UNWRITTEN

A 16-year-old embraces the very real magic of books in this YA fantasy novel.

Beatrix Alba lost her mother years ago, her father, Martin, neglects her, and her White peers mock her Hispanic heritage. She also has a hidden, magical heritage that she doesn’t fully understand. Then, one day, she gets a visit from a visitor from Zweeshen, a mystical realm in which literary characters are real and words hold unimaginable power. In Zweeshen, Beatrix is a powerful magic user and an Unwritten, defined as a character whose destiny is yet unpenned. She’s said to be separated from the story in which she belongs—her “biblioworld” called Eisid Naraid—and because of this, her life force depletes with every ounce of magic she uses. After the mysterious visitor, known as the Librarian, offers to return her to her biblioworld and reunite her with her deceased mother, she becomes enmeshed in a plot to combat a murderous Charmancer who feeds on the burning of books. She eventually finds strength in herself and newfound friends and uncovers the key to victory against her adversary, but the choices she makes may cost her everything. Novo’s well-crafted story will delight and engage readers. As a whimsical fantasy featuring riddles, dragons, and even pastries flavored with memories, the work can be enjoyed simply as an allegorical coming-of-age tale. However, readers will also recognize its serious exploration of intolerance, including ethnic discrimination and rejection of nonconformity. That said, this is often a lighthearted tale, and Novo plays with literary conventions in offbeat ways with elements such as genre guilds, which promote social order among characters, and living Prologs who answer nearly any question that a character may ask. Some readers may feel teased by the cliffhanger ending, but they’ll look forward to future installments in this planned series.

A satisfying and socially relevant story about acceptance and sacrifice.