Review: A HOME FOR UNUSUAL MONSTERS by Shaun David Hutchinson

Apr 172025
 

Horn Book: This sequel to The School for Invisible Boys (rev. 1/24) shifts its focus to twelve-year-old Samantha Osbourne, budding agent for the clandestine paranormal research group Kairos, as she navigates adolescence, grief, and…monsters. Sam is sent on a covert mission to recover a top-secret list created by recently deceased, eccentric Kairos agent Lionel Frobisher. Using her unique ability to alter her appearance in others’ minds, Sam disguises herself as Lionel’s cousin Sunny for a visit to his Seattle home. When the strange Draven family simultaneously moves in next door, Sam’s suspicions are raised. Hutchinson’s complex story line interweaves the fantastical (living buildings, magic glasses, deadly stuffed animals) with relatable tween concerns (such as feeling “exposed” in a two-piece swimsuit). Details around the loss of Sam’s parents in a fire and the surprising revelation about the Kairos organization’s true motives add narrative depth. Brief chapters, intriguing dilemmas, and near-constant twists will keep readers on edge throughout this substantial addition to a thoroughly creepy and captivating adventure series.

Review: THE REBEL’S GUIDE TO PRIDE by Matthew Hubbard

Apr 092025
 

Booklist:The rebel is 17-year-old Zeke Chapman, who rebels against his overbearing attorney father who, when Zeke came out, sternly admonished him to keep a low profile. Zeke struggles against this stricture, joining his school’s Queer-Straight Alliance, whose three (!) members are his best friend, Sawyer, her girlfriend, Kennedy, and his erstwhile boyfriend, Cohen, now his sworn enemy. Or is he? Meanwhile, things heat up when the Pride event the alliance has planned is summarily canceled by the odiously homophobic mayor. Inspired by his mom’s favorite flapper, Zelda Fitzgerald, Zeke suggests they replace the event with a clandestine (officially illegal) speakeasy party—which is a great success. There is much more to this plot-rich novel, but suffice it to say that Zeke’s evolving character is the focus, being examined in almost granular detail and leaving no question that Zeke emerges as a fully realized, multidimensional character—and, happily, an empathetic and proud one at that.

Starred Review: OUT OF AIR by Rachel Reiss

Apr 022025
 

Booklist: Treasure, dead bodies, and cursed underwater caves—just a few of the hidden dangers of deep- sea diving. Phoebe and her best friends, the Salt Squad, are halfway around the world from their home in Key West as they document their dive off the coast of Marimont Island; this is their last hurrah before college tears them apart. However, after Phoebe discovers a breathtaking underwater cave, it appears that the force actually destined to tear the Salt Squad apart is the curse that lurks in the deep. Vivid descriptions of both the sea life and the surreal experience of being far below the waves create such an intense appreciation for the natural, alluring danger inherent in diving that the appearance of the curse seems logical, rather than fantastical. The tension is airtight throughout, with the artful combination of both a present-day narrative and flashbacks to the night months earlier that cracked the Salt Squad’s foundation, building anticipation for a paired reveal. Each character has a depth rarely found in YA thrillers, which manufactures a compulsive narrative that is both plot- and character-driven. Even striving readers will find it difficult to pause their journey with Phoebe and the Salt Squad through the beautiful, deadly ocean around Marimont.

March Subsidiary Deals

Mar 312025
 

a pair of black ear budsAudio rights to Emily Blackwood’s new MYSTICS OF ASHORA SERIES, plus CROWN SO CRUEL, book three of Golden City series, to Julie Constantine at Podium Audio, in an exclusive submission, in a five-book deal, by Katie Shea Boutillier (NA).

Audio rights to Jess K Hardy’s WISH YOU WERE HERE, Book 3 of the Bluebird Basin Romances, to Kerri Buckley at Dreamscape Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier (NA).

Audio rights to Jo Walton’s forthcoming EVERYBODY’S PERFECT, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier on behalf of Cameron McClure (world English).

March Translation Deals

Mar 312025
 

Bulgarian rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ NETWORK EFFECT and FUGITIVE TELEMETRY, the fifth and sixth books in The Murderbot Diaries, plus “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory,” to Studio of A, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Finnish rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ FUGITIVE TELEMETRY, the fifth installment in The Murderbot Diaries series, to Hertta Kustannus Oy, by Vere Bank at Sebes & Bisseling Literary Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

French rights to USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw’s THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE, to Eilean Books, in an auction, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency in association with Michael Curry.

