while. Splintered is dark, twisted, entirely riveting, and a truly romantic tale."
—USA Today
"Brilliant, because it is ambitious, inventive, and often surprising — a contemporary reworking of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’’ with a deep bow toward Tim Burton’s 2010 film version."
—The Boston Globe
"It’s a deft, complex metamorphosis of this children’s fantasy made more enticing by competing romantic interests, a psychedelic setting, and more mad violence than its original."
—Booklist
" Protagonist Alyssa...is an original. Howard's visual imagination is superior. The story's creepiness is intriguing as horror, and its hypnotic tone and setting, at the intersection of madness and creativity, should sweep readers down the rabbit hole."
—Publishers Weekly
"While readers will delight in such recognizable scenes as Alyssa drinking from a bottle to shrink, the richly detailed scenes that stray from the original will entice the imagination. These adventures are indeed wonderful."
—BookPage
"Attention to costume and setting render this a visually rich read..."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Wonderland is filled with much that is not as wonderful as might be expected, and yet, it is in Wonderland that Alyssa accepts her true nature. The cover with its swirling tendrils and insects surrounding Alyssa will surely attract teen readers who will not disappointed with this magical, edgy tale."
—Reading Today Online
"Creepy, descriptive read with a generous dollop of romance."
—School Library Journal
Award:
YALSA’s 2014 Teens’ Top Ten
Synopsis
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole. She was crowned Queen of the Red Court and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the boy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly appealing Morpheus. Now all she has to do is graduate high school.
That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didnt show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderlandwhere she (partly) belongs.
Could she leave Jeb and her parents behind again, for the sake of a man she knows has manipulated her before? Will her mother and Jeb trust her to do whats right? Readers will swoon over the satisfying return to Howards bold, sensual reimagining of Carrolls classic.
Praise for Unhinged
"I really enjoyed the first book of this series, but Unhinged cranks the Wonderland experience up to 11. It's just ... WOW! The last few scenes dangle Alyssa's next adventure with shockers enough that I found my jaw needing a bit of assistance in coming off the floor. Write quickly, A.G. Howard! I need that next book!"
--USA Today
"Howard excels in sensory and sensuous descriptions."
--Kirkus Reviews
"As intense, dark, and weird as the first volume, this worthy sequel creates a parallel narrative that brings the action out of Wonderland and into Alyssas hometown."
--The Bulletin of The Center for Childrens Books
"A dark beauty fills the novel's pages, which will mesmerize teens with a taste for magic, romance or suspense. Unhinged lays the groundwork for a third book where anything could happen--it is Wonderland, after all."
--Shelf Awareness
Synopsis
Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy.
Synopsis
New York Times Bestseller Spring 2013 Kids' Indie Next List
Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy. Sybella arrives at the convents doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?
Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes a brutal arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of assassins - for a price. Packed with love, magic, and deadly games of courtly intrigue and treason, book one of a fast-paced YA trilogy set in 15th-century France combines romance with captivating action.
Synopsis
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismaes most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Deaths vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Addie, an aspiring actress on a mission to save the historic Jewel Theater, time travels between Seattle at the beginning of the War on Terror and the Seattle of WWI, with the help of a magic mirror. Addie not only jumps between centuries and conflicts, but finds romance with a boy from another time.
About the Author
Melissa has never been good at choosing just one path. After finishing high school with the dubious honor of being voted "most likely to end up in jail," she went to college and graduate school. There curiosity (and tuition bills) led her to the dual jobs of teaching and slinging drinks at a biker bar. During the daylit hours, she indulged in long literary chats; at night, she lingered with intriguing people with one word names.
Eventually, she went on to bartend at a number of other weird little bars, teach lit both live and online, and discover the joy of tattoos. All three have been great rushes. The latter borders on addiction, but is held in check by the desire to attend the opera without flashing too many tattoos.
After marrying someone who shares the love of ink on the page and on the skin Melissa began moving around the country. In the process, she discovered how vast the Mojave really is, how many incredible museums are out there, and how hard it can be to think about settling in one place. She's continued teaching along the way, but traded beer-slinging for book writing.