SPECULATIVE FICTION
K.D. KIRCHMEIER
The Shadow Road
"A thrilling coming-of-age tale of survival. I was hooked from the first page."
– Lora Senf, Bram Stoker Award-winner and author of THE CLACKITY
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“Truly original! The action, tension and drama burn at a high level.”
– Arthur Slade, Governor General's Award-winning author of DUST
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"Themes of destiny, dreams, and intuition round out a well-paced story of survival."
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- Kirkus Reviews​
"Kirchmeier hits the ground running in this propulsive adventure."
—Publishers Weekly​​​
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"Kirchmeier skillfully balances tension and wonder, making the book an engaging journey through a perilous yet enchanting world. This title is not just about survival but also about finding light in the darkest of times, making it a must-read for young readers."​
— School Library Journal
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"The book’s message that most of humanity might actually come together in kindness rather than violence at the end of the world is a refreshing one in the YA world of depressing dystopias."
—BCCB​​
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The Absence of Sparrows
Not much happens in the small town of Griever’s Mill, where eleven-year-old Ben Cameron spends his time bird-watching and hanging out with his family.
But everything goes wrong when a sinister darkness fills the sky and people begin to change: human one minute, glass statues the next. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no one knows how to stop it. Ben is certain the glass plague’s victims can’t be gone forever, and that a missing flock of sparrows holds the key to bringing one important statue back, but will the birds return before it’s too late? And will Ben have the courage to stand against his own brother in order to keep the glass from shattering?
Debut author Kurt Kirchmeier explores mystery, sorrow, and the power of hope in this unique and poignant coming-of-age story.
"A powerful piece of storytelling... Will resonate with anyone who understands that heroism is not a matter of saving the world but of maintaining yourself, and acting to protect those in your community -- despite the forces arrayed against you.
-- Quill and Quire, starred review
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"The most frightening young YA fantasy since Kenneth Oppel's The Nest. Sure to be popular with readers seeking a truly scary story."
-- School Library Journal
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"A fresh spin on the post-apocalyptic genre.... A thought-provoking read."
-- Canadian Children's Book News
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"Stephen King-level horror haunting a tight, thoughtful domestic drama."
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-- The Bulletin
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"Narrator Will Collyer brings realistic emotion to this creepy audiobook about a
terrifying plague."
-- AudioFile
"Will stick with the reader long after they are finished."
-- School Library Connection
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"Gripping and affecting."
-- Shelf Awareness
"Creepy and engaging."
-- Publishers Weekly
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"An eerie slow burn."
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-- Booklist