Like a Charm
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
After the death of her grandfather, nuerodivergent tween Ramya uncovers a world of mystery and magic—and she’s the only one who can see it! From the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark.
“Ramya, you have something this city needs. And it’s something that’s going to change everything.”
Ramya Knox is used to feeling cursed. People only notice her long enough to call her a troublemaker. Except Grandpa. He sees Ramya and her neurodiversity as enchanting. But when Grandpa dies, Ramya's world loses its charm...until she discovers he left behind one big secret: that magic is real and Ramya can see it.
Trolls, vampires, kelpies, and more fantastical beings hide in the shadows for Ramya to discover. But the Hidden Folk need protection from the most dangerous creatures of all: the sirens. These beautiful monsters use their voices to get whatever they want, and lately they want power. And anyone who resists, anyone who is different, simply...disappears.
It's up to Ramya to finish her grandpa's work and expose the sirens for the villains they are--before their voices frown out the human and Hidden worlds forever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this eloquently written duology opener by McNicoll (Show Us Who You Are), a 12-year-old with Scottish and British ancestry is seemingly the only one capable of seeing magical creatures that live among humans. Following an emotional blowout between then-five-year-old Ramya Knox's parents and her maternal grandfather, Ramya is forbidden from seeing him. Seven years later, Ramya—who is resentful toward those who view her as "useless" because of her dyspraxia—is stunned to receive a blank book upon her grandfather's death, inscribed with an ominous warning: "Beware the sirens." Ramya soon discovers that her native Edinburgh is home to vampires, trolls, kelpies, and fae. What's more, Ramya learns that she has a rare ability to see through their protective Glamour. Now she must take on the mantle her grandfather left behind: recording the truths about the Hidden Folk. But as she delves further into the enchanted world existing parallel to her own, family secrets emerge and nefarious beings stalk her. By spinning a dark and delightful Edinburgh setting elevated by innovative twists on Scottish mythology, McNicoll paints a vivacious portrait of one neurodivergent tween's experience navigating the world. Ramya's frustrations and vulnerability make for a resilient character who refuses to be defined by her challenges. Ages 8–12.
