They call their abilities Talents, and that’s what they call themselves as well. Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. For Talents, keeping their secret is the most important thing in their lives. For some, that need for secrecy begins to define who they are.
That’s how it is for Joss, a high school girl who does everything in her power to go unnoticed. She's incredibly bright, but strives to maintain grades that are good yet not too good. She doesn't participate in school activities, keeps quiet in class, and eats by herself. Despite her longtime crush on Dylan, she wouldn't even think about trying to talk to him. Joss doesn't make friends of any kind, because friends can draw attention, friends can make you slip up, friends can make things complicated.
When new girl, Kat, steps in to rescue Joss from an uncomfortable situation with Marco, the class jerk, she doesn’t realize what she’s getting into, and it blows up in her face. Joss finds herself torn between a desire to do the right thing, to find some way to help a girl who was kind to her, and her need to mind her own business and fade into the background. For the first time, Joss begins to question the way she operates, and starts to long for connections with other people—especially a connection with Dylan, who's finally starting to talk to her.
But what's up with Dylan's sudden interest? As Marco’s best friend, can he be trusted at all? It's bad enough when a girl's got to worry about friends, boys, over-protective dads, and shoes that pinch, but when you throw in blackmail, government agents with guns, and really annoying little sisters... that's just about too much to handle, even for a girl with an ass-kicking superpower.
From a New York Times bestselling author comes a journey of loss and rebirth with a startling premise inspired by historical fact. Estrella is a Marrano: one of the Spanish Jews living double lives when those who refused conversion risked everything.
Estrella's discovery that her family secretly practices the ancient way of wisdom known as kabbalah leads her to her true self and true love—but also to a devastating confrontation with unimaginable evil, unleashed by the betrayal of a friend.
With themes of faith, friendship, and persecution, Alice Hoffman's tragic and beautiful novel resonates profoundly in our times.
What would make the perfect man? That's the deliciously racy topic that Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends are pondering one night at their favorite after-hours hot spot: Mr. Perfect.
Would he be tall, dark, and handsome? Caring and warmhearted -- or will just muscular do? As their conversation heats up, they concoct a tongue-in-cheek checklist that becomes an overnight sensation, spreading like wildfire at work and sizzling along e-mail lines.
But what began as a joke among friends turns deadly serious when one of the four women is murdered.... Turning to her neighbor, an unpredictable police detective, for help, Jaine must unmask a killer to save her friends -- and herself. Now, knowing whom to trust and whom to love is a matter of survival -- as the dream of Mr. Perfect becomes a chilling nightmare.
Nothing Can Come Between Us is a gripping drama that delves into the dark sides of lust and hate, weaving a tale of sex, drugs, money, and betrayal.
After experiencing a devastating heartbreak, the beautiful and alluring McKeisha undergoes a transformation, revealing an evil persona. Her unstable nature leads her to develop an unhealthy obsession with her naive best friend's boyfriend. When a crisis hits, McKeisha seizes the opportunity to commit the ultimate betrayal, embarking on a journey of backstabbing and deceit, stopping at nothing to achieve her desires.
As McKeisha's childhood friends, Sha'Lena and Dominique, reach their dreams of musical stardom, her jealousy intensifies. The story escalates to a tragic climax where one girl's life is cut short. Will they find the courage to end this deadly friendship, or will McKeisha become ensnared in her own web of deception?
Thirteen-year-old Queen-of-mean Amanda Beeson wakes up one morning in the wrong body. She's become lonely, unfashionable Tracey Devon - one of Amanda's targets for bullying.
Amanda discovers that Tracey, ignored at home and at school, has the ability to turn invisible. Amanda sets out to rescue her one-time victim from obscurity - as well as rescuing herself from Tracey's life.
Step into the world of Darren Shan with this exhilarating box set, which includes the first six books of the Cirque du Freak series. Join Darren as he navigates a life turned upside down by a chance encounter with a vampire, leading him into a world filled with dark secrets and supernatural challenges.
From the eerie halls of the Cirque du Freak to the sinister Vampire Mountain, each book is a journey of friendship, bravery, and self-discovery. Thrilling and darkly humorous, this series is perfect for readers who love a mix of adventure, horror, and heartfelt moments.
If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.
Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one — so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.
When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going — California.
Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.
Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down — again.
Stellaluna is the tender story of a lost young bat who finally finds her way safely home to her mother and friends. This delightful tale illustrates the adventures of a young fruit bat named Stellaluna who becomes separated from her mother and finds herself in a nest of birds. Adopted by the birds, she learns their ways, but ultimately reunites with her mother, discovering her true identity as a bat.
Along the way, Stellaluna introduces her bird friends to her bat family, and they all learn that despite their many differences, friendship transcends those barriers.
Stellaluna is a heartwarming story celebrating the uniqueness of individuals and the power of friendship.
The Raven Heiress is a captivating tale set in the enchanting land of the Singing Isles. In this world, friendship and loyalty are tested as two students arrive early at the Evlon House. One is a Singing Elf, and the other, a Saphian. Their mission is to gain the favor of the mysterious student known as the Raven Heiress.
As the Singing Elf and Saphian vie for her favor, something sinister lurks in the shadows, haunting the corridors of Evlon and seemingly intent on revenge. But who is the target?
This story is filled with magic, mystery, and the complexities of rivalry and prejudice. It challenges the characters to confront their deepest fears and biases while forging unexpected alliances.
Under Wildwood is the second book in the New York Times bestselling adventure series, the Wildwood Chronicles, from Colin Meloy, lead singer of the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, the acclaimed illustrator of The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Ever since Prue McKeel returned home from the Impassable Wilderness after rescuing her brother from the malevolent Dowager Governess, life has been pretty dull. School holds no interest for her, and her new science teacher keeps getting on her case about her dismal test scores and daydreaming in class. Her mind is constantly returning to the verdant groves and sky-tall trees of Wildwood, where her friend Curtis still remains as a bandit-in-training.
But all is not well in that world. Dark assassins with mysterious motives conspire to settle the scores of an unknown client. A titan of industry employs inmates from his orphanage to work his machine shop, all the while obsessing over the exploitation of the Impassable Wilderness. And, in what will be their greatest challenge yet, Prue and Curtis are thrown together again to save themselves and the lives of their friends, and to bring unity to a divided country. But in order to do that, they must go under Wildwood.
In Under Wildwood, Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis reveal new dimensions of the epic fantasy-adventure series begun with the critically acclaimed, bestselling Wildwood.
A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.