Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Balzer Bray (2022), 432 pages
Description
Fantasy. African American Fiction. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML: New York Times bestseller! Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor. Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she's certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quintonâ??if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real. Now she must compete for a spot against kids who've known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can't seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutinyâ??especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed "illegal." With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she's an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn't stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton. Plus don't miss the thrilling sequel, Amari and the Great Game!… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member hcnewton
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS ABOUT?
Amari is a thirteen-year-old girl from Atlanta's inner-city, attending a private school on scholarship, and is in trouble when we meet her. She's been antagonized (probably bullied, honestly) by some
While reeling from this, Amari receives a delivery from her brother—cutting the details, it's an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. The invitation opens her eyes (literally) to the hidden magickal world around her. She can join the Bureau via a summer program (as her brother, Quinton, did) and if she passes some tests, she can become a junior member. She sees this as her best/only chance to find out what happened to Quinton—and hopefully, find him alive.
But also, it's magick. How could she not want to be part of it?
One of the first steps involves finding her secret talent—where she learns that she has rare and illegal abilities. Determined to stay in the Bureau to find Quinton—and to show that just because she's born with abilities that remind everyone of the worst people in the supernatural world's history, it doesn't mean she'll be as evil.
It's hard to make friends—hard not to be ostracized by everyone—because of her abilities, and she faces outright prejudice. But she does make an ally or two among the other supernatural youths, and a few among the adults overseeing the program*. Not only does Amari work to pass her tests to remain in the Bureau, she and her allies look into Quinton's disappearance.
* I really don't have the time to get into it, but I really liked the adults in this book (with the exception of two that you're clearly not supposed to like)
THE CLINCHER
There are many reasons to read this, many reasons you'll enjoy it. More than I have time to enumerate, more than you want to spend time reading. So I'll just give you one word that should convince you: weredragon.
Were...@#$%&!...dragon.
I love this idea. I don't know why we don't have a half-dozen series about them in UF. Elsie, the weredragon in question, would be a character I love no matter her special ability/species/whatever. She's a fun, vibrant, supportive, smart character, and combining those qualities with the idea of a human shifting into a dragon? You've got a fan in me.
THE INEVITABLE COMPARISONS
It's impossible to read this book and not think of a certain other MG series that rhymes with Larry Cotter. I think Amari and the Night Brothers comes off pretty well in such a comparison—I'm not saying it's superior (or inferior), but it holds its own.
But honestly? I think this is closer to a Percy Jackson kind of thing (just without the mythological basis), and Alston's style and voice are closer to Riordan's.
I'd also throw in a comparison to Will Hill's Department 19 books, but few of my readers will recognize it—and it's for an older audience and is more bloody. But it's one of those things that keeps coming to mind as I read Amari's adventure.
I'm not suggesting that Alston's just giving us an "inner city" version of Percy Jackson, etc. There are just things about Amari and the Night Brothers that remind me of the others, (the way that the Iron Druid Chronicles reminds readers of The Dresden Files, for example). The novel's themes and particulars of the fantasy worlds will vary, but the overall feel and style of the novel will invite comparison to Barry Totter, Percy, and similar works.
THE REAL WORLD
In the background of all the fantastic things going on in Amari's life—all the unbelievable things she's being introduced to, the incredible people and creatures she's encountering—there's the real world, and not an easy part of it. She lives in the inner city of Georgia with her mother working horrible shifts at a local hospital struggling to make ends meet. Her father has abandoned the family.
The police assume her brother's disappearance has something to do with him being a criminal—he's not missing, he's off doing something he doesn't want his mother to know about. Because that's what young men in this neighborhood do. As infuriating as that prejudice expressed is, there's someone in the neighborhood who is falling into that lifestyle. Quinton had been tutoring him, but now he has no one helping him—but Amari tries once she realizes what's going on with Jayden. This is a storyline that we follow throughout the book, and it might be the most important and rewarding one.
Both in Amari's school and even at the Bureau, she has to deal with privilege—people who were born into the right families, people who aren't like her. Because of things she has no control over, no input into, simply accident of birth, there are those who don't want her in the Bureau, don't want her pursuing her goals—but she doesn't back down. Never fear, the book doesn't preach, it doesn't moralize. It simply shows the challenges Amari has to deal with—and the challenges so many others don't—and lets the reader draw their own conclusions.
