December 15, 2020
A teenage girl is whisked away from the only home and family she knows to a hidden land of magic and secrets. The last year has been a jarring sequence of events for 17-year-old African American Rue. After their mother dies in a senseless shooting, Rue and her 12-year-old sister, Tasha, are separated. Tasha is living with her father back in Houston while Rue finds herself off the coast of Madagascar on the hidden island of Ghizon with her previously absent father, Aasim. Rue struggles to assimilate to a magic-filled world, but her new friend Bri accepts her and gives her an understanding of Ghizoni culture. Despite being immersed in this world of wonder, nothing can replace a sister: Rue breaks the rules and travels back to Houston to see Tasha. Everything seems to be going well until a man with a snake tattoo on his neck offers Tasha a ride to school and a series of events unfolds that threatens Rue's world and may change Ghizon forever. Debut author Elle's characters shine with determination and heart. The tough realities of living in an underserved community fortify Rue against great odds but also influence her reluctance to accept kindness and support. Rue grapples with her sense of community, family, and duty; despite the size of her foes and fears, she never stops fighting for justice. Heart-stopping action and intrigue from cover to cover. (Fantasy. 14-18)
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January 11, 2021
Abruptly separated from her beloved 12-year-old half-sister Tasha after their mother’s murder a year ago, 17-year-old Rue was taken from Houston by her father, whom she’s never met, to a secret island, Ghizon, “thousands of nautical miles off the coast of Madagascar.” Wrestling with her mother’s death, Rue must navigate meeting her father, discovering her half-magical heritage, and investigating why she and her dad are the only Black people, or people of color at all, on Ghizon. With the help of Bri, an anxious Ghizoni tech wiz, Rue transports back to her Houston block, intending to slip Tasha a gift on the anniversary of Mom’s death. But after Rue uses magic to save Tasha from an accident and touches her, a Ghizoni cardinal sin, the Ghizoni officials want Tasha dead—and Rue soon discovers that a cartel wants the same, in addition to destroying East Row, her home neighborhood, whose residents she considers family. Elle relentlessly highlights the ancestral trauma of genocide, colonialism, and institutional racism that Black people endure to this day. Full of grief, love, and vengeance, this poignant debut encourages readers to embrace the whole of their identities to overcome pain. Ages 14–up.
Starred review from March 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Rue's life was forever changed the day her mother was shot and killed before her eyes. In what feels like an instant, she is whisked away from her half-sister Tasha to live with her previously absent father in Ghizon-a world filled with magic wielders because oh, she's half-god and magic is real. Thrust into a new world with new powers, Rue begins her training. She's the only Black girl in a world filled with grey folk. Missing her sister, Rue returns to Houston on the anniversary of their mother's death, where she finds herself in a battle to keep her sister safe and save both of her worlds from the evils trying to destroy them. This high-stakes debut is #BlackGirlMagic at its most earnest, teaching readers that strength is nothing to apologize for. VERDICT An ode to family, true belonging, and magic. Highly recommended for all collections.-India Winslow, formerly at Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA
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