Are your eyeballs ready for some truly beautiful art?
Good thing we've got almost two dozen incredible new covers to show you!
Spring 2021 contains A LOT of bookish goodness. If you love stunning sci-fi, dazzling dystopia, swoony romance, poignant contemporary, thrilling mysteries, creepy paranormal, or just a brilliant book with compelling characters, we have a list of 23 books you're going to want to take a look at ASAP.
So, what are you waiting for?
Check out the complete list of the Fierce Reads Spring 2021 covers!
The Ones Weโre Meant to Find by Joan He
On Sale: May 4, 2021
Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco, art by Aykut Aydoฤdu
Perfect for fans of Rick Yancey and Marie Lu,ย The Ones We're Meant to Findis a sci-fi fantasy with mind-blowing twists, ready to burst onto the YA scene, from the critically-acclaimedย Descendant of the Crane author, Joan He.
Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her.
STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The MetropolisโEarth's last unpolluted placeโis meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but itโs populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she'll have to decide if sheโs ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.
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This is for Tonight by Jessica Patrick
On Sale: May 4, 2021
Cover design by Mallory Grigg
When Andi attends a music festival with one goal in mindโcapture an interview with a famous band so she can pay for collegeโshe gets more than she bargained for in this YA novel about family ties and finding your own way.
Andi Kennedy needs to make money for college, and fast. But her little YouTube crafting channel, while fun, isn't exactly a money-maker. So she's heading to the world-famous Cabazon Valley Music and Arts Festival with a goal - film a video that will launch her channel into popularity and turn it into a legit money-making venture, even if it means selling out her creative vision.
Instead, she finds obnoxious Jay Bankar, the annoyingly hot host of a popular prank channel who is the actual worst. Andi hates everything Jay stands for, which makes the undeniable connection she feels with him really freaking inconvenient. Soon she finds herself competing with Jay for an interview with the festival's headlining band, which could be the key to turning her little channel directly into college tuition. But she's starting to discover that there is more to Jay than his jerky on-screen persona, and she has to decide what's more important - winning, or giving a second chance to a guy who couldn't be more wrong for her.
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Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller
On Sale: May 4, 2021
Cover design by Liz Dresner, art by Sasha Vinogradova
Inย Blade of Secrets, the first book in Tricia Levenseller's exciting new YA fantasy duology, a teenage blacksmith with social anxiety is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she's ever made.
Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.
Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victim's secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlordโs intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.
Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the worldโs known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.
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It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland
On Sale: May 18, 2021
Cover design by Trisha Previte, art by Jenn Woodall
In Miel Moreland's heartfelt young adult debut, It Goes Like This, four queer teens realize that sometimes you have to risk hitting repeat on heartbreak.
Eva, Celeste, Gina, and Steph used to think their friendship was unbreakable. After all, they've been through a lot together, including the astronomical rise of Moonlight Overthrow, the world-famous queer pop band they formed in middle school, never expecting to headline anything bigger than the county fair.
But after a sudden falling out leads to the dissolution of the teens' band, their friendship, and Eva and Celeste's starry-eyed romance, nothing is the same. Gina and Celeste step further into the spotlight, Steph disappears completely, and Eva, heartbroken, takes refuge as a songwriter and secret online fangirl . . . of her own band. That is, until a storm devastates their hometown, bringing the four ex-best-friends back together. As they prepare for one last show, they'll discover whether growing up always means growing apart.
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May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor
On Sale: May 18, 2021
Cover design by Cassie Gonzales, art by J Yang
A trans boy enters a throw-down battle for the title of Homecoming King with the boy he dumped last summer in ZR Ellor's contemporary YA debut.
Jeremy Harkiss, cheer captain and student body president, wonโt let coming out as a transgender boy ruin his senior year. Instead of bowing to the bigots and outdate school administration, Jeremy decides to make some noiseโand how better than by challenging his all-star ex-boyfriend, Lukas for the title of Homecoming King?
Lukas Rivers, football star and head of the Homecoming Committee, is just trying to find order in his life after his older brotherโs funeral and the loss long-term girlfriendโwho turned out to be a boy. But when Jeremy threatens to break his heart and steal his crown, Lukas kick starts a plot to sabotage Jeremyโs campaign.
When both boys take their rivalry too far, the dance is on the verge of being canceled. To save Homecoming, theyโll have to face the hurt theyโre both hidingโand the lingering butterflies they canโt deny.
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In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland
On Sale: May 18, 2021
Cover design by Natalie Sousa
A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead, in this dark YA fantasy by A.M. Strickland, author of Beyond the Black Door, whom Richard Kadrey calls โa storyteller of both grace and power.โ
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard themโand control them. Ever since Rovanโs father died trying to keep her from this fate, sheโs hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, sheโs bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception.
Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she canโt fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul.
Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heartโif she doesnโt betray them first.
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Kiss and Repeat by Heather Truett
On Sale: May 25, 2021
Cover design by Mike Burroughs
In Heather Truett'sย Kiss and Repeat, a teen uses the scientific method drilled into him by his scientist father to begin a kissing experiment. Only the experiment gets messy, and Stephen will have to come clean if he wants to win one girl's heart in this heartfelt and funny YA debut.
Stephen Luckie isn't so lucky in love. He's completely inexperienced when it comes to girls, and wonders if his ticsโcaused by Tourette's Syndromeโare the reason.
Then a game at a party reveals that his body goes still while kissing. Using the scientific method drilled into him by his scientist father, Steven begins the best experiment everโone that involves kissing as many girls as possible. Who knew science could be so fun?
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The Immortal Game by Talia Rothschild and A.C. Harvey
On Sale: May 25, 2021
Cover design by Liz Dresner
An exiled goddess goes on a quest to clear her name and save Mount Olympus in Talia Rothschild & A C Harvey's action-packed young adult debut,ย The Immortal Game.
Galene, daughter of Poseidon, desperately wants to earn her place among the gods. But when a violent attack leaves Mount Olympus in chaos and ruins, she is accused of the crime. Banished from Olympus, Galene sets out to prove her innocence and discovers a more deadly plotโone that threatens even the oldest of Immortals.
Fortunately, she has allies who willingly join her in exile:
A lifelong friend who commands the wind.
A defiant warrior with deadly skill.
A fire-wielder with a heroโs heart.
A mastermind who plays life like a game.
All-out war is knocking at the gates. Galene and her friends are the only ones who can tip the scales toward justice, but their choices could save Olympus from total annihilation, or be the doom of them all.
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Ace of Spades by Faridah รbรญkรฉ-รyรญmรญdรฉ
On Sale: June 1, 2021
Cover design by Beth Clark, art by Adeleke Adekunle
Gossip Girl meetsย Get Outย inย Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah รbรญkรฉ-รyรญmรญdรฉ about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.
When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite schoolโs senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.
Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.
As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?
With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah รbรญkรฉ-รyรญmรญdรฉ.
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A Night Twice As Long by Andrew Simonet
On Sale: June 1, 2021
Cover design by Cassie Gonzales
What do you call the difference between what you should feel and what you do feel? Life?
The blackout has been going on for three weeks. But Alex feels like sheโs been living in the dark for a year, ever since her brother, who has autism, was removed from the house, something Alex blames herself for. So when her best friend, Anthony, asks her to trek to another town to figure out the truth about the blackout, Alex says yes.
On a journey that ultimately takes all day and night, Alexโs relationships with Anthony, her brother, and herself will transform in ways that change them all forever.
In this honest and gripping young adult novel, Andrew Simonet spins a propulsive tale about what it means to turn on the lights and look at whatโs real.
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A Sisterhood of Secret Ambitions by Sheena Boekweg
On Sale: June 1, 2021
Cover design by Trisha Previte, art by Sofia Bonati
A teen girl, backed by a secret society of powerful women, competes to make an 18-year-old future President fall in love with her in Sheena Boekweg's compelling new YA novel,ย A Sisterhood of Secret Ambitions.
Behind every powerful man is a trained woman, and behind every trained woman is the Society. It started with tea parties and matchmaking but is now a countrywide secret. Gossips pass messages in recipes, Spinsters train to fight, and women work together to grant safety to abused women and children. The Society is more than oathsโit is sisterhood and purpose.
In 1926, seventeen-year-old Elsie is dropped off in a new city with four other teenage girls. All of them have trained together since childhood to become the Wife of a powerful man. But when they learn that their next target is earmarked to become President, their mission becomes more than just an assignment; this is a chance at the most powerful position in the Society. All they have to do is make one man fall in love with them first.
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The Marvelous by Claire Kann
On Sale: June 8, 2021
Cover design by Liz Dresner, art by Rachelle Baker
From the author ofย Letโs Talk About Love andย If It Makes You Happy, this exuberant YA Novel follows six teens locked together in a mansion, contending for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress.
Everyone thinks they know Jewel Van Hanen. Heiress turned actress turned social media darling who created the massively popular video-sharing app, Golden Rule.
After mysteriously disappearing for a year, Jewel makes her dramatic return with an announcement: she has chosen a few lucky Golden Rule users to spend an unforgettable weekend at her private estate. But once they arrive, Jewel ingeniously flips the script: the guests are now players in an elaborate estate-wide game. And sheโs tailored every challenge and obstacle to test whether they have what it takes to winโat any cost.
