Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston (English) Hardcover Book

Description: Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston Eighteen-year-old Ava Perry leaves the safety of her foster care home and joins a troupe of vampire-hunting magicians, believing that she finally has her chance to discover the truth behind her mothers death. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description "The perfect sinisterly magical escape...full of longing, desperation, and betrayal." --Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval trilogy and Once Upon a Broken Heart Caraval meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this "beguiling" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) young adult fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a magical secret society to enter a potentially deadly competition for the chance to avenge her mothers death. Ever since a vampire murdered her mother, Ava has been determined to get revenge. This all-encompassing drive has given her the fuel she needed to survive foster home after foster home. But its been ten years since anyones seen a vampire, and Ava has lost hope that shell ever find one...until she stumbles across a hidden magic show where she witnesses impossible illusions. The magicians may not be the bloodsuckers shes hunting, but Ava is convinced something supernatural is at play, so she sneaks backstage and catches them in acts they cant explain. But theyve been waiting for her. The magicians reveal theyre part of an ancient secret society with true magic, and Ava has the same power in her blood that they do. If she joins them, they promise to teach her the skills she needs to hunt vampires and avenge her mother. But theres a catch: if she wants to keep the power they offer, she needs to prove shes worthy of it. And to do so, she must put on the performance of her life in a sinister and dangerous competition where illusion and reality blur, and the stakes are deadly. Author Biography Margie Fuston grew up in the woods of California where she made up fantasy worlds that always involved unicorns. In college, she earned undergraduate degrees in business and literature and a masters in creative writing. Now shes back in the woods and spends all her time wrangling a herd of cats and helping her nephews hunt ghosts, pond monsters, and mermaids. Review "The perfect sinisterly magical escape. Cruel Illusions has everything I love in a paranormal: vampires, macabre magic, and a romance to die for, full of longing, desperation, and betrayal."--Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval trilogy and ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART Review Quote The perfect sinisterly magical escape. Cruel Illusions has everything I love in a paranormal: vampires, macabre magic, and a romance to die for, full of longing, desperation, and betrayal. Excerpt from Book Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 I always stop for lost-pet flyers. I cant stand the thought of animals out on the street when they have a home and a family waiting for them. This ones a cat, and even though the papers yellowed from the sun and the inks smeared from the rain, I memorize the gray stripes and the name: Suzy. Maybe Suzys already back home. Still, I dig a pen out of my backpack and write the number on my wrist, where Im less likely to wash it off. Ive found a missing pet only once, but I remember the way the little dog squirmed in my arms when we reached his door and the way his owners almost cried and then hugged me like you would a long-lost relative--they gave me twenty bucks, too. Sometimes I wish I could post a flyer and have a kind stranger show up at my door and give me back everything Ive ever lost. But most lost things never come back. My hand drifts to the four quarters I always keep in my pocket. I pull them out and fan them between my fingers, blinking them away almost as quick. I give a bow to a watching squirrel. It turns and runs into the street, dodging a car just to escape my performance. I smile. Magic reminds me of Mom and Dad. The good memories. The bad one creeps in too. It never leaves, and this time of year, its all I can think about. Shoving my quarters out of sight, I speed the hundred yards down the sidewalk. I take the stairs to my foster house two at a time and fumble with the lock on the red door while the Rolling Stones "Paint It Black" runs through my head. The hardwood floor creaks as I enter. No matter where I go, this house speaks to me with every step. Even when Im not moving, when I lie in bed staring at the notches in the wooden beam dividing the ceiling, it groans and whispers as it stretches its worn joints. It has too many stories to tell to stay silent. I love to listen to them, especially at night when everyone else is asleep. Ive been in new houses, all white and beige and clean. The silence of them eats me alive. At least this house has one thing going for it. "Dinner," I yell up the stairs. I head straight for the kitchen and pull out a bowl of leftover spaghetti from the refrigerator and plop it in the microwave. I tap my fingers on the tiled countertop as I wait. It beeps, and I set three plates out, spooning spaghetti onto them in heaps. Im still alone in the kitchen. "Guys," I yell again. Parker and Jacob stomp down the stairs, drowning out any of the subtle creaks and groans with their chatter. They take the two seats next to each other. Figures. I end up alone on the other side, watching them. Parker and Ava Perry. We share a last name. It should be me and him, with everyone else on the outside. Jacobs the bio-kid of the house. He doesnt need Parker the way I do. But I keep my feelings off my face these days. When we first got here, Parker and Jacob bonded instantly over video games and Star Wars and zombies. They acted like theyd been friends forever. Or brothers. But I noticed Parker cutting his laughs short when I was in the room and looking at me like I was a fragile thing his laughter might hurt. It did. It does. But I want this for him. Im glad he loves it here. I pull out two quarters. "Do you want to see a trick?" Mom