Daughter of the Burning City

The Gomorrah Festival is a sprawling, traveling city of performers who cater to needs both innocent and not so innocent. Sixteen-year-old narrator Sorina, the festival owner’s adopted daughter, is an illusion worker who uses her ability to create Gomorrah’s freak show performers. She’s also a “freak” herself: she has no eyes, only smooth skin where they would be, yet she can see thanks to her talent. Sorina’s creations serve as the family she never had, among them acrobat party-girl Venera and the two-headed Unu and Du. When Gill, the “Trout Man,” is killed, Sorina is shocked: her illusions aren’t real, right? To figure out what has happened and who is responsible, Sorina enlists the help of gossip-worker Luca, her guide to Gomorrah’s sinister Downhill neighborhood. Debut author Foody’s colorful setting is vast—filled with magic, political intrigue, and the potential to grow—yet Sorina’s romantic interest in Luca is a head-scratcher, given his lack of warmth and frequent put-downs aimed at her. A few big twists clear up most of the early inconsistencies that arise, but the too-neat finale may not satisfy all readers. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (July)