Description

From award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes a compelling contemporary fantasy novel-in-verse, drawing richly from Caribbean folklore and exploring the powerful connection of family ties, inherited magic, and the longing to be truly free.

Fifteen-year-old Marisol has inherited an ancient legacy—she is a soucouyant’s daughter, destined to shed her human skin beneath the new moon and transform into a witch made of searing flame. Each month she must soar into the night, feeding gently upon the life force of others to preserve her existence. But adapting to a new life in Brooklyn proves challenging, as the city’s impenetrable doors, closed windows, and glaring lights leave little room for a fireball witch to roam. Marisol wishes desperately to leave behind the traditions of her homeland, yet she remains bound to her magical roots through the relentless hold of her mother.

Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Genevieve struggles to adapt to her evolving family situation: her professor father has remarried, she’s now a half sister to newborn twins, and the demands at home are overwhelming. A mysterious skin condition torments her sleep, made worse by the endless nighttime cries of the babies. Even more troubling is an unshakeable hunger and longing for a lost memory of her distant mother, something that urges her to devour the night sky itself. The arrival of a new nanny unexpectedly reveals a powerful secret linking Marisol and Genevieve’s pasts, opening doors to truths Genevieve hadn’t yet dreamed possible.

As the secrets unravel, Marisol and Genevieve realize that the delicate skin hiding their magical flames might ignite emotional explosions—challenging their relationships, shaking their identities, and forcing them to confront the true cost of embracing the lives they are destined to lead.

This gripping, beautifully crafted tale is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, a captivating story about the price of inherited magic and two girls finding power in their truest selves.