Magic or Madness

Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling with the discovery that the adults in their life have been untruthful, or when they feel caught between two conflicting family worldviews. It is an ideal choice for the child who feels like an outsider and needs to process the heavy realization that growing up often means making impossible choices about where their loyalties lie. Reason Cansino has been raised to believe magic is a dangerous lie, but when her mother suffers a mental breakdown, Reason is thrust into the care of the grandmother she was taught to fear. This dark urban fantasy explores the thin line between family legacy and personal agency. It handles themes of mental health, trust, and the price of power with a sophisticated, slightly edgy tone. Parents should choose this for 12 to 18 year olds who enjoy psychological tension and are ready to discuss how we define our own reality versus the one our parents create for us.