GRIT AND SMARTS
Amari is practically the embodiment of Angela Duckworth's concept of grit. I made a few notes like that while reading, making Amari the kind of protagonist you can really get behind.
Duckworth's website defines grit as:
Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals...
Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.
Instead, grit is about having what some researchers call an”ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.
Talent and luck matter to success. But talent and luck are no guarantee of grit. And in the very long run, I think grit may matter as least as much, if not more.
Replace the word "talent" above with "magick" and you've got Amari.
The book is also a celebration of thinking. Quinton, Elsie (the weredragon), and Amari are smart. They're bookish. They're problem solvers. Sure Amari has magical abilities, but before she uses magic, she thinks through a situation and addresses it with her mind. Amari and Elsie study, they plan. There's one point where Amari remembers the book and page number where she learned a fact that proved vital to one challenge. Her remembering that page number just made me happy.
Elsie's a tinkerer, even before she gets her magical enhancement, she's inventing things, making things. Amari talks about how many things are in the library that she wants to read about, learn about that have nothing to do with her goals. Give me characters like this any day.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS?
This was just so much fun. Even when things are looking dire for poor Amari (or anyone else), there is an ineffable sense of awe and hope to the book. That just magnified all the good from above (and helped me brush off the couple of minor reservations I had).
Is this one to give to the MG reader in your life? Yes. Is this one to read yourself if you like the occasional (or not-so-occasional) MG novel? Absolutely. I'm already planning on getting the sequels, and expect just about everyone who reads this novel will too.
---
WHAT'S AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS ABOUT?
Amari is a thirteen-year-old girl from Atlanta's inner-city, attending a private school on scholarship, and is in trouble when we meet her. She's been antagonized (probably bullied, honestly) by some
Show More
rich girls from her school and struck back. She's now facing discipline—up to and including loss of her scholarship. The principal ties this behavior to her brother's recent disappearance/presumed death, she's been "acting out" since then.While reeling from this, Amari receives a delivery from her brother—cutting the details, it's an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. The invitation opens her eyes (literally) to the hidden magickal world around her. She can join the Bureau via a summer program (as her brother, Quinton, did) and if she passes some tests, she can become a junior member. She sees this as her best/only chance to find out what happened to Quinton—and hopefully, find him alive.
But also, it's magick. How could she not want to be part of it?
One of the first steps involves finding her secret talent—where she learns that she has rare and illegal abilities. Determined to stay in the Bureau to find Quinton—and to show that just because she's born with abilities that remind everyone of the worst people in the supernatural world's history, it doesn't mean she'll be as evil.
It's hard to make friends—hard not to be ostracized by everyone—because of her abilities, and she faces outright prejudice. But she does make an ally or two among the other supernatural youths, and a few among the adults overseeing the program*. Not only does Amari work to pass her tests to remain in the Bureau, she and her allies look into Quinton's disappearance.
* I really don't have the time to get into it, but I really liked the adults in this book (with the exception of two that you're clearly not supposed to like)
THE CLINCHER
There are many reasons to read this, many reasons you'll enjoy it. More than I have time to enumerate, more than you want to spend time reading. So I'll just give you one word that should convince you: weredragon.
Were...@#$%&!...dragon.
I love this idea. I don't know why we don't have a half-dozen series about them in UF. Elsie, the weredragon in question, would be a character I love no matter her special ability/species/whatever. She's a fun, vibrant, supportive, smart character, and combining those qualities with the idea of a human shifting into a dragon? You've got a fan in me.
THE INEVITABLE COMPARISONS
It's impossible to read this book and not think of a certain other MG series that rhymes with Larry Cotter. I think Amari and the Night Brothers comes off pretty well in such a comparison—I'm not saying it's superior (or inferior), but it holds its own.
But honestly? I think this is closer to a Percy Jackson kind of thing (just without the mythological basis), and Alston's style and voice are closer to Riordan's.
I'd also throw in a comparison to Will Hill's Department 19 books, but few of my readers will recognize it—and it's for an older audience and is more bloody. But it's one of those things that keeps coming to mind as I read Amari's adventure.
I'm not suggesting that Alston's just giving us an "inner city" version of Percy Jackson, etc. There are just things about Amari and the Night Brothers that remind me of the others, (the way that the Iron Druid Chronicles reminds readers of The Dresden Files, for example). The novel's themes and particulars of the fantasy worlds will vary, but the overall feel and style of the novel will invite comparison to Barry Totter, Percy, and similar works.