did card tricks every night at the dinner table. Id cheer, and Parker would too, but he doesnt remember it. I wish I could give him those memories to hold on to, but this is the best I can do. Mom gave me these quarters when I was five to practice sleight of hand because my fingers were too small for playing cards, and Ive never used anything else. I tuck one quarter between my thumb and palm, hidden from my audience. The other quarter, I press into the back of my hand. "I can pass this coin through my skin." Parker rolls his eyes. "I already know how you do that one, Ava." "I dont," Jacob says. "Shes got two quarters." Parker blows the whole thing. I let my hidden quarter clank to the table. For a second, I keep the other one pressed into my hand. Sometimes I get the urge to push it straight through my skin, like it would just go--no trick, just real magic. I dig it in a little and nothing happens except for an angry red line when I give up. I used to try stuff like that a lot as a kid, especially after Mom died, when I needed a little magic that wasnt pretend. I dont know why I still do it. Shoving my quarters back in my pocket, I pick up my fork and press it into the table, gone soft with age, scratching in another gouge. Nobody will ever notice. This table looks like its been through a lot of families. But it feels like a small rebellion and it distracts me from Parker and Jacob on the other side, laughing about some prank their friend pulled at school yesterday. I deepen my gouge, then smooth my finger over the gash, suddenly wishing I could magic it away. But scars dont work like that. I drag my plate over the mark and grimace as Parker shovels lukewarm spaghetti into his mouth. He hangs his jaw open so the noodles drip down his chin and lets out a low death gurgle. Jacob snorts, spraying flecks of milk almost to my plate. Disgusting. I glare, but theyre too wrapped up in their zombie lovefest to notice. Jacob turns serious, widening his dark brown eyes. "Dude, I would totally put you down if you got bit." Parker nods. "Same." He swallows the spaghetti hes talking around. "No hesitation." "Im going to put you both down if you dont shut up and eat," I growl. They laugh in the high-pitched, cracking sound of twelve-year-old boys and start debating who the best zombie-fighting badass is. I twirl a bite of spaghetti on my fork and shove it into my mouth, chewing without tasting. For the hundredth time, I glance at the hideous clock above the refrigerator. The hour hand settles on the faded drawing of the rooster by the number seven. Deb is late. Shes almost never late. I actually like that about her. Shes not the worst foster-whatever. Im just supposed to get the boys dinner, and she makes sure it ends up in their mouths and not all over the floor like entrails. "Ava, can we be done?" Parker and Jacob stare at me with wide, innocent eyes, their plates still half full. Im sure they have a stash of cookies in their room. "I dont care." They bolt and leave me alone to clean up their mess. Figures. Pushing back my chair with a scrape, I start stacking the dishes, then dump them in the sink. I look at the clock again. Seven p.m. on a Friday night. Friday . I let myself smile a little. Parker and I watch The NeverEnding Story together every Friday night no matter where we are. Even if we dont have a DVD player, we tell the story to each other. I can recite that movie scene by scene--but thats not something I usually brag about. My steps lighten as I hurry from the kitchen and dart up the stairs, dusting the banister with my hand as I go. I pause outside the bedroom with the yellow hazard sign nailed to the door. Inside, the pop, pop, pop of an automatic rifle mingles with the bloodthirsty cries of young boys. I rap on the door and silence answers. Parker opens with raised eyebrows. He doesnt remember what night it is. I almost back away. Forget it. But I cant. Its tradition. "Its movie night." Realization crosses his face... but not excitement. I fidget, scraping at a hangnail with my thumb. Parker turns to Jacob, whos smiling as he sits on the lower level of their bunk, facing the TV across the room. I wish I could see whatever look Parker gives him. Or maybe I dont. The nothingness is already growing inside my chest, and Im a helpless princess in a floating kingdom, waiting for a little boy to save her and give her a name. Call my name, Parker. On second thought, maybe its better if I dont watch The NeverEnding Story one more time. Parker turns back to me. "I kinda forgot." We share a last name, and still he cant make me feel any less alone. I shrug. No big deal. I can sit alone in my room and swap stories with this house. "Why dont you play with us?" Jacobs smile widens, inviting me as well, but its too wide to be sincere. He brushes a lock of hair from his forehead and glances back at the screen of frozen men with assault rifles. Parkers smile matches Jacobs. They could be twins. My brothers hair is bitter chocolate. Mine is too, but only because I dye it. Its naturally an almost white blond, but I got tired of people thinking we werent related. My brother has my moms round face and soft features. You can see the resemblance in the photo he keeps of her--all three of us sitting outside our trailer, the forest tight around us, my brother squirming in her thin arms, and me with my too-big dark brown eyes that mirrored hers. Parker with his deep blue eyes that matched our dads. Our mom died two weeks later. Parker loves that photo, but I cant look at it without picturing the way I found her body. And its already so ingrained in my mind that I dont need the extra help. Besides, if I want to remember our parents, I just look at Parker. People say hes handsome. Details ISBN1665902108 Author Margie Fuston Publisher Margaret K. McElderry Books Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 1665902108 ISBN-13 9781665902106 Format Hardcover Publication Date 2022-11-01 Imprint Margaret K. McElderry Books Pages 512 DEWEY FIC Audience Teenage / Young adult Audience Age 14-17 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:138960541;

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