List: 2023 Teen Reading Challenge: Has Fantastical Elements
Spice Road
When she learns that her brother is spreading the nation's secret spice magic to outsiders, sixteen-year-old Shield warrior Imani sets out on a dangerous mission to find him, discovering secrets that lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes--and in her own heart.
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The Charmed List
Sixteen-year-old Ellie's summer plans to shed her wallflower persona are upended when she is forced to go on a road trip to the Magical Retailers' Convention with her former best friend Jack, but what starts out as a punishment turns into an opportunity to find forgiveness and possibly love.
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Unseelie
"An autistic changeling trying to navigate her unpredictable magic, Seelie finds it difficult to fit in with the humans around her, unlike her twin sister, until they both get caught up in a heist gone wrong that changes everything"--
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The Buried and the Bound
Seventeen-year-old Aziza El-Amin, the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts, teams up with a cursed boy looking for answers and a young necromancer in order to eradicate a new threat in the woods and take back her hometown.
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Rebel of Fire and Flight
Escaping from an arranged marriage, sixteen-year-old Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glassmaker's apprentice, and as a deadly revolution exploits forbidden magic, threatening their friendship, they must choose what kind of world they want to live in.
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Nightbirds
"The Nightbirds are Simta's best kept secret. Teenage girls from the Great Houses with magic coursing through their veins, the Nightbirds have the unique ability to gift their magic to others with a kiss. Magic--especially the magic of women--is outlawed and the city's religious sects would see them burned if discovered. But protected by the Great Houses, the Nightbirds are safe well-guarded treasures. As this Season's Nightbirds, Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer spend their nights bestowing their unique brands of magic to well-paying clients. Once their Season is through, they're each meant to marry a Great House lord and become mothers to the next generation of Nightbirds before their powers fade away. But Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer have other plans. They know their lives as Nightbirds aren't just temporary, but a complete lie and yearn for something more. When they discover that there are other girls like them and that their magic is more than they were ever told, they see the carefully crafted Nightbird system for what it is: a way to keep them in their place, first as daughters and then as wives. Now they must make a choice--to stay in their gilded cage or to remake the city that put them there in the first place."--Jacket.
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Waking Fire
When her peaceful village of Lagusa is attacked by a Mistress sent to do the bidding of the power-hungry Sothpike and his army of undead monsters, Naira Khoum forms a resistance to stop the Mistress before Lagusa is beyond saving.
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Not Good for Maidens
"Beneath the streets of York, the goblin market calls to the Wickett women--the family of witches that tends to its victims. For generations, they have defended the old cobblestone streets with their magic. Knowing the dangers, they never entered the market--until May Wickett fell for a goblin girl, accepted her invitation, and became inextricably tied to the world her family tried to protect her from. The market learned her name, and even when she and her sister left York for Boston to escape it, the goblins remembered. Seventeen years later, Lou, May's niece, knows nothing of her magical lineage or the twisted streets, sweet fruits, and incredible jewels of the goblin market. But just like her aunt, the market calls to her, an echo of a curse that won't release its hold on her family. And when her youngest aunt, Neela, is kidnapped by goblins, Lou discovers just how real and dangerous the market is. To save her, both May and Lou will have to confront their family's past and what happened all those years ago. But everything--from the food and wares, to the goblins themselves--is a haunting temptation for any human who manages to find their way in. And if Lou isn't careful, she could end up losing herself to the market, too."--Amazon.
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Our Crooked Hearts
Told in alternating voices, years after it began, seventeen-year-old Ivy and her mom Dana's shared story comes down to a reckoning among a daughter, a mother, and the dark forces they never should have messed with.
