This month's choice for the Young Adult Book Club is the winner of the Southern Book Prize in the Young Adult category, Flame in the Mist by Renee Adieh. We're very excited about this book, which has been called a mix between Mulan and Throne of Glass. Even better is that Renee Adieh is a North Carolina author! She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and dog.

Here's the official summary:
The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and track down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she's within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she's appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she's ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

Now, if that's not enough to pique your interest, scroll down to see book reviews and interviews with the author! Readers who love historical fantasy will enjoy this series. We recommend this book for ages 13+. 

The YA book club meets at the bookstore on the last Sunday of the month, July 29th, at 6:30pm. We will have drinks and snacks to share with everyone. Even if you didn't finish the book or didn't like it, we'd love to see you at book club and hear your opinions. You can get your copy from the bookstore today for $10.99 but you'll always get a 15% discount on book club titles. You can also RSVP to the Facebook event here.

You can also get the book in other formats from us online:
Digital Audiobook
Hardcover
eBook
Audiobook CD

TOR.com Review--"I'll Make A Man Out Of You: Flame in the Mist by Renee Adieh"

Bookables Video Review--"Flame in the Mist by Renee Adieh"

Krikus Reviews--"Flame in the Mist by Renee Adieh"

Publisher's Weekly Interview--"Q & A with Renee Adieh"

Book, Inc. Interview--"Author Interview with Renee Adieh!"

We like to include the Common Sense Media report for those of you that may not be familiar with the book and would like to know a little more about if before your kid comes to book club. You can view the report here but we've included the most important information for you below. You can also click any of the following images to get to the original webpage. 

Recommended Age Range

​What's In The Book?

See y'all soon!

We are incredibly excited for this month's YA book club meeting. We're reading Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi--a book that our entire staff has already read and loved. A brilliant and lushly descriptive fantasy, Adeyemi brings the #BlackGirlMagic to the page with her powerful narrative about a people seeking to break free from the tyranny of a king who hates their very existence. 

Here's the summary that the publisher provided: 

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

But, wait! There's also a book trailer! Watch this and then try to tell us you're not excited--

A Kid's Indie Next Pick with five starred reviews from major review outlets, this book is an absolute hit. Plus, it's already been optioned for a film so we can expect to see Zélie and crew on the big screen sometime soon!

Readers who love Black Panther and the Rick Riordan books will love this African mythology inspired adventure fantasy with strong characters. We recommend this book for readers age 15+. 

The YA book club meets at the bookstore on the last Sunday of the month, June 24th, at 6:30pm. We will have drinks and snacks to share with everyone. Even if you didn't finish the book or didn't like it, we'd love to see you at book club and hear your opinions. You can get your copy from the bookstore today for $18.99 but you'll always get a 15% discount on book club titles. We also have one book that we can give to someone in the community who would like to join in this month's reading but is unable to make the purchase themselves for financial reasons. This is first come, first serve but if you or someone you know would like to join us but wouldn't be able to otherwise, please email Mary at: owner@foggypinebooks.com. A huge thank you to the very generous Foggy Pine customer who made this possible.

You can also get the book in other formats from us online:
Digital Audiobook
Hardcover
eBook
Audiobook CD

NPR Review--'Children Of Blood And Bone' Is A Feast For Hungry Readers

The Atlantic Review--Where Fantasy Meets Black Lives Matter

The Guardian Interview--Tomi Adeyemi: ‘We need a black girl fantasy book every month’

Good Morning America Interview--Tomi Adeyemi opens up about her blockbuster book series​

We like to include the Common Sense Media report for those of you that may not be familiar with the book and would like to know a little more about if before your kid comes to book club. You can view the report here but we've included the most important information for you below. 

Recommended Age Range

What's In The Book?

See y'all soon!