Told from the perspective of three dazzling playersโNicole: the new queen of Golden Rule; Luna: Jewelโs biggest fan; and Stella: a brilliant outsiderโthis novel will charm its way into your heart and keep you guessing how it all ends because money isnโt the only thing at stake.
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The Sea is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt
On Sale: June 8, 2021
Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco, art by Jess Cruickshank
Iโll Give You the Sun meetsย Normal Peopleย in Cassandra Hartt'sย The Sea Is Salt and So Am I, a stunning YA contemporary debut that asks if the secrets we keep and the people we love can change who we are.
"Achingly beautiful.โโRachael Lippincott, #1ย New York Timesย bestselling author ofย Five Feet Apart
"Turbulent and tender, this deeply-felt debut will make your heart swell time and time again."โJulia Drake, author ofย The Last True Poets of the Sea
West Finch is one hurricane away from falling into the sea.
Yet sixteen-year-old Harlow Prout is determined to save her small Maine hometown. If only she could stop getting in her own way and find someone, anyone, willing to help. But her best friend Ellis MacQueen โfixesโ problems by running away from themโincluding his broken relationship with his twin brother, Tommy. And Tommyโs depression has hit a new low, so heโs not up for fixing anything.
In the wake of the townโs latest devastating storm, Tommy goes out for a swim that he doesnโt intend to survive. Itโs his unexpected return that sets into motion a sea change between these three teens. One that tests old loyalties, sparks new romance, and uncovers painful secrets. And nothing stays secret in West Finch for long.
Exquisitely honest and shimmering with emotion,
The Sea is Salt and So Am Iย is a captivating multi-POV story that probes the depths of what it means to love and trustโboth ourselves and others.
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Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Faith Erin Hicks and Prudence Shen
On Sale: June 8, 2021
Cover design by Sunny Lee, art by Prudence Shen
You wouldn't expect Nate and Charlie to be friends.
Charlieโs the laid-back captain of the basketball team. Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikelyโuntil Nate declares war on the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. At stake? Student group funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms, but not both.
Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot deathmatch? Let's do this!
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Rising Like a Storm by Tanaz Bhathena
On Sale: June 22, 2021
Cover design by Beth Clark, photograph by Jena Cumbo
In the concluding installment to the Wrath of Ambar duology from masterful author Tanaz Bhathena, Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forcesโand hold onto their growing romanceโto save their kingdom from tyranny.
With King Lohar dead and a usurper queen in power, Gul and Cavas face a new tyrannical government that is bent on killing them both. Their roles in King Lohar's death have not gone unnoticed, and the new queen is out for blood. What she doesn't know is that Gul and Cavas have a connection that runs deeper than romance, and together, they just might have the strength and magic to end her for good.
Then a grave mistake ends with Cavas taken prisoner by the government. Gul must train an army of warriors alone. With alliances shifting and the thirst for vengeance growing, the fate of Ambar seems ever more uncertain. It will take every ounce of strength, love, and sacrifice for Gul and Cavas to reach their final goalโand build a more just world than they've ever known.
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Darling by K. Ancrum
On Sale: June 22, 2021
Cover design by Carolyn Bull, art by Sean Freeman & Eve Steben
A teen girl finds herself lost on a dangerous adventure in this YA thriller by the acclaimed author ofย The Wicker King andย The Weight of the Starsโreimagining Peter Pan for todayโs world.
On Wendy Darlingโs first night in Chicago, a boy called Peter appears at her window. Heโs dizzying, captivating, beautifulโso she agrees to join him for a night on the town.
Wendy thinks theyโre heading to a party, but instead theyโre soon running in the cityโs underground. She makes friendsโa punk girl named Tinkerbelle and the lost boys Peter watches over. And she makes enemiesโthe terrifying Detective Hook, and maybe Peter himself, as his sinister secrets start coming to light. Can Wendy find the courage to survive this nightโand make sure everyone else does, too?
Acclaimed author K. Ancrum has re-envisioned Peter Pan with a central twist that will send all your previous memories of J. M. Barrieโs classic permanently off to Neverland.
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Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
On Sale: June 29, 2021
Cover design by Mike Burroughs, art by Taj Francis
Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purposeโand falling for each otherโinย Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers,ย perfect for fans ofย Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series.
We went past praying to deities and started to build them instead . . .
The shadow of Godolia's tyrannical rule is spreading, aided by their giant mechanized weapons known as Windups. War and oppression is an everyday constant for the people of the Badlands, who live under the thumb of their cruel Godolian overlords.
Eris Shindanai is a Gearbreaker, a brash young rebel who specializes in taking down Windups from the inside. When one of her missions goes awry and she finds herself in a Godolian prison, Eris meets Sona Steelcrest, a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. At first Eris sees Sona as her mortal enemy, but Sona has a secret: She has intentionally infiltrated the Windup program to destroy Godolia from within.