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Squad
"Becca moves to an upscale Silicon Valley suburb and is surprised when she develops a bond with girls who belong to the popular clique-and even more surprised when she learns their secrets"--
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Mere Mortals
This hilarious, fresh take on a classic vampire tale follows a pair of hundred-year-old teenage vampires who are turned mortal and must face the greatest nightmare of all--high school. Charlie and her brother, Reg, have been vampires for...a very long time. For a century, they enjoyed the glitz and glamour of life as members of the wealthiest vampire clan. But now, after one careless mistake, they've been expelled from the vampire community and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, to live as mortals. Suddenly Charlie has to deal with zits, tears, and--worst of all--high school. But things start to change when she and Reg find a group of friends, including the deliciously good-looking Dexter. And though Charlie would give anything to be vampire again, she begins to appreciate some of the new experiences that humanity brings too. But nothing could make them forget the life they've left behind. When they're offered a second shot at immortality, Charlie is desperate to seize it. It'll just mean a total betrayal of all her new friends, who will have their minds wiped of their memories of her. She can handle that if it means she can live forever...right?
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Breakup from Hell
"Fans of Undead Girl Gang and The Babysitters Coven will love Breakup from Hell, a witty YA rom-com with a supernatural twist, starring horror novel obsessed Mica Angeles, who discovers the guy she fell for comes straight out of one of her beloved books. Miguela Angeles is tired. Tired of her abuela keeping secrets, especially about her heritage. Tired of her small Vermont town and hanging out at the same places with the same friends she's known forever. So when another boring Sunday trip to church turns into a run-in with Sam, a mysterious hottie in town on vacation, Mica seizes the opportunity to get closer to him. It's not long before she is under Sam's spell and doing things she's never done before, like winning all her martial arts sparring matches--and lying to her favorite people. The more time Mica spends with Sam, the more weird things start to happen, too. Like terrifying-visions-of-the-world-ending weird. Mica's gut instincts keep telling her something is off, yet Sam is the most exciting guy she's ever met. But when Mica discovers his family's roots, she realizes that instead of being in the typical high school relationship, she's living in a horror novel. She has to leave Sam, but will ending their relationship also bring an end to everything she knows and everyone she loves? Clever, hilarious, and steeped in supernatural suspense, Breakup from Hell will keep you hooked until the last page."-- Amazon.
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Wildblood
Kidnapped at six and sent to work at the Exotic Lands Touring Company as a Wildblood tour guide, eighteen-year-old Victoria takes on a dangerous expedition through the monster-filled Jamaican jungle to secure a better future and find where she truly belongs.
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Poison Forest
"There has been a string of disappearances in the Triumvir of Corundum. Someone is stealing royal children, and Thedra's childhood sweetheart Dette, the princess of a neighboring kingdom, is the latest to go missing. When Thedra suspects the sorcerer she blames for her mother's death is behind Dette's disappearance, she refuses to let him harm anyone else. She sets out with the help of a dashing soldier and a secretive servant girl to find and rescue Dette before it's too late. Thedra would do anything to stop the disappearances and save her friend--even cross a cursed forest that brings her nightmares to life. But one of her companions is hiding something, and the forest seems to want her dead. To defeat the sorcerer's twisted magic, she must face her worst fears and risk losing what she wants most: the freedom to love who she chooses."--Amazon website.
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The Girl from the Sea
"Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends...who don't understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface...whether Morgan is ready or not."--
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The Wolves are Watching
The night little Madison disappears from her crib, Luce sees a pair of eyes--two points of gold deep in the forest behind her house--and feels certain they belong to a wolf. Her town, Picnic, Illinois, is the kind of place where everyone knows one another and no one locks their doors. It's not the kind of place where a toddler goes missing without a trace, where wolves lurk in the shadows. In town, people are quick to blame Madison's mom. But when Luce's English teacher shares an original script about the disappearance of another little girl in Picnic back in 1870, Luce begins to notice similarities that she can't ignore. Certain that something deeper is going on, Luce tracks the wolf she saw into the woods and uncovers the truth about her town: magical animal-women, who have remained hidden in shadows for centuries, have taken her cousin for their own purposes--and they have no intention of bringing her back. A chilling mystery that weaves elements of magical realism, drama, and folklore into a story of one teen's bravery as she confronts her town's past and tries to save the future -- Page 2 of cover.