THE REAL WORLD
In the background of all the fantastic things going on in Amari's life—all the unbelievable things she's being introduced to, the incredible people and creatures she's encountering—there's the real world, and not an easy part of it. She lives in the inner city of Georgia with her mother working horrible shifts at a local hospital struggling to make ends meet. Her father has abandoned the family.
The police assume her brother's disappearance has something to do with him being a criminal—he's not missing, he's off doing something he doesn't want his mother to know about. Because that's what young men in this neighborhood do. As infuriating as that prejudice expressed is, there's someone in the neighborhood who is falling into that lifestyle. Quinton had been tutoring him, but now he has no one helping him—but Amari tries once she realizes what's going on with Jayden. This is a storyline that we follow throughout the book, and it might be the most important and rewarding one.
Both in Amari's school and even at the Bureau, she has to deal with privilege—people who were born into the right families, people who aren't like her. Because of things she has no control over, no input into, simply accident of birth, there are those who don't want her in the Bureau, don't want her pursuing her goals—but she doesn't back down. Never fear, the book doesn't preach, it doesn't moralize. It simply shows the challenges Amari has to deal with—and the challenges so many others don't—and lets the reader draw their own conclusions.
GRIT AND SMARTS
Amari is practically the embodiment of Angela Duckworth's concept of grit. I made a few notes like that while reading, making Amari the kind of protagonist you can really get behind.
Duckworth's website defines grit as:
Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals...
Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.
Instead, grit is about having what some researchers call an”ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.
Talent and luck matter to success. But talent and luck are no guarantee of grit. And in the very long run, I think grit may matter as least as much, if not more.
Replace the word "talent" above with "magick" and you've got Amari.
The book is also a celebration of thinking. Quinton, Elsie (the weredragon), and Amari are smart. They're bookish. They're problem solvers. Sure Amari has magical abilities, but before she uses magic, she thinks through a situation and addresses it with her mind. Amari and Elsie study, they plan. There's one point where Amari remembers the book and page number where she learned a fact that proved vital to one challenge. Her remembering that page number just made me happy.
Elsie's a tinkerer, even before she gets her magical enhancement, she's inventing things, making things. Amari talks about how many things are in the library that she wants to read about, learn about that have nothing to do with her goals. Give me characters like this any day.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS?
This was just so much fun. Even when things are looking dire for poor Amari (or anyone else), there is an ineffable sense of awe and hope to the book. That just magnified all the good from above (and helped me brush off the couple of minor reservations I had).
Is this one to give to the MG reader in your life? Yes. Is this one to read yourself if you like the occasional (or not-so-occasional) MG novel? Absolutely. I'm already planning on getting the sequels, and expect just about everyone who reads this novel will too.
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LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
4.5
Book source ~ Tour
13-year-old Amari Peters has an older genius brother, Quinton, who goes missing. Police aren’t trying too hard to find him, and six months later Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in his closet. When Amari opens it, everything she thought about the world changes and now she
I’m not usually a fan of saying, “If you like X book then you will like this one.” But I’m going to say it now. If you like Harry Potter then you will like Amari and the Night Brothers. They are very similar and yet very different, but they both involve magic and a whole other world than the mundane. There’s also a scary villain and his followers (not quite as scary, but definitely thorns in the sides of the good guys), but I’ll let you read about him and them.
I love Amari. She’s smart, independent, and plucky as hell. She’s been living in her brother’s shadow, but really it’s all in her head because she’s pretty clever on her own right. However, when you have talented older siblings it’s hard to see your own strengths. And she has plenty of those. She’s also in for a surprise when she joins the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Ok, she’s in for MANY surprises when she goes there, but one in particular is an albatross around her neck. She needs to study hard and pass the three tryouts because she will never have a better opportunity to find her brother. Making friends and enemies, Amari navigates the treacherous waters of the BSA with will, skill, and sometimes just by the seat of her pants. But will any of this help her find her beloved brother? You’ll have to read to find out and I highly recommend that you do! Amari and the Night Brothers will sweep you into a magical world that’s not always as fun or cool as you might think. Fast-moving with characters you’ll love or love to hate this is one Middle-Grade Fantasy intertwined with a Mystery you won’t want to miss!
