The Unquiet

Two identical Earths have orbited each other “for as long as anyone can remember,” but Earth II and its people are beginning to disappear. Lirael, kidnapped from the second Earth as a child, has been ruthlessly trained as an assassin with one purpose: kill and replace her alternate self, paving the way for others to move from the dying Earth to the one that remains. Lirael quickly learns not to trust anyone, especially not the vicious Madame who runs the shadowy cottages where they train. After a brutal graduation ceremony, Lirael is finally ready to take her double’s place, but it isn’t easy to act like the innocent girl she could have been. Worse, she discovers that the other children from the cottages have a plan that might put all of them in jeopardy. First-time author Everett gives this story a dreamlike quality even amid the frequent violence. The chronology is surprisingly wide, but Everett never loses sight of Lirael as a character, and that continuity is key to the book’s success in its exploration of identity and self. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alison Fargis, Stonesong. (Sept.)