Archives par étiquette : Dystel Goderich & Bourret

THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE de Z Brewer

A perfectly average boy uncovers a supernatural secret about his family that could put his whole town in grave danger—if it doesn’t make him die of embarrassment first—in this mysterious and funny middle grade debut from New York Times bestselling author Z Brewer.

THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE
by Z Brewer
HarperCollins Children’s, September 2024
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Viktor Valentine can’t think of a better way to end his summer vacation than playing All the Vampires Everywhere, his favorite video game, with his best friend, Damon. Yet his parents, who make cringey jokes and call him dorky nicknames, seem set on ruining his plans. Viktor knows he can’t really compete with Damon’s “cool” friends—so their epic video game playing is the best Viktor can do to come close to being cool in Damon’s eyes.

But then Viktor slowly starts to realize that his parents may be hiding something from him. They’re acting very suspicious; they sneak out after midnight and return with bloody mouths. But he’s probably just played too many video games. After all, vampires aren’t real . . . right?

Seventh grade is tough enough without having to figure out if your family has fangs. And to make matters worse, the new girl that moved in across the street seems particularly interested in things that go bump in the night. Can Viktor protect his family, or will his sleuthing come back to bite him?

Z Brewer is the author (writing under the name Heather Brewer) of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, about a half-boy, half-vampire, and its spin-off series, The Slayer Chronicles, as well as the YA fantasy, Soulbound. Z’s other novels include Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, Madness, and Into The Real. Z’s newest book is THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE, a middle grade novel set in the same world as the Vladimir Tod series, but which will appeal to a whole new generation of readers. Z is also a tireless anti-bullying advocate and lecturer.

THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE de James Riley

In this hilarious fantasy adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of the Story Thieves series, a 12 year old girl strikes a deal with the ancient, cranky dragon she accidentally summoned to teach her the magic she needs to save her mother from the tyrant terrorizing their town.

THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE
by James Riley
Random House BFYR, April 2025
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Ciara lives in the village of Skael under the thumb of the Warden (ugh), who enforces the rule of the Emperor (double ugh). When she accidentally gets her mom arrested for possessing a banned book by the (allegedly) disgraced apprentice of the Dragon Mage, Ciara uses the maybe-dangerous, definitely-forbidden book to summon a very cranky dragon.

Scorch the dragon had no idea he’s been asleep for a thousand years. All he wants is to discover what happened to the Dragon Mage, who tasked him with teaching magic to all humans, and why this tiny annoying child summoned him. Although they make an unlikely pair, Scorch agrees to teach Ciara magic, just as he once taught his apprentice Bianca. Together, they just may be able to rescue Ciara’s mom and unravel the lies of the Empire…if they can stop bickering for long enough to make a plan, that is…

James Riley is the New York Times bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time series, The Story Thieves series, and The Revenge Of Magic series for middle grade readers. In his most recent series, Once Upon Another Time, which is set in the world of the popular Half Upon A Time series, storybook characters collide in a trilogy of twisted fairy tales. His newest novel for young readers is THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE.

PERFECT LITTLE MONSTERS de Cindy R.X. He

Someone has murdered the queen bee of Sierton High School. All the dead girl’s friends are suspects. And each one has a reason for wanting her to die.

PERFECT LITTLE MONSTERS
by Cindy R.X. He
Sourcebooks Fire, May 2024
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Ella Moore was the most popular girl in school…and also the most hated. When she’s murdered at her own party, there are too many suspects to count. And too many people who think she deserved it.

The police’s prime suspect is the new girl, Dawn Foster. Dawn was the last to hand Ella a drink on the night she died. Plus, all of Ella’s friends with a motive for wanting her dead are more than willing to throw Dawn under the bus if it means keeping the heat off themselves.

But Dawn refuses to go down without a fight. She’s determined to clear her name. As she delves deeper into the past, she discovers that Ella and her friends had major enemies, and someone is out for revenge. Dawn must uncover the truth before the police arrest the wrong suspect… and before the next person dies.

« A dark, voicey, and inventive debut from an explosive new talent. Prepare to be captivated from start to pulse-pounding finish, and blown away by the many twists and turns. Perfect Little Monsters is at once a fast-paced thriller and a thoughtful, incisive look at the impact of bullying. » ― Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here and All Eyes On Her

« This tense and twisty thriller will keep readers looking over their shoulder. » ― Natalie D. Richards, New York Times bestselling author of Five Total Strangers

Cindy R.X. He was born and raised in multicultural Singapore. She has always enjoyed losing herself in the pages of a book, and started reading Stephen King at a much earlier age than she should have. Her favorite works are by Shirley Jackson, Courtney Summers, and Catriona Ward. She currently resides in the French Alps with her husband, children, and rescue cat.

THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY de Ray Stoeve

A sweet and swoony YA rom-com about two friends making a pact to find summer romance like they’ve seen in the movies—and finding love where they least expect it along the way!

THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY
by Ray Stoeve
Abrams, May 2024
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Hayley always has a crush. The problem is, her crushes never like her back. After her latest unrequited love—a girl from her basketball team—gets a boyfriend, she decides she’s done falling for girls who are unavailable. Her best friend, Talia, wants romance too, but rarely gets crushes on anyone, and she’s tired of watching Hayley get her heart stomped on over and over. So the two girls make a pact: they’ll help each other find summer love by putting themselves in situations that always lead to romance in movies.

To help carry out their summer love strategy, they make a list of all the places they could find their real-life rom-com: the beach, the Pride parade, the pool, a MUNA concert, and a party. But as they go to each place and try to find the one, it seems like they just can’t catch a break—they don’t know how to talk to cute strangers, someone mistakes Hayley as straight, and Hayley does a truly unfortunate DIY haircut (that she cannot be held responsible for––it was a crisis!). But when Talia and Hayley finally manage to score dates, will they be able to get out of their own way and really dive into the romances they deserve? Or is summer love not as far off as Hayley thought?

“This excellent addition to the slew of YA friends-to-lovers romance novels offers a nuanced portrayal of an autistic sapphic trans girl in Talia and a lesbian with ADHD and anxiety in Hayley…[The novel] genuinely shines when it zeroes in on Hayley and Talia’s friendship and blossoming romance. Readers will feel like they’re in a teen summer romance themselves.” –Booklist

« Hayley and Talia’s story has all the butterfly-worthy moments of first love…Readers will appreciate that neurodivergence is normalized and represented positively in the novel: In addition to Talia, two other members of their friend group are autistic. A charming friends-to-lovers summer romance.” –Kirkus

« THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY is a bear hug in book form; it’s a love story within a love story. Intimacy takes so many beautifully complicated forms here. These are friends who care enough to carve out space for each other’s differences, even as they feel their way through shifting relationship dynamics. Stoeve explores what it means to find new ways to love a person you know by heart—and they tackle it with such specificity and care. This one’s going to make so many people feel seen. » –Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Ray Stoeve is the author of the young adult novel Between Perfect and Real, which received a starred review and was a 2021 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and Arden Grey. They also contributed to the young adult anthology Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance. They received a 2016–2017 Made at Hugo House Fellowship and created the YA/MG Trans and Nonbinary Voices Masterlist, a database that tracks all books in those age categories written by trans authors about trans characters. When they’re not writing, they can be found gardening, making art in other mediums, or hiking their beloved Pacific Northwest.

THE DARKROOM d’A.J. Hewitt

In the tradition of Unnatural Causes, When the Dogs Don’t Bark and All That Remains, this is a true crime book full of the wisdom that can be found in the darkness.

THE DARKROOM
Case Files of a Scotland Yard Forensic Photographer
by A.J. Hewitt
Orion, February 2024
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

For years, A.J. Hewitt was the first person into a crime scene. Before the detectives and the forensics team it was her alone with the body, the only sound her flashes firing as they lit up scenes of unimaginable horror. It was her job to shoot the photographs that revealed the circumstances of someone’s final moments.

Now in her debut book, THE DARKROOM, Hewitt takes us into the shadowy world of the crime scene photographer, and recounts remarkable tales, from murders to suicides, accidents to assassinations.

“An incredible insight into the work of a crime scene photographer told with sensitivity and compassion, but also with the forensic acuity of an experienced professional. The autobiographical style used to tell stories of crime scenes and crimes is compelling and incredibly readable. It becomes clear the crucial role that crime scene photography plays in not only documenting the evidence, but in aiding the solving of crimes. A must read for anyone interested in the darker side of human criminality and the work of forensic investigators.” — Professor Jane Monckton- Smith, author of In Control: Dangerous Relationships and How They End in Murder

“THE DARKROOM is an absolutely riveting read. It is a compelling book that works on so many levels. An authentic and sensitive account of the impact and aftermath of crime that will appeal to true crime readers and crime fiction authors, it also has wide appeal as a human story that charts A.J. Hewitt’s touching journey as the outsider turned insider and her struggle to prevent herself being changed by her experiences as a Police Forensic Photographer for New Scotland Yard. A unique book that offers a unique perspective. Highly recommended.” — Adam Hamdy, screenwriter and bestselling author of The Other Side of Night

“Passionate and empathetic, Hewitt speeds across London from one site of murder and mayhem to the next, always another crime scene coming, always more brutalized dead to bring to light and into focus. The great city grinds on, never seeing or knowing of these, her haunted stories selected from decades of skilled photographic investigative work for Scotland Yard.” — Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell, authors of Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner, a New York Times bestseller

A.J. Hewitt is a professionally trained photographer who spent almost a decade as a forensic photographer with New Scotland Yard. Hewitt studied photography and design at art college and subsequently graduated (with distinction) with a Bachelor of Arts (double major) degree. Insatiably curious and a lifelong learner, she is in the final stage of completing a psychology degree. She is a voracious reader, an open water scuba diver and has travelled widely, with her cameras, on four continents. She’s a storyteller at heart, whether through her camera lens or with a pencil and paper.