Book source ~ Tour
13-year-old Amari Peters has an older genius brother, Quinton, who goes missing. Police aren’t trying too hard to find him, and six months later Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in his closet. When Amari opens it, everything she thought about the world changes and now she
Show More
has a chance to find her brother her own damn self. Go bring him home, Amari!I’m not usually a fan of saying, “If you like X book then you will like this one.” But I’m going to say it now. If you like Harry Potter then you will like Amari and the Night Brothers. They are very similar and yet very different, but they both involve magic and a whole other world than the mundane. There’s also a scary villain and his followers (not quite as scary, but definitely thorns in the sides of the good guys), but I’ll let you read about him and them.
I love Amari. She’s smart, independent, and plucky as hell. She’s been living in her brother’s shadow, but really it’s all in her head because she’s pretty clever on her own right. However, when you have talented older siblings it’s hard to see your own strengths. And she has plenty of those. She’s also in for a surprise when she joins the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Ok, she’s in for MANY surprises when she goes there, but one in particular is an albatross around her neck. She needs to study hard and pass the three tryouts because she will never have a better opportunity to find her brother. Making friends and enemies, Amari navigates the treacherous waters of the BSA with will, skill, and sometimes just by the seat of her pants. But will any of this help her find her beloved brother? You’ll have to read to find out and I highly recommend that you do! Amari and the Night Brothers will sweep you into a magical world that’s not always as fun or cool as you might think. Fast-moving with characters you’ll love or love to hate this is one Middle-Grade Fantasy intertwined with a Mystery you won’t want to miss!
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LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Unfortunately, Harry Potter came out first because this book should be the one Harry Potter is compared to. Yes, the world-building and plot have similarities. But the references and reflections of being Black in this country are authentic, poignant, and entirely appropriate and necessary for
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the target age group. Reading Interest: 9-13. Show Less
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Unfortunately, Harry Potter came out first because this book should be the one Harry Potter is compared to. Yes, the world-building and plot have similarities. But the references and reflections of being Black in this country are authentic, poignant, and entirely appropriate and necessary for
Show More
the target age group. Reading Interest: 9-13. Show Less
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Unfortunately, Harry Potter came out first because this book should be the one Harry Potter is compared to. Yes, the world-building and plot have similarities. But the references and reflections of being Black in this country are authentic, poignant, and entirely appropriate and necessary for
Show More
the target age group. Reading Interest: 9-13. Show Less
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Unfortunately, Harry Potter came out first because this book should be the one Harry Potter is compared to. Yes, the world-building and plot have similarities. But the references and reflections of being Black in this country are authentic, poignant, and entirely appropriate and necessary for
Show More
the target age group. Reading Interest: 9-13. Show Less
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Unfortunately, Harry Potter came out first because this book should be the one Harry Potter is compared to. Yes, the world-building and plot have similarities. But the references and reflections of being Black in this country are authentic, poignant, and entirely appropriate and necessary for
Show More
the target age group. Reading Interest: 9-13. Show Less
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Unfortunately, Harry Potter came out first because this book should be the one Harry Potter is compared to. Yes, the world-building and plot have similarities. But the references and reflections of being Black in this country are authentic, poignant, and entirely appropriate and necessary for
Show More
the target age group. Reading Interest: 9-13. Show Less
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Amari is struggling in her school life. She leaves the last day after an unfortunate decision to push a girl who has been bullying her for being a black, scholarship kid. Amari's brother has gone missing. When she gets a briefcase from him and a recommendation letter for a summer school program,
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she's shocked to find her brother was a big deal in the Department of Supernatural Affairs. He's been missing and Amari is determined to find him. She meets a friend, learns to navigate a difficult world, and finds out that bullies are everywhere. A compelling fantasy read. Show Less
LibraryThing member deslivres5
Young person introduced into a previously unknown world of magic, full of friends, bullies and foes.
Sounds familiar?
Amari and the Night Brothers reminds me of the first book in the Magisterium series, The Iron Trial, the first book of the Nevermoor series, The Trials of Morrigan Crow and, of
I guessed the outcome waaay before the conclusion, but enjoyed the journey. First in a series: looking forward to the expansion of this world in the next volume.
Sounds familiar?
