Cuckoo Song — Frances Hardinge

“Full of rich language that is reminiscent of an old fairy tale. . . . [a] spine-chilling, creative work [and] a well-wrought fantasy.” -- School Library Journal (starred review)
 
Following a mysterious incident that leaves her feverish and sopping wet, Triss awakens to a world that's eerily off-kilter. Her memories are muddled, her sister despises her, and when she brushes her hair, out come crumbled fragments of leaves. Is she going mad? Or has she endured a nightmarish chain of events? Is this related to the illnesses she's had since her brother died in the Great War? And why is she so hungry? In her search for the truth, Triss ventures from the shelter of her parents' protective wings into the city's underbelly. There she encounters strange creatures whose grand schemes could forever alter the fates of her family, in an unnerving tale of one girl's struggle to confront her darkest fears.
 
“Few authors can evoke a twinned sense of terror and wonder better . . . Vivid, frightening, and inventive, with narrative twists and turns. . . . A piercing, chilling page-turner.” -- Booklist (starred review)
 
“Nuanced and intense.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“Quiet but elegant prose moves the story seamlessly from an effectively creepy horror tale to a powerful, emotionally resonant story of regret and forgiveness.” -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
 
“Gorgeously written and disconcerting . . . Hardinge delves deeply into the darker side of family life.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Cuckoo Song transcends its teen-reader designation. The psychological and historical nuances . . . will mesmerize older readers as well.” -- BookPage