The Book of Blood and Shadow

When teenager Nora and her friends at school translate some scripts from long dead alchemists, the result leaves a wake of destruction in its path and her boyfriend, Max, on the hook for murder. Now, Nora must piece together what happened and try to clear Max’s name. Narrator Emily Janice Card starts slow—but in the end, she delivers an engaging performance. Card lends a youthful, authentic voice to Nora. And while she reads in a steady, almost disinterested tone during descriptive passages, this works to highlight moments of and adventure. The strongest part of Card’s performance is her pacing: she knows when to adjust her tempo to create tension and suspense. And, she ably handles various languages presented in the text and creates distinct voices for the characters. Ages 12–up. A Knopf hardcover. (Apr.)