An ALA Rainbow List Selection

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Sam doesn’t know where he’d be without James and Delia. Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, he needs their friendship -- and their time together on their school's magic club -- to see him through to graduation.

But as soon as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James, who may or may not have a crush on a girl from his church. Delia wants to get into a hyper-competitive magic college, which makes casting spells with her friends look increasingly like a waste of time. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs.

Never mind the cute new guy who wants to join their club—Sam hardly has time left to think about him.

With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the very love of magic that brought his group together is now tearing them apart—and there are some problems that no amount of magic can fix.

Praise for The Fascinators:

“The Fascinators is a potent brew of magic, romance, betrayal, and the transformative power of friendship—bewitching!” — Elana K. Arnold, Printz Honor-winning author of Damsel

"The Fascinators is a fascinating exploration of the places where magic intersects with love and friendship, bringing some together while pulling others apart. You won't be able to stop turning the pages of this book once its powerful spell takes hold."  — Christopher Barzak, author of Wonders of the Invisible World

“Andrew Eliopulos is, by day, a senior editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and it shows in the economy of his prose, the efficiency of his pacing and the effortlessness of his characters. But his new book, which is also his first YA novel, isn’t on this list for any of those reasons. It’s on here because I can’t think of another YA book like it, and I read hundreds of YA books every year.” — BookPage, “Most Anticipated YA Books of the Summer”

“A must-read for magic lovers.” — CNN Underscored

"Part paranormal thriller, part introspective character study, this title challenges readers to accept themselves, build empathy, and stand strong in the power of personal beliefs. An #OwnVoices title for fans of Becky Albertalli." — School Library Journal

"Eliopulos, making his YA debut, crafts a world in which magic is part of everyday life, but the narrative follows a more realistic journey as his main characters navigate friendship, first loves, and heartbreaks, all in witty banter... Eliopulos excels with interpersonal relationships, building out the complexities of childhood friends on the precipice of adulthood." — Publishers Weekly

"A magical exploration of queer and religious themes." — Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of what might be called magic-magical realism will find this a compelling read." — Booklist