Amari and the Night Brothers reminds me of the first book in the Magisterium series, The Iron Trial, the first book of the Nevermoor series, The Trials of Morrigan Crow and, of
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course, the first book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. But I will jump into this genre every time. This one has diverse perspectives.I guessed the outcome waaay before the conclusion, but enjoyed the journey. First in a series: looking forward to the expansion of this world in the next volume.
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LibraryThing member fionaanne
This is a five star read from a plot and world-building viewpoint; characterization is strong, pacing perfect. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to the next book in the series.
But the "Irish" accent assigned to Agent Fiona, which consisted of substituting "ye" for "you" while ignoring
Also, in multiple conversations characters become talking heads as there is no body language or action to ground the speaker; it was most noticeable during a scene where one character was literally a disembodied head.
Overall though, fairly awesome and highly recommended.
But the "Irish" accent assigned to Agent Fiona, which consisted of substituting "ye" for "you" while ignoring
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contractions like "you'll" struck me as straight-up lazy and was really grating to my internal ear. I'm holding an unreasonable grudge about this because she has my name.Also, in multiple conversations characters become talking heads as there is no body language or action to ground the speaker; it was most noticeable during a scene where one character was literally a disembodied head.
Overall though, fairly awesome and highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
What a fabulous read "Amari and the Night Brothers" turned out to be! Well-written with great pacing, I found it difficult to put down once I started. I adored Amari. She was resilient, persistent, had strong convictions and loved her brother, Quinton, fiercely. She was a breath of fresh air. I
The world building was amazing. There was so much detail interwoven with myths and legends which swept me away and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs felt like a real place. As for the twist at the end - I did not see that coming at all! It was quite a shock but I am looking forward to the next instalment.
"Amari and the Night Brothers" has been likened to the "Harry Potter" series by some readers, however, I have only read the first half of book one as Harry never grabbed my attention. This novel, in comparison, had me from the start so, for me personally, I thought it was a better read than "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Congratulations Ms Alston on a wonderful debut.
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also loved her friends, especially her roommate, Elise. They were both outcasts but bonded together to try and solve the mystery of Quinton's disappearance.The world building was amazing. There was so much detail interwoven with myths and legends which swept me away and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs felt like a real place. As for the twist at the end - I did not see that coming at all! It was quite a shock but I am looking forward to the next instalment.
"Amari and the Night Brothers" has been likened to the "Harry Potter" series by some readers, however, I have only read the first half of book one as Harry never grabbed my attention. This novel, in comparison, had me from the start so, for me personally, I thought it was a better read than "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Congratulations Ms Alston on a wonderful debut.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Spectacular book -- magic summer camp with a really wonderful main character. Amari is smart, full of integrity, and doesn't give up. When her older brother Quinton disappears, she stops at nothing to find him, even when it means navigating a whole new magical world, her own powers, and significant
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bullying from rich white kids. I love that she makes up her own mind and grows in confidence as the book unfolds, and that she stands up for herself. It's a new and interesting world, and the adventure is at breakneck pace. Not to be missed! Show Less
LibraryThing member acargile
This novel is a 2022 Lone Star novel.
Amari's brother disappeared. Amari is determined to find him and prove he's still alive. Because they are poor and live in a bad part of town, the police assume Quinton was into selling drugs or something illegal like that and had to leave town or was killed.
Amari's life changes. Her mother believes that Amari (and Quinton--back when he did this) is going to a summer camp. It's really a place to learn about the supernatural world and discover where you want to work within it. There are jobs filing papers, keeping track of the unknown, being an agent who fights evil, etc. There are many departments. In this "summer camp," Amari must choose where she want to work and then pass exams/challenges in hopes of being what she wants. Amari chooses Agent, the hardest, most difficult job. She wants to fight the bad guys. Someone/something has Quinton and she wants to investigate and free him. She finds a good friend with her roommate, who is a dragon. How cool is that?! She also finds a friend in one of the most well-established families who chooses to help has as well.
As the novel progresses, you'll meet all sorts of creatures and supernatural departments. Amari will compete against kids who have known about the supernatural world their whole lives. She also has to investigate the disappearance of her brother, so she has a full and challenging plate. There's one surprise for Amari and the entire supernatural world that changes everything. Amari must prove herself to everyone even more now.