As the clock ticks down to their deadliest mission yet, a direct attack to end Godolia's reign once and for all, Eris and Sona grow closerโas comrades, friends, and perhaps something more . . .
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Dangerous Play by Emma Kress
On Sale: August 3, 2021
Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco, art by Laura Callaghan
A fierce team of girls take back the night in this propulsive, electrifying, and high-stakes YA debut from Emma Kress
Zoe Alamandar has one goal: win the State Field Hockey Championships and earn a scholarship that will get her the hell out of Central New York. She and her co-captain Ava Cervantes have assembled a fierce team of dedicated girls who will work hard and play by the rules.
But after Zoe is sexually assaulted at a party, she finds a new goal: make sure no girl feels unsafe again. Zoe and her teammates decide to stop playing by the rules and take justice into their own hands. Soon, their suburban town has a team of superheroes meting out punishments, but one night of vigilantism may cost Zoe her team, the championship, her scholarship, and her future.
Perfect for fans who loved the female friendships of Jennifer Mathieuโs
Moxie and the bite of Courtney Summerโs
Sadie.
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Mark of the Wicked by Georgia Bowers
On Sale: August 10, 2021
Cover design by Trisha Previte, art by Marcela Bolรญvar
A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers' creepy YA debut fantasy,ย Mark of the Wicked.
Magic always leaves its mark.
All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn't interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.
When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic - and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isnโt responsible โ at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth . . . before anyone else turns up dead.
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The Champion by Taran Matharu
On Sale: August 10, 2021
Cover design by Trisha Previte, art by Matt Griffin
In Taran Matharu'sย The Champion, the explosive final book in the Contender trilogy, Cade and his friends wage the ultimate battle for their livesโand the fate of Earth itselfโin the Game set by the cruel and mysterious Pantheon.
Cade has managed to survive the duel with the Hydra Alphaโbarely. But the Games are far from over.
By order of their cruel and mysterious overlord, Abaddon, Cade and his friends are sent off to war against the Greys, a humanoid race who have far surpassed humans in technology on their home planet. This attempt to move up the leaderboard, however, leads Cade to a game-changing revelation: The Pantheonโthe millennia-old alien masterminds behind the Gamesโhave a weakness.
With the right artifacts scavenged from the land of Acies and a heavy dose of courage and luck, Cade has exactly one chance to end their tyranny forever. But if he fails, the lives of his friendsโand the survival of Earth itselfโwill be forfeit.
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Dagger Hill by Devon Taylor
On Sale: August 17, 2021
Cover design by Trisha Previte, art by Heather Vaughn
Stranger Things meetsย One of Us Is Lying in this creepy paranormal mystery about four friends who find themselves hunted by a malevolent presence in their sleepy hometown.
It knows your fear . . .
Summer, 1989. Four best friendsโGabe, Kimberly, Charlie, and Sonyaโare preparing for their last summer together before senior year, after which theyโll all be splitting up to start college in different parts of the country. They make a promise to always find their way back to each other, no matter how far away from their sleepy Pennsylvania hometown they get.
But their plans are destroyed when a plane crashes right on top of their favorite hangout outside of townโand right on top of them.
In the catastrophic aftermath of the incident, Gabe, Sonya and Charlie are plagued by eerie visions and messages from an unknown watcher. They soon realize that the plane crash was no accident, and now they are being hunted by a sinister presence. And everyone is still searching for Kimberly, who has been missing ever since Gabe saw somebody wearing a gas mask carry her out of the woods the day the sky fell down on them.
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Me (Moth) by Amber McBride
On Sale: August 17, 2021
Cover design by Rich Deas
A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride,ย Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path.
Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted.
Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe heโll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.
Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable.
Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.
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The Eyes of the Forest by April Henry
On Sale: August 24, 2021
Cover design by Mike Burroughs
After a bestselling fantasy writer disappears, only his biggest fan believes heโs in danger. Instead of re-reading his books, she must venture into the real world to uncover the truth in this fast-paced mystery byย New York Times-bestselling author April Henry. For readers of Courtney Summers and Karen McManus.
Bridget is RM Haldon's biggest fan. She and her mom sought refuge in Haldron's epic fantasy series Swords and Shadows while her mom was losing her battle with cancer. When Bridget met Haldon at one of his rare book signings, she impressed the author with her encyclopedic knowledge of the fantasy world he'd created. Bridget has been working for him ever since as he attempts to write the final book in his blockbuster sword and sorcery series. But Haldon has gone missing, and Bridget is the only person who seems concerned. Can Bridget piece together Haldonโs cryptic clues and save him before itโs too late?
Master mystery-writer April Henry weaves another heart-stopping young adult thriller in this story that seamlessly blends suspense with an exploration of fan culture.
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