Glimpsed

Filled with tongue-in-cheek humor, Miller’s perspective-switched take on the classic “Cinderella” dynamic augments its laughs with themes of love and personal growth. Eighteen-year-old Charity isn’t simply a popular student at Jack London High School and a member of the Poms squad: she’s a fairy godmother, charged by fate with granting the deepest inner wishes of her Cindies. It’s not easy—after “glimpsing” a case, Charity involves herself with the Cindy until their work is finished, and then fades into the background, which is the way she likes it. Navigating school, wish work, and the insufficient attentions of her neglectful parents, plus missing Hope, her sister in Thailand, fills Charity’s time—until Noah, a classmate and collateral damage from a past Cindy’s wish, blackmails her for help. As the struggle between them progresses, however, Noah’s concerns about her work begin to make sense, forcing Charity to question her convictions and the glimpses’ provenance. Miller’s lighthearted contemporary debut interrogates the age-old “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” conundrum. Vibrant characters will appeal, immersing readers in a gently fantastical world brimming with teen shenanigans. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary.[em] (Jan.) [/em]