Sibylline

Gr 10 Up–A coming-of-age fantasy that quickly unfolds into a magical and deadly mystery of life and death. Raven, Dorian, and Atticus are magic-users, enrolled in a special program at their preparatory school for people with magical talent. They’ve all applied to Sibylline, and the three of them meet and open their responses ­together. There are rumors that the school doesn’t ­accept nonlegacy students, but the ­Supreme Court of Magicians ruled there was nothing discriminatory in Sibylline’s ­policies. However, when none of them get in, they quickly implement a plan that will get them on campus, hopefully to gain chances to learn how to use their magic. What they don’t expect are the dangers. De la Cruz’s use of quotes at the beginning of every chapter keeps readers engaged and questioning what is coming up in the chapter based on the quote. They have the added benefit of introducing readers to a huge variety of authors, artists, and philosophers from across the ages. In addition to high-caliber lyrical writing and thought-provoking style, de la Cruz (“Blue Bloods”) also provides a vehicle for reflection. This book combines elements of magic, a dark sense of danger, and characters with ­powers who need to decide whether they could or should use them. There is a mature love scene toward the end. Atticus has brown skin; Dorian has “smooth milky-white skin,” blond hair, and green eyes; Raven has black hair and dark eyes.