The Byways, by Mary Pascual, (June 2023, SparkPress), $17.95, ISBN: 9781684631902
Ages 13+
Cece is a neurodivergent high school student who doesn’t feel like she fits anywhere: when she defends herself against her tormenters, she ends up in the principal’s office. When she’s overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of school, her teachers single her out and try to shame her. The final betrayal comes when her best friend insinuates that her other friends may think Cece is behind some missing money for a school fundraiser; Cece takes off and finds herself in the Byways, a world of the forgotten, full of alleys that change and confuse, with magic and dark figures with dark purposes. Desperate to find her way home, Cece meets some people who want to help her, and some who want to keep her for their own uses. A dark, urban reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, The Byways is full of familiar characters, but with a new spin. Themes of political unrest, bullying, homelessness, and drug abuse run throughout. A good additional purchase for collections where YA fairy tale reimaginings are popular.
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