The Rift

August 1, 2019
Black Water Island is a place of savage beauty and immense power. It is home to the Rift. Nine years ago, a Rift Hound attack left Meg Archer and Cal West scarred emotionally and physically. It also endowed Cal with chilling preternatural abilities and gave Meg an overwhelming sense of guilt that still haunts her. Now almost 18, Meg is returning to the island, hoping to claim her place as a ranger, one of the island's guardians. Orphaned 17-year-old Cal was raised by the ruthless head ranger--Meg's estranged father. The Rift--vaguely defined as a "dimensional peculiarity"--is about to open, allowing the deadly Hounds to enter the world. The teens must face these otherworldly threats, as well as dangers closer to home, and their growing attraction to each other. Meg and Cal share the third-person present narration, and the universal adolescent struggle to fit in dominates their thoughts. Cal, the son of a fisherman, has always felt like an outsider, and Meg is desperate to take her place as ranger. Humor punctuates the overall serious tone. Fantasy and reality are deftly interwoven, making suspension of disbelief possible. The action unfolds swiftly; events of the past are revealed at a subtle pace. Assume whiteness throughout with the exception of two peripheral characters of color. A delicious blend of survival, fantasy, and romance. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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