Wicked like a Wildfire

Readers will be immediately impressed by the lush and vivid writing in this debut novel from literary agent Popovic, which is set in Montenegro. Seventeen-year-old Iris and her twin sister, Malina, were both born with a supernatural “gleam.” Malina can use music to sway others’ emotions, and Iris can transform flowers into mesmerizing fractals: “Petal nested within petal, each level of the pattern cradling tiny versions of itself, stamen and pistil and vein and leaf swirling in concentric patterns like a nautilus shell.” Their mother, who also has the gleam, long ago forbade them from using their abilities, but the sisters are forced to embrace their magical heritage after someone attempts to murder their mother, her body somehow trapped between life and death. Popovic’s story charts a somewhat familiar course as the twins discover the true extent of their powers and some alluring boys enter the picture, but most readers will be captivated by her entrancing writing, evocative setting, and distinctive supernatural worldbuilding, and will eagerly await the second book in this planned duology. Ages 14–up. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Waxman Leavell Literary. (Aug.)