Sleight

A Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Kids & Teens, Fall 2018

An Ontario Library Association Best Bets Honorable Mention Book for Young Adults, 2019
 
A Vivid Tale of Ancient Lore, Dangerous Magic, and Complicated Love Set against the Backdrop of Circus Life

Growing up in the Cinzio Traveling Players circus, Genevieve Flannery is accustomed to a life most teenagers could never imagine: daily workouts of extravagant acrobatics; an extended family of clowns; wild animals for pets; and her mother Delia, whose mind has always been tortured by visions—but whose love for Geni is unwavering. In a world of performers who mystify and amaze on a daily basis, even Delia’s ghostly visions never seemed all that strange . . . until the evening Geni and her mother are performing an aerial routine they’ve done hundreds of times before, and Delia falls to her death.

That night, everything changes.

Already reeling from the tragedy, the Cinzio Traveling Players have even more to adjust to when the circus falls under new ownership. Though the new benefactor seems incredibly generous, Geni suspects his motives are much darker. And when the owner’s son, Henry, starts taking an interest in her, is it actual attraction, or an attempt to get her to lower her guard so his father can secure what he's really after?

Suddenly swept with the terrifying visions that plagued her mother, Geni’s no longer sure who she should trust or love. And, worst of all, she’s starting to question whether she can trust her own mind.

Sommersby blends teenage drama, sizzling romance, ancient lore, and dangerous magic, against the bewitching backdrop of the circus in this atmospheric, lushly-written tale.

Jennifer Sommersby is, among other things, a collector of elephants, a Shakespeare freak, a wearer of tattoos, and a copy and line editor. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family.

“Jennifer Sommersby’s Sleight makes magic from an enthralling premise, wonderfully-drawn characters, and beautiful words. It’s hard to avoid descriptors like entrancing, spell-binding and mystical.” —Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series

“Fantasy readers will fall in love with Sleight. Like a circus, it’s an intoxicating mix of beauty, humor, magic, and danger that means the reader can’t bear to look away until the final page.” —Eileen Cook, author of With Malice

“Startlingly imaginative and vividly realized.” —Ira Bloom, author of Hearts & Other Body Parts

“Genevieve’s grief is profound . . . necessary fuel for the scary, magical quest that she must undertake.” —The Globe and Mail

“Exciting and engaging . . . readers will definitely look forward to the next volume.” —Resource Links

“This absolutely thrilling novel has everything a good book needs, with lots of mystery, adventure, magic and evil, and even a twinge of romance.” —Canadian Children’s Book News

“An exceptional story. . . . Highly recommended!” —Metroland