Sweet Nightmare (The Calder Academy #1)

This beguiling series opener—which takes place in the world of Wolff’s Crave series—centers new characters embarking on a harrowing adventure. Seventeen-year-old Clementine Calder has lived her entire life on the small Gulf Coast island that houses paranormal Calder Academy, the “school for misfits” that her family runs. She increasingly chafes at the draconian rules set by her mother—the strict headmistress—that discourage students’ use of their magical abilities. But when a Category 5 hurricane bears down on the academy, Clementine’s manticore powers start manifesting, as well as an unprecedented ability to see ghosts, and she begins receiving mysterious flickers of the past and future. With no one to turn to, Clementine is forced to rely on dark and brooding dream daimon Jude Abernathy-Lee, also 17, and her former best friend and crush. Sparks fly as Clementine and Jude uncover dark secrets about their world and find hidden strength within themselves and each other. Existing fans will delight at returning characters, while propulsive chapters punctuated by ever-increasing stakes and liberally peppered with pop culture references offer an easy entry point for series newcomers. Coupled with Clementine’s snarky first-person narration, this lengthy tale about coming-of-age under an authoritarian system checks all the boxes for romantasy veterans. Clementine reads as white; Jude cues as Korean and white. Ages 14–up. Agents: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency. (May)