Tides

Cornwell's auspicious debut weaves historical fantasy together with sensual romance. Multiple points of view—both human and otherworldly—act as tributaries, pooling into a larger stream and coalescing meaningfully. High school senior Noah and his sister, Lo, are spending the summer with their grandmother Gemm in a lighthouse keeper's cottage in the Isles of Shoals, which acts as a liminal place situated between dreams and waking life ("It was like living inside a story," says Gemm of growing up there). Noah and Lo are on the cusp of adulthood, both grappling with tangible concerns; Noah, studious perhaps to a fault, buries himself in a hard-won marine biology internship, and Lo sketches to distract herself from her bulimia. When Noah has a chance encounter with a gorgeous selkie named Mara, it leads to an unexpected love, the search for her missing sister, and risks for both of their families. Cornwell's themes of body image, abuse, and the danger and pleasure found in relationships of all kinds emerge organically through the book's visceral, disturbing, and often lovely imagery. Ages 12 – up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (June)