Midnight at the Houdini

July 24, 2023
A teen must escape from a magical hotel or be trapped forever in this insightful mystery romance by Dawson (Camp Scare). Sixteen-year-old Anna, who lives in Las Vegas, is relieved when her older sister’s wedding, which she had been planning, goes off without a hitch. Upon Anna’s departure, however, a tornado sees her seeking shelter in one of her business-owning father’s first hotels, a magic-themed casino called the Houdini. Once she arrives, nothing is as it seems: it’s devoid of staff, and secret passages open and close. Anna is immediately enraptured by handsome, enigmatic teenage Max, who was raised in the Houdini with only his mother and ghostly guests for company, and who’s spent years dreaming about a girl who looks exactly like Anna. Once she’s in front of him, however, he must reconcile his dreams with reality, and help find her a way out of the hotel before it’s too late. Employing evocative prose teeming with literary and pop culture nods and myriad enchanted elements, Dawson presents a dreamlike adventure driven by a fierce and vulnerable protagonist struggling with issues of self-reliance and forgiveness. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stacia Decker, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary.

August 1, 2023
To escape the clutches of a magical hotel, a Las Vegas teen must uncover its mysterious origins--or be forced to reside there forever. Sixteen-year-old Anna Alonso just planned the perfect wedding for her older sister, Emily. But when the girls' dad surprises Emily and her new husband with a condo in Manhattan as a wedding present, organized Anna, always prepared, is devastated; she'd planned on having the new couple nearby. To make matters worse, a tornado watch is issued as Anna, her dad, and his two business associates leave the wedding in their limo. Battered by the increasingly dangerous weather, they reluctantly head to the Houdini, the nearest of the hotels they own. When a telephone pole falls on the limo, trapping her dad and friends inside, Anna seeks help in the Houdini, but it's strangely deserted and the doors are locked, so she can't get out. Heading deeper into the hotel, she meets a resident boy named Max who offers to help--but can she trust him? Readers familiar with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Tempest will notice the influences from both works, and fans of contemporary fantasy will be drawn into the magical world explored in this story that is full of twists and turns. Lush details, from descriptions of food and drink to the hotel's furnishings, will engross readers: While Anna is trying to leave the Houdini, readers might not want to. Most characters are cued white. Surreal and mysterious; a wild ride. (Fantasy. 12-17)

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December 22, 2023

Gr 6 Up-In Las Vegas, 16-year-old Anna planned the perfect wedding for her sister, and it has just gone off without a hitch. She's riding home in her affluent hotelier father's limo when a tornado warning sends them searching for their nearest hotel property, but disaster strikes first. Anna climbs out of the wrecked limo and, fleeing from the storm, stumbles into the one hotel they wanted to avoid: the Houdini. Inside, she finds a mysteriously empty, old-timey lobby, and the deeper she goes looking for help, the stranger things get. Now trapped in the Houdini, she has until midnight to escape or remain there forever, along with the many other trapped souls she meets along the way. She's aided by the villain's own son, and readers will be glued to Max and Anna's harrowing escape journey through the beautifully described destinations inside the magical hotel. It's a delightful mix of Wizard of Oz meets Alice in Wonderland. VERDICT Dawson's masterful conveyance of the setting truly makes this one an immersive adventure. Recommend to readers who enjoyed Stephanie Garber's Caraval, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, or Emily J. Taylor's Hotel Magnifique.-Kayla Fontaine

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