Synopses & Reviews
In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake - but can they keep their worlds above water intact?
When their older brother and sister move out, Basti n Silvano has one job: protect the secret world they've all shared since they were children. For years, the world under the lake has been not just a landscape of underwater trees, mythical alebrijes, and paint and paper coming to life; it's been a safe space for their neurodivergent brains.
But when Lore Garcia finds their way in, everything changes. The world under the lake pulls Basti n and Lore in without warning, and makes Lore's own neurodivergence part of its landscape. The once-unshakable bond between the Silvano siblings fractures--their brother thinks Lore will be the ruin of their world, while their sister thinks there's more to the lake's magic than any of them know. And the mistakes Basti n will do anything not to repeat, and Lore will do anything to hide, find their way above and below the surface.
As Basti n tries to hold both of their worlds together, Lore must decide how much they'll risk for the magic they're now part of, and for Basti n.
Review
"An astonishingly beautiful love letter to neurodivergent and nonbinary teens cast amid a magical lake setting that will pull you in right along with the characters." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"McLemore crafts vivid magic that balances scenes of overwhelming, unregulated emotions given life by the lake with soothing, sincere moments of love, self-affirmation, and gentle humor...A beauty both bright and deep." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
About the Author
Anna-Marie McLemore was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and taught by their family to hear la llorona in the Santa Ana winds. They are the author of The Weight of Feathers, a finalist for the 2016 William C. Morris Debut Award; 2017 Stonewall Honor Book When the Moon Was Ours, which was longlisted for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature and was the winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award; Wild Beauty, Blanca & Roja, Dark and Deepest Red, and The Mirror Season.