Cover art by Jason Holley.
Available now from Dutton Young Readers (Penguin) (October 2, 2012)
One of BOOKLIST's 2012 Top Ten First Novels for Youth.
A 2014-2015 Spirit of Texas Reading Program selection
2013 Writer's League of Texas Book Awards Finalist
BOOKLIST (starred review): "Catmull's stunning debut unleashes a fierce imagination to build a wholly original world, rich with the familiar shimmer of folklore and drawn with the elegance of a Russian ballet. . . . As a piece of fantasy, this atmospheric adventure thrills with complex storytelling, carefully threaded with bits of foreshadowing and overflowing with poignant imagery."
KIRKUS (starred review): "A haunting fable inflected with mythological and fairy-tale motifs. . . meticulous, symbol-rich narrative with a light, storyteller's voice . . languorously beautiful."
INDIEBOUND Fall 2012 New Voices Pick: "Lyric in its language and layered in its complexity, this is a book like no other. . . . as much about the complexities of family relationships as it is about quests, magic, growing up, and the worlds that exist just beyond our own."
AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN: "A sweeping tale that blends myth with the small, messy truths of family and relationships. . . . A winner for both young readers and adults. . . . Surprises abound in this wholly original story of loss and discovery. It is magic with substance, and utterly delightful."
BOOKRIOT: Baby Got Backlist: The Best Books That Didn’t Come Out In 2013: "The mythology is gorgeous. The writing is understated and lovely. The feelings are big and real and messy. That this book is categorized for young readers is a shame because it’s as complex as good YA and as well-written as good literary fiction [but] its categorization . . . might keep teens and adults from taking note and picking it up. Which you should do, right now."
BOOKRIOT: What Next?: Three Books to Read After THE BOOK THIEF
AMAZON EDITORS' PICK for Fall 2012 Reading, Middle-Grade.
One of the THE ATLANTIC WIRE'S "Cross-Under Reads" -- a "fall preview of teen-and-younger books [adults] won't want to miss."
Second on the THE ATLANTIC WIRE'S 25 of the Most Wonderful Book Covers of the Year.
DC Spotlight, Books to Know Top 10 List October 2012: "Dark, lyrical debut novel . . . that YA category with a secret (or not so secret) adult audience."
Amazon Book of the Month, October 2012
iTunes Book of the Month, October 2012
Order Summer and Bird from
BookPeople (Austin, TX)
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