10/17/2016
First-time novelist Giles combines an intense thriller plot with one of the oddest afterlifes in recent fantasy. Seventeen-year-old Zoe, her younger brother Jonah, and their eccentric but loving mother are still hurting a year after Zoe’s father died in a caving accident. Life goes on, but nothing fits right. Then two dangerous people appear at their secluded mountain home: Stan, a vicious thief and murderer, and a hunky bounty hunter Zoe nicknames X, who has been assigned to confront Stan with his crimes and drag him off to the Lowlands for eternal punishment. After Zoe prevents X from completing his mission, they become enamored of each other, but the repercussions of their actions aren’t far off. Zoe’s mutually devoted relationships with her brother, mother, sardonic lesbian friend, Val, are standouts, as is the endearingly oddball dialogue. X—who has no name, never knew his parents, and grew up in the equivalent of Hell—is more of a cipher, though he’ll grow on readers just as he grows on Zoe. It’s an intriguing story that leaves the door open for future books. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Jan.)
"A sharp fantasy thriller, and a dark one at that." - People
"An intriguing start to a new series." - Entertainment Weekly
"A lot of fun." - New York Times Book Review
"With imagination and verve, Giles delivers the goods required by the genre." - Time
"[An] amazingly crafted novel." - USA Today
"Smartly written fantasy with depth." - New York Magazine
"A gorgeous, unearthly ride." - starred review, Shelf Awareness
"A rich and satisfying read on multiple levels." - Booklist
"Gripping. Utterly original. Beautifully written." - Peter Jackson, Oscar-winning director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies
"Utterly fantastic. Dark, funny, exciting . . . Every human alive should read this book." - James Dashner, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE MAZE RUNNER
"A fresh and addictive read." - Kami Garcia, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling coauthor of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and author of THE LOVELY RECKLESS
"Sharp, dark, thoughtful and romantic." - Cassandra Clare, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series
"A dark and suspenseful supernatural thriller that kept me up all night." - Melissa de la Cruz, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE ISLE OF THE LOST
"Reads like a blend of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and modern-day horror, such as Stranger Things."- School Library Journal
"An intriguing story that leaves the door open for future books." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers are advised to dive in now and revel in the star-crossed-lovers glory of it all." - BCCB
"Fantastical in nature, this story will keep readers interested until the very end." - School Library Connection
"A wholly-engrossing page-turner." - VOYA
11/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Zoe Bissell has had a rough year. She hasn't been able to find closure following her father's unexpected death in a caving accident and the disappearance of two beloved neighbors. Then, during a harsh winter storm, she and her eight-year-old brother, Jonah, are attacked. X, a handsome and mysterious stranger, comes to their rescue. Unbeknownst to Zoe, X is actually a bounty hunter from a dark, unique area of Hell known as the Lowlands, and he was sent after Zoe's attacker's soul. Despite X's hellacious origins, he and Zoe form an intense connection, and X learns empathy for humans. The romance will not be without consequences, though, as some beings from the Lowlands are not happy about X's and Zoe's intense feelings for each other, and Zoe's friend Dallas could end up with a broken heart. Giles's fantastical novel reads like a blend of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and modern-day horror, such as Stranger Things. Zoe is an empowered, complicated female protagonist with a huge heart, and X is a heartthrob with a twisted past and a thoughtful persona. VERDICT Highly recommended for YA collections.—Margaret A. Robbins, University of Georgia, Athens
2016-09-19
Opposite worlds collide in this supernatural tale of forbidden love and good-versus-evil when 17-year-old Zoe, who is still coping with the death of her father, crosses paths with X, a pale boy of the supernatural variety. Zoe and Xs love affair is doomed from the start, because X is a prisoner from the Lowlandsa supernatural, hellish landscapewhere he acts as a bounty hunter, collecting the souls of bad people on behalf of a mysterious higher power. With her witty dialogue and banter, Zoe is positioned as a funny and likable character, but X doesnt have enough substance to set him apart from other brooding young men within the genre. In an apparent effort to charm teen readers, the book is brimming with pop-culture and social media references, and the frequent use of slang phrases (dawg; true dat) dates the novel and reads like a mockery of the teen experience. Zoe is described as having pale skin. Regent, a black Lowlands lord with royal, African bearing and shining, ebony skin, is the novels main character of color and fulfills the unfortunate magical negro trope. Meanwhile, Zoes best friend, Vala lesbianreads as a flat character. In the end, this effort doesnt do anything new for the paranormal-romance genre and falls short of the gripping and heart-stopping supernatural tale it promises. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)
