09/22/2014
The walled city of Hak Nam is “a place so ruthless even the sunlight won’t enter,” a festering cesspool in which children and teenagers are forced to murder, steal, and become prostitutes to survive. Dai Shing, trying to escape the city for reasons of his own, is ticking off the 18 days until the New Year when he partners up with Jin Ling, who is posing as a street boy in an effort to find her sister, Mei Yee. Now Jin must rescue Mei from a brothel under the control of the nefarious Brotherhood of the Red Dragon, with Dai’s unwitting assistance. Graudin (All That Glows) is gifted at employing simile and other literary devices to describe the gritty surroundings and Hak Nam’s criminal inhabitants, including one man with a voice “like a junkyard dog.” The result is three stories deftly entwined into a fast-paced, striking tale—partly inspired by the now-destroyed Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong—as Dai and Jin learn to trust one another with their lives. Ages 15–up. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Nov.)
Diving into the fantasy fiction genre is exhilarating—there are so many wizards, princesses, orphans, faeries, and dragons to spend time with. Whether your giftee is a devotee of the genre or a newbie, these are some of the hottest fantasy books of the year, geared toward teens but ready to be enjoyed by anyone.
There are three rules to surviving in The Walled City: run fast, trust no one, and always carry your knife. That code is what’s kept Jin Ling alive in the labyrinthine den of iniquity that is Hak Nam—that and the fact that no one has figured out she’s a girl. If they had, Jin Ling […]
Nothing gets a young reader’s heart hopping—and her hands flying through the pages—like a high-stakes story of survival. Whether set in a postapocalyptic wilderness, a quarantined mall, or a reimagined fantasy world, these books feature young people defying the odds and facing terrible dangers. They’ll thrill and delight their receivers, with propulsive stories that will carry […]
For every hero who was obviously destined for greatness (Superman, I’m looking at you), there’s a totally inconspicuous, unexpected counterpart. You know, the kind of awkward, hopeless type who’s constantly tripping over pebbles or telling terrible knock-knock jokes. But really, the unexpected ones are the best kind of hero—so here are some of our favorites.
Because the holidays weren’t difficult enough, man invented the Secret Santa exchange, that age-old pastime in which you must procure gifts for good friends, curmudgeonly coworkers, and casual acquaintances alike. It can be tricky to pick up something you know will be a hit. But it can be done, with the safest bet of all: a […]