Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2016
336 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
"Devil-at-the-crossroads" folklore finds its way to YA via this moody, magical tale...
Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town crossroads, it's her runaway sister's soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blue's voice - inherited from her musically gifted mother - in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.
Armed with her mother's guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical boots, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself up to finding family in unexpected places.
In Devil and the Bluebird, Jennifer Mason-Black delivers a captivating depiction of loss and hope.
"Starred Review. a subtle, delicate tale reminiscent of the work of Charles de Lint, a magical realist journey of self-discovery and hidden depths, with fascinating characters and a captivating narrative." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. A magical-realist adventure laced with folk guitar and outcast drifters unpacks the bonds of family - those we are born into and those we choose." - Kirkus
"Teens will enjoy this work for its colorful and memorable cast of transient characters. Fans of Andrea Seigel and Brent Bradshaw's Everybody Knows Your Name and David Arnold's Mosquitoland will enjoy this debut." - School Library Journal
This information about Devil and the Bluebird was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jennifer Mason-Black has published short stories in The Sun, Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, and Daily Science Fiction, among other publications. Devil and the Bluebird is her debut novel. She lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at jennifermasonblack.com.
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