From the author of Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf comes another searing, affecting novel that follows one girl caught between two toxic worlds, perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow and Nina LaCour.
THE FALLING GIRLS
by Hayley Krischer
Razorbill, October 2021
Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming. Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes. Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes—the insufferable trio that rules the squad—including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming. Jadis won’t give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis—and if her friend is responsible, doesn’t that mean she is, too?
In this compelling, nuanced exploration of the layered, intoxicating relationships between teen girls, and all the darkness and light that exists between them, novelist Hayley Krischer weaves a story of loss and betrayal, and the deep reverberations felt at a friendship’s breaking point.
Hayley Krischer is a writer and journalist. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times, where she covers women, teenage girls, celebrities, and cultural trends. Her work has also appeared in Marie Claire,The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and more. Hayley is also the author of Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf. She lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, with her husband, two kids, one dog, and three cats.
Josslyn Drake, former First Daughter of Ironport, doesn’t know much about magic. She only knows that it’s dangerous, rare, and completely illegal. So when she’s infected by a mysterious piece of magic confiscated from Lord Banyon, one of the most infamous criminals alive, Joss’s life turns upside down. She begins to have visions, not of the future, but of the past—Banyon’s past. All Joss wants is for things to go back to normal, but the cost for doing magic is death, and there’s nobody she can trust to help her. So when wanted criminal and blackheart Jericho Nox offers her a deal, a way to extract the magic and give it to him instead, she’s forced to accept.
Taken in the night and delivered to the flying city of Highgate when he was a small child, Milo Quick has never known another home. Now almost thirteen, Milo survives one daredevil grift at a time, relying only on his wits, speed, and an unfailingly loyal band of friends. War is coming to Highgate. As a massive armada surrounds the city, a small ship, the Halcyon, slips through the blockade. Led by a charismatic captain, the unconventional crew of the Halcyon has come to collect Milo for a bounty. But they too are being watched. As threats begin to close in on Milo, the truth will soon be revealed that he is not the true prize they seek, and that the stakes go far beyond the borders of the city, and time, as he knows it. In his debut novel for young readers, Jason Sheehan cleverly weaves together multiple points of view, creating a richly imagined world filled with danger, heart-racing adventure, and no shortage of wit.
