The Odds

In a world divided between magically gifted Oddities and ordinary Never Odds, a 10-year-old desperately attempts to activate her Oddity ahead of her birthday in this bustling ghost story from Puckett (The Glass Witch). If Begonia Hollowmoor, who experiences intense migraines, fails to do so, she’ll be “Odbliterated”—have her memory wiped—before being placed in an orphanage for Never Odds. Begonia stands to lose everything she’s ever known, including her 58 pseudo-grandparents—the elderly Odds who live at nursing home Swamp Root Manor, where she was abandoned as a baby. But other events threaten life as Begonia knows it: Swamp Root Manor is in deep financial distress, and an unknown entity has been haunting the estate, resulting in some inhabitants falling into a comatose state. Determined to save her home, Begonia reluctantly teams up with Bass, a resident’s 10-year-old grandson, who’s also seeking to uncover his power. Employing a sardonic tone that’s elevated by a fourth wall–breaking omniscient narrator, Puckett addresses themes of disability, friendship, and mischief. Begonia’s experience managing chronic pain is thoughtfully rendered and features heavily throughout, adding a layer of realism to this fast-paced supernatural adventure. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Samantha Fabien, Root Literary. (Sept.)