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Reclaim the Stars : 17 Tales Across Realms & Space
In this collection of stories by acclaimed young adult authors the Latin American diaspora travels to places of fantasy and out into space.
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Cake Eater
3070. Marie Antoinette has arrived in the Franc Kingdom to marry the prince, secure an alliance, and rake in likes from her fans. Versailles is not the perfect palace Marie has seen on The Apps: her life is a maze of pointless rules, and the court watches her every move for mistakes. Her shy husband Louis-Auguste is more interested in horses and computer-hacking than producing heirs. There are handsome android soldiers, parties till dawn-- but also surveillance in Marie's bedroom, and disappearing courtiers. Between riots in Paris and image-wrecking social media firestorms, Marie must use her social media savvy and Louis' hacking knowledge to fix their reputations and change their kingdom for the better... but may already be out of time.
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Coming Back
"Everyone in their village has magic in their bones, and Preet is the strongest of them all. Without an power of her own, how can Valissa ever be worthy of Preet's love? When their home is attacked, Valissa has a chance to prove herself, but that means leaving Preet behind. With no one to turn to, Preet gives in to temptation, breaks the village's most sacred laws, and is rejected from the only home she's ever known. Divided by different paths, insecurities, and distance, can Valissa and Preet find their way back to each other?"
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Sing Me Forgotten
"Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house's owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high--and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives. But Isda breaks Cyril's cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she's ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison."--
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Sometime in Summer
Fourteen-year-old Anna Lucia Bell expects the worst from her summer vacation in Rockport with her recently divorced parents, but everything changes with the arrival of new friendships and a magical comet that lead Anna to broaden her understanding of herself, love, and friendship.
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Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches
"Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is the last person in Salem to believe in witchcraft--or think that her life could be transformed by mysterious forces. After losing her best friend and first love, Chloe, Eleanor has spent the past year in a haze, vowing to stay away from anything resembling romance. But when a handwritten guide to tarot arrives in the mail at the witchy souvenir store where Eleanor works, it seems to bring with it the message that magic is about to enter her life. Cynical Eleanor is quick to dismiss this promise, until real-life witch Pix shows up with an unusual invitation. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the tarot, Eleanor decides to open herself up to Pix and her coven of witches, and even to the possibility of a new romance. But Eleanor's complicated history continues to haunt her. She will have to reckon with the old ghosts that threaten to destroy everything, even her chance at new love."--
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Deep in Providence
After Jasmine is killed in a car accident, her remaining best friends Miliani, Inez, and Natalie plan to resurrect her using magic learned from Miliani's Filipino aunt, but their actions have dangerous consequences that threaten themselves and those they care about.
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The Wide Starlight
According to Arctic legend, if you whistle at the Northern Lights, they'll swoop down and carry you off forever. Eline Davis was there on the remote glacier in Svalbard, when her mother whistled, then vanished. Years later, living with her dad on Cape Cod, Eli discovers the Northern Lights will be visible there for one night. She hatches a plan to use the lights to contact her missing mother... and it works. Her mother arrives... but magical, dangerous things start happening: narwhals appearing in Cape Code Bay, meteorites landing in the yard by the hundreds, three shadowy fairytale princesses whispering ominous messages. Eli pushes her mother away, only to find a note: Find me where I left you. And so, off to Svalbard Eli goes. --
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Belle Morte
"Belle Morte. One of five houses where vampires reside as celebrities and humans are paid to be their living donors. While others came here seeking fortune, I came in search of my sister who walked into Belle Morte five months ago ... and never walked back out. Now that I'm here, the secrets about this world have proven to be much bigger than I ever anticipated. And lurking around every corner are shocking insinuations of what happened to my sister"--
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A Ruinous Fate
In a world on the brink of war where one more roll from a magical die may set her down a dangerous path, nineteen-year-old Calla Rosewood joins a ragtag group of witches that ventures into an enchanted forest to find a way to reset their fates, only to discover that the forest may be more than any of them bargained for.
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