Publisher Description

Fifteen-year-old Laurel Goodwin wakes up to find her older sister Ivy missing from their Airstream trailer in the Oregon redwoods. A recurring nightmare convinces her that Ivy was abducted, but no one takes her dream seriously, including her mom. Laurel, a loner, has to learn to ask for help, and Jasper Blake, a mysterious new kid who shares her love of old books, quickly becomes her ally. Together they find their quiet town holds a deep secret and is the epicenter of a dark prophecy. Laurel soon learns that her worst enemies, mean girls Peyton Andersen and Mei Rosen, are developing powers that she needs to find and save Ivy. With time running out, Laurel realizes that power doesn't always take the form that you expect. And once she learns to look beyond her snap judgments, she develops an unexpected gift of her own.

Author Biography

Helena Echlin, a native of the UK, is the author of the novel Gone (Random House UK, 2002) and for five years wrote "Table Manners," an etiquette advice column for CHOW, the online food and drink magazine. She has also written on topics from belly-button reshaping to cardio strip tease for publications such as the Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Telegraph in the UK, and Yoga Journal and The San Francisco Chronicle in the US. She lives in Berkeley, California and teaches fiction-writing online for Stanford.

Review

"A rush of missing sisters, supernatural powers, breathless crushes, ancient prophecies, and deadly secrets revealed at glamorous parties... spooky and fun!" --Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events "Suspenseful, atmospheric, and romantic--Sparked transported me." --Lauren Kate, author of the New York Times-bestselling Fallen series "Supernatural teens in literature are old hat, but Echlin and Watrous inject their novel with zeal and ingenuity. Characters, for one, are expertly drawn. The narrative playfully reveals supertalents one at a time while the greatest mystery is who the demon-esque Druj will inhabit... A fresh, enthusiastic, and wholly satisfying take on a familiar subgenre." --Kirkus Reviews "Sparked is a masterful mélange of action, the supernatural, and teen romance. Every character is unique and every twist is unexpected. The story, told with wit and candor, just kept accelerating until its rip-roaring ending. I tore through this book." --Katie Crouch, author of New York Times bestseller Girls in Trucks and The Magnolia League series "Sparked is that rare thing--a gripping mystery with psychological depth. It's a hauntingly accurate portrayal of the complex relationships between sisters and the lengths that the younger will go to save her older sister. I was riveted from the beginning and hooked to the satisfying end." --Erica Lorraine Scheidt, author of Uses for Boys "Sparked proves its worth from page one. It's a supernatural thriller that reads with an easy, almost effortless, flow. Really, really impressive." --Mike Rich, author of Skavenger's Hunt, screenwriter of The Rookie, Radio, and Finding Forrester

Review Quote

"A rush of missing sisters, supernatural powers, breathless crushes, ancient prophecies, and deadly secrets revealed at glamorous parties... spooky and fun!" --Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events "Suspenseful, atmospheric, and romantic-- Sparked transported me." --Lauren Kate, author of the New York Times -bestselling Fallen series "Supernatural teens in literature are old hat, but Echlin and Watrous inject their novel with zeal and ingenuity. Characters, for one, are expertly drawn. The narrative playfully reveals supertalents one at a time while the greatest mystery is who the demon-esque Druj will inhabit... A fresh, enthusiastic, and wholly satisfying take on a familiar subgenre." -- Kirkus Reviews " Sparked is a masterful mlange of action, the supernatural, and teen romance. Every character is unique and every twist is unexpected. The story, told with wit and candor, just kept accelerating until its rip-roaring ending. I tore through this book." --Katie Crouch, author of New York Times bestseller Girls in Trucks and The Magnolia League series " Sparked is that rare thing--a gripping mystery with psychological depth. It's a hauntingly accurate portrayal of the complex relationships between sisters and the lengths that the younger will go to save her older sister. I was riveted from the beginning and hooked to the satisfying end." --Erica Lorraine Scheidt, author of Uses for Boys " Sparked proves its worth from page one. It's a supernatural thriller that reads with an easy, almost effortless, flow. Really, really impressive." --Mike Rich, author of Skavenger's Hunt , screenwriter of The Rookie , Radio , and Finding Forrester

Description for Sales People

1) OFFICIAL SELECTION OF THE GEEK & SUNDRY FANTASY CONTEST: The first place winner of the fantasy contest, and selected for the collection.2) GEEK & SUNDRY, SUBSIDIARY OF LEGENDARY ENTERTAINMENT, is one of the largest and most revered sci-fi/fantasy website and community online (with millions of visitors per month).3) AUTHORS ARE LAUNCHING A TWICE-MONTHLY COLUMN FOR GEEK & SUNDRY: A behind-the-scenes 'story of the story' where they'll talk about the publishing process, creative angst, collaboration and similar topics.4) AUTHORS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY BIG HOUSES: With past novels from Random House UK and Harper Perennial, both authors will use their pre-existing platforms to garner book attention.

Details