by Traci Chee
First published 2016
Sefia's father dies violently, murdered by unknown enemies. She escapes to the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who trains her to hunt and steal what she needs to survive. Then kidnappers take Nin away, and Sefia finds herself completely alone. Her survival skills cannot tell her where her aunt has gone or whether she still lives. Her father left behind one clue: a strange rectangular object unlike anything in their world. Sefia realizes this object is a book, though no one in her society knows how to read. She learns to decode the mysterious marks on its pages. The book reveals secrets about her father's death and her aunt's disappearance. A stranger with hidden motives offers to help her, but Sefia cannot trust his intentions. She must rescue Nin and discover who killed her father. The book holds the answers, but using it puts her in greater danger.
Genres: adventure, mystery, fantasy, young-adult
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Wilderness
Period: Present Day
442 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young
Content warnings: violence