German rights to K Webster’s CINDERELLA SERIES and DECEPTION DUET, to Digital Publishers, in a five-book deal, by Sarah Knofius at Thomas Schlueck Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Hungarian rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, EXIT STRATEGY, and NETWORK EFFECT, the first five books in The Murderbot Diaries, to Fumax, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Polish rights to Kel Kade’s KNIGHT OF SHADOWS, to Fabryka Slow, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Ukranian rights to Sue Burke’s SEMIOSIS, to Lobster, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Jennie Goloboy.

HEIRESS TAKES ALL is a Reese’s Book Club Pick!

Mar 252025
 

We are thrilled to share that HEIRESS TAKES ALL is a Reese’s Book Club Spring 2025 YA pick! Congratulations to author duo Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka!

More from the announcement:

“This novel is your next can’t-miss read: unexpected alliances, sharp wit, and incredible plot twists. Our Spring YA pick, Heiress Takes All, is here – and we’ve asked Raegan Revord to read with us all year long. This story follows a former heiress who enlists the help of unlikely classmates for a heist at the wedding of the season… and it just so happens to be her father’s. This novel pairs high stakes with a lovable cast of characters and is sure to keep you up all night reading.”

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW by Aggie Blum Thompson

Mar 112025
 

A brand new suspense novel from “the master of the suburban scandal” (Samantha M. Bailey), Aggie Blum Thompson.

Neighbors Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa share more than playdates and coffee mornings on their tranquil street in East Bethesda. They confide their deepest secrets, navigate the challenges of motherhood together, and provide a support system that seems unbreakable.

But when Gwen’s husband is found murdered after one of their weekly Friday night dinners, the peaceful quiet of their cul-de-sac shatters. The seemingly idyllic world of the three close-knit mom friends becomes a web of deception, betrayal, and revenge.

As the police investigate, the veneer of friendship begins to crack, revealing hidden tensions, clandestine affairs, and long-buried jealousies among the three women. With suspicions mounting and the neighborhood gripped by fear, Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa must confront the chilling truth about their husbands, and the sinister undercurrents in their own friendship.

Starred Review: YOU DESERVE TO KNOW by Aggie Blum Thompson

Mar 062025
 

Library Journal: Thompson’s new novel of suburban scandals and secrets (following Such a Lovely Family) is set in a peaceful subdivision outside of Washington, DC. All appears normal for Aimee, Gwen, and Lisa, three neighborhood wives who share weekly dinners, exchange parenting advice, help each other out with their kids while their husbands tag along, and even go on family vacations together. One night after a group dinner in their neighborhood, Aimee overhears an argument between Gwen and her husband, Anton, from the next yard over. The following morning, the neighbors receive the news that Anton is dead—murdered. The subsequent police investigation creates waves among the group. Secrets begin to surface, and everyone’s perfect facades begin to crumble, creating doubt in all of the relationships. Some of the neighborhood’s residents are not who they say they are; many of them are harboring jealousy, judgment, and deceit.

VERDICT Thompson flawlessly creates engaging plot twists and imperfect, realistic characters that readers will love to hate. This is a must-buy for public libraries and perfect for fans of Adele Parks and Lisa Unger.

Deal: E.B. Asher

Mar 042025
 

Bridget Morrissey, Emily Wibberley, and Austin Siegemund-Broka writing as E.B. Asher’s THIS WILL BE INTERESTING, a stand-alone set in the same world as THIS WILL BE FUN, in which a resurrected hero, a disgraced assassin, a honeymooning king and queen, a criminal, and a writer are thrown together on an unlikely journey overseas where they have only one rule: don’t fall in love with your quest mates, to Priyanka Krishnan at Avon, in a good deal, for publication in spring 2026, by Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary for Morrissey, and by Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency for Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka (world). Film/TV: Olivia Fanaro and Maialie Fitzpatrick at UTA

February Subsidiary Rights Deals

Feb 282025
 

a pair of black ear budsAudio rights to David Jones’ MISS UNIVERSE, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier for Jennie Goloboy (World English).

Audio rights to J.S. Fields’s FOXFIRE IN THE SNOW, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier (world English).

Audio rights to Katherine Addison’s THE ORB OF CAIRADO, a novella set in the world of THE GOBLIN EMPEROR featuring an unlikely hero in historian Ulcetha Zhorvena, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier on behalf of Cameron McClure (world English).

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