Bright Ruined Things

Employing a fittingly whirlwind pace, Cohoe (A Golden Fury) retells The Tempest with glints of The Great Gatsby. Eighteen-year-old Mae has lived all her life in the private island mansion of the magician Lord Prosper, who has bound spirits with “shimmering, translucent bodies” to serve his glamorous family. Though she’s found friendship with two of Lord Prosper’s grandchildren—devil-may-care Coco and crush-worthy, brooding Miles—Mae’s presence (her late father was the mansion’s steward) is otherwise barely tolerated; she’s referred to as “Mousy Mae.” When the family (human characters read as white) gathers for First Night, the yearly commemoration of Lord Prosper’s harnessing the island’s magic, Mae’s dreams of the perfect evening turn into a maelstrom of betrayals and horrors, leaving her torn between the magic she’s always coveted and the realization of its cost. Epiphanies come fast and furious—the main action unfolds in 24 hours via Mae’s melodramatic, self-serious narration—in a novel whose sumptuous setting alongside the careless, magical rich proffers undeniable pleasures. Ages 13–up. Agent: Bridget Smith, Jabberwocky Literary. (Feb.)