THE DANDELION RIOTS

An orphaned teenager who’s imbued with unimaginable power finds community and fights back.

Drinn Tryba has spent her life in isolation, moved yearly on her birthday among various carers, overseen by Aunt Melusine, the most powerful of the Aunts, who are “part seer and part witch.” They curse those they perceive as “rotten souls.” Other kids made it clear that Drinn was different, calling her “damned.” She was cursed at birth by Melusine with the seemingly innocuous ability to communicate with the earth. When she’s upset, dandelions sprout from Drinn’s neck, their leaves, stems, and yellow flowers growing behind her ears. But Drinn can do so much more—and when Melusine turns up on her 16th birthday, things turn violent. Drinn flees, guided by a pin cherry sapling through a portal. She finds herself in the eerie, crowded city of Oblison, where she meets a girl named Story and a boy called Bash. Drinn and Story are drawn into a slow-burn queer romance, but Drinn learns she’s part of a network of girls cursed by the witches and, to her horror, that there are tremendous negative consequences if she ever falls in love. The girls rally together in a terrific display of the power of kindness, unity, and love in all its variety. This narrative is a thrilling ride centering on girls’ and women’s agency. Drinn is cued white, and there’s diversity in skin tone in the cast.

A poignant tale of queer love, friendship, and sacrifice.