The Alchemy of Letting Go

January 1, 2023
A tween girl is obsessed with bringing her sister back from the dead. Attempting to meld science, magic, and poetry into an uplifting m�lange, this story instead labors through a flat-footed plot where little is earned and much is simply declared and whose characters are as two-dimensional as the dead bugs the protagonist collects. Seventh grader Juniper thinks the most important thing in life is science, and her one goal is to catch a Palos Verdes blue butterfly--an endangered species--to add to the collection she and her older sister, Ingrid, began before Ingrid tragically drowned two years earlier. On a class field trip, Juniper leaves the group to chase the butterfly and falls in the water. After being rescued, she finds a rock that glows green in her pocket. (Why? This isn't explained. But apparently this rock can make plants grow.) Next, Juniper meets a talking lemur who lives in the run-down house next to hers. She also meets scientist and magician Artemis, who lives there too, and together they hatch a plan to bring Ingrid back from the dead. Juniper's classmate Mateo, the new kid in town, loves poetry and also conveniently turns out to be a magician. Juniper's first-person, present-tense narration is a series of staccato declarative sentences delivering unearned insights that fail to draw readers into the story. Juniper and her family seem to default to White; Mateo is cued Latine. Interesting premise, labored execution. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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January 30, 2023
Seventh grader Juniper Edwards and her big sister Ingrid used to love studying insects together, but two years after Ingrid’s death by drowning, Juniper has become obsessed with entomology. Moreover, she is determined to capture the butterfly that Ingrid most wanted for their collection—the rare Palos Verdes Blue, which lives in the coastal watershed near their Southern California home. After Juniper almost drowns during her pursuit, her rigorous scientific understanding of the world is shaken as she manifests powers that can bring dead flora and insects back to life. The discovery of magician neighbors—and the idea that she can approach her newfound affinity scientifically—lead to her taking on the practice with zeal, a singular goal in mind: reviving Ingrid. Juniper’s magic often feels convenient—she becomes magically adept with frustrating ease—but the ramifications of her choices deliver profound emotional moments throughout. Twining matters magical and scientific in straightforward prose, Morrell’s contemplative debut handles the complexity of grief with a deft touch while addressing serious ethical questions around life, death, and the responsibilities of power. Juniper and her family cue as white. Ages 9–12. Agent: Travis Pennington, Knight Agency.