The Lies of Alma Blackwell

Only the women of the Blackwell lineage can keep the restless spirits of the small seaside town of Hollow Cliff at bay. Created in a long-ago accident, the spirits still claim new victims despite the Blackwells’ magical interference. With her dying grandmother unable to continue warding off the specters, 17-year-old Nev reluctantly prepares to uphold her family’s century-old vow and take up the mantle, a responsibility that alienates her from her peers and weighs heavily upon her. Then a mysterious young man named Cal arrives, and he teaches Nev things about the Blackwells’ history that she never knew, such as her missing mother’s true fate. As Nev’s induction into her new role draws near, she and Cal delve into the complicated and tragically intertwined past of the Blackwells and Hollow Cliff, hoping to unravel the secrets and lies once and for all. Moody and atmospheric, this modern gothic tale by Glaze (The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond) is packed with twists that expose the hidden history of the Pacific seaside setting and the family that has shaped it for decades. Nev and Cal’s blossoming romance grounds the supernatural story line. Protagonists read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (Aug.)