The Coven Tendency

Eighteen-year-old Vanity Adams lives in the Museum, a curated attraction meant to showcase the power of witches to the public. It also functions as her prison. Vanity will one day become the necromantic Spectacle, one of the adult performers who spend their time resurrecting the dead for paying customers. Until then, she and all the other witches are kept separate and sedated, and their magic is locked away, as witches who connect with each other often react violently, something that Museum curator Monroe Athalia refuses to risk. Soon, however, Vanity’s preoccupation with two other Museum inhabitants—witches Clover Rao and Ellis Kim—comes to a head, resulting in the death and subsequent resurrection of Ellis. Suddenly capable of accessing her magic and having gained mental clarity for what seems like the first time, Vanity becomes entangled with the duo, and her tenuous grip on her powers—and reality—grows increasingly unstable. Using surreal prose, Mikuta (Off with Their Heads) effectively captures Vanity’s often alien-feeling perception of reality and intense longing for connection. This is a stunningly original tale, and a mind-bending escapist read that’s not to be missed. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (Apr.)