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**An INSTANT New York Times and Indie bestseller**
"This is the debut fantasy we need right now!" --Ms. Magazine

#1 of 9 Young Adult Novels We're Excited for -- Essence

Perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Tomi Adeyemi, and The Hunger Games. The entire first printing of this novel will be signed!"Make a way out of no way" is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon--a hidden island of magic wielders.
Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother's death, Rue breaks Ghizon's sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother's life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon--an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors' power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.
*A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection*
"An ode to family, true belonging, and magic. Highly recommended for all collections." - starred review, School Library Journal 

"A riveting first installment in a duology that reminds us of the power of Afro-futurism and the Black fantastic..." -- Texas Observer

"Allegory abounds, touching on systemic racism, the destruction of communities, colonization and the ways -- good and bad -- our lives and actions are interconnected." -- The Houston Chronicle

Barnes & Noble YA Book Club pick of the month for Black History Month

Well Read Black Girl pick of the month for Black History Month