cover image Blood Circus

Blood Circus

Camila Victoire. Blackstone, $19.99 (350p) ISBN 979-8-2008-1608-8

Debut author Victoire tackles themes of environmentalism and prejudice via a bone-chilling plot in this dystopian fantasy. Sixteen-year-old adopted Ava Sparrow lives inside the fenced area of Red River, a settlement in a future Canada, with other human survivors following an ecological and near-societal collapse almost a millennium prior. Though she’s safe from terrifying humanoid beasts known as Klujns, she struggles to evade bullies and prepare for the hostile winter approaching. Having grown up fearing the Klujns, whom her people hunt for their crystal claws and protein-rich meat, she’s especially frightened when she’s captured by a group of Klujn alongside 13 other teen girls and forced to fight to the death in a macabre ritual known as the Blood Race. While captive, the girls realize that the beasts seem more human than their respective settlements have led them to believe. Weighty plot points involving murder and governmental corruption are touched on only lightly, but vividly wrought imagery, steady pacing, edge-of-the-seat action, and a gutsy cast accompany a harrowing, Hunger Games–level atmosphere, making for a thrilling adventure. Ava reads as white; supporting characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 12–17. Agent: Mollie Glick and Abby Walters, CAA. (Jan.)