I found the novel to be similar in some ways to the plot devices in Harry Potter. I actually read it all in about two days and really enjoyed reading it. There will be more books coming in the series, but this novel does end. There is no cliff hanger, which is nice. Give it a try!
Amari's brother disappeared. Amari is determined to find him and prove he's still alive. Because they are poor and live in a bad part of town, the police assume Quinton was into selling drugs or something illegal like that and had to leave town or was killed.
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Amari knows better--Quinton received a full scholarship and tutored kids on the side. On the last day of school when Amari gets kicked out of her private school for which she has a scholarship, the doorbell rings. A small creature has a message for her; in fact, he has a briefcase. Somehow it's been delivered to Quinton's bedroom closet. She finds the briefcase with instructions to open it at midnight. She must lie down, put some weird glasses on and wait. Quinton appears. He takes her on a supernatural boat ride, showing her that there's more to the world than one can imagine. He says he must be dead or something bad has happened if she gets this message. Quinton nominates Amari for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari's life changes. Her mother believes that Amari (and Quinton--back when he did this) is going to a summer camp. It's really a place to learn about the supernatural world and discover where you want to work within it. There are jobs filing papers, keeping track of the unknown, being an agent who fights evil, etc. There are many departments. In this "summer camp," Amari must choose where she want to work and then pass exams/challenges in hopes of being what she wants. Amari chooses Agent, the hardest, most difficult job. She wants to fight the bad guys. Someone/something has Quinton and she wants to investigate and free him. She finds a good friend with her roommate, who is a dragon. How cool is that?! She also finds a friend in one of the most well-established families who chooses to help has as well.
As the novel progresses, you'll meet all sorts of creatures and supernatural departments. Amari will compete against kids who have known about the supernatural world their whole lives. She also has to investigate the disappearance of her brother, so she has a full and challenging plate. There's one surprise for Amari and the entire supernatural world that changes everything. Amari must prove herself to everyone even more now.
I found the novel to be similar in some ways to the plot devices in Harry Potter. I actually read it all in about two days and really enjoyed reading it. There will be more books coming in the series, but this novel does end. There is no cliff hanger, which is nice. Give it a try!
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LibraryThing member davisfamily
This was a fun, quick read.
LibraryThing member riida
its been a long while since i enjoyed a middle grade book. i picked this up as a palette cleanser, and it worked wonders for my mood :) a very easy and pleasant read. a bit like percy jackson, with men in black thrown in the mix (with some social commentary, the lead character being a 12 year old
(btw, the ending genuinely caught me off guard, so, well done ^_^)
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black girl from the wrong side of town and all...but not at all preachy or heavy handed). not your next harry potter...or skulduggery pleasant...but i'm glad there is this book for the next generation of readers.(btw, the ending genuinely caught me off guard, so, well done ^_^)
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Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2023)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 2023)
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grade — 2024)
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2023)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — Grades 6-8 — 2023)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2023)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2024)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2024)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2024)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Honor Book — 2023)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Bluestem Award (Nominee — 2024)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2023)
NÄ“nÄ“ Award (Nominee — Fiction — 2024)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2024)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2024)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2024)
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Honor Book — 2023)
California Young Reader Medal (Nominee — 2024)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — Middle Readers — 2025)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (Nominee — 2024)
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2024)
North Carolina Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Truman Readers Award (Nominee — 2024)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2024)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — Middle School — 2023)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2022)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — Middle Readers — 2024)
Colorado Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2024)
Waterstones Children's Book Prize (Shortlist — Younger Readers — 2022)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2023)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2024)
Keystone to Reading Book Award (Winner — 2023)
Lectio Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Shortlist — 2021)
Ignyte Award (Shortlist — Middle Grade — 2022)
Rhode Island Middle School Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Maine Student Book Award (Reading List — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (Middle School — 2023)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2022)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Kids (Middle Grade Fiction — 2021)
Notable Children's Book (2022)
Nerdy Book Award (Middle Grade Fiction — 2021)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Children's Books — 2021)
Tome Society It List (2022)
Idaho Battle of the Books (2024)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (Middle Grade — 2021)
Reading Olympics (Middle School — 2024)
Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids (Fiction — 2021)
Project LIT Book Selection (Young Adult — 2023)
Texas Lone Star Reading List (2022)
OYAN Book Rave (2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021
Physical description
432 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
006297517X / 9780062975171