New York Times bestseller!
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or … brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
Plus don’t miss the thrilling sequel, Amari and the Great Game!
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Amari is magical!
Fantastic storyline and really whimsical. There were parts of this that gave me goosebumps and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing that stopped me from giving it 5 stars was the fact it was poorly proofread. Upon gaining a new proofreader, I would increase this to a 5-star rating.
Sharp, funny, and brightly imaginative.Jessica Townsend
Clever, imaginative, and filled with heart. I loved every magical page.
This book is a song to my soul. Amari is the heroine we all need.
A series that will truly stand out from the rest!
I need more of this book. This was a superb read that I thoroughly enjoyed. B.B. Alston created a wonderful character in Amari. I loved this young girl and I rooted and cheered for her the whole way. Pair her with Dylan and I was all for this team-up. Amari and the Night Brothers was a fantastic mystery in a world of magic.
What I loved the most about this book was how severely people underestimated Amari. This is prominent with people of color, especially women. People labeled Amari the second they saw her, bullied her, decided she didn’t belong, and frankly faced racism. But she proved so many wrong as she discovers the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs for which her missing brother was a member of. They decide she doesn’t belong and find her magic to be bad. But she pushed through with her wit, intelligence, and drive to prove everyone wrong. I was all for it. She worked so well with Dylan that I found them to be quite the duo and an effective team.
And the twist at the end was epic. Did not see that coming at all. Shattered all the suspicions I had throughout the book. Like what???? Damn.
I need the next book now. I highly recommend this series to young children and adults for like to dabble in fun middle grade stories.
I absolutely loved this book. As a visual artist, my mind was tickled by the imagery which, I suspect, might be burnt into my brain forever. The characters were well developed, challenging, and exciting and the plot made this book an unputdownable page-turner. Definitely a 5-star story highly recommended for anyone – young and old alike.
I love this book so so so much. Seriously, beautiful. This wonderful, giving, good girl’s brother has been missing for months. Everyone in authority (and all the mean spirited brats at her school) assume he fell in with a gang and got in trouble. But Amari believes in him and is determined to find him and bring him home. Finding out the super natural world exists won’t stop her, and neither will finding out that she’s a magician, which means she’s just as much an outcast here as she was there. But she has friends this time, and a determination that means she will stop at nothing to get her brother back…
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One Word: MASTERPIECE
Saw this at Walmart & it immediately caught my eye. Even though this is probably geared towards younger kids I still figured that I was going to enjoy it however I didn’t think I would enjoy it this much! Literally every chapter was a page turner. There were times where I laughed, moments where I was like WHATTTTT& then the times where I just wanted to jump into the book & beat people up
Everything about this book was magicalI absolutely loved the way @bb_alston described the creatures & supernatural gadgets that were used.
This is easily my fave book of July & it also beats out the Mary Shelley Club as my all time favorite which I never thought was gonna happen this year. It has me really excited for the 2nd book to come out but a little bummed because I think it’s going to be a trilogy & I know that won’t be enough for me
Twelve-year-old Amari has struggled since her older brother Quintin went missing six months ago. She’s on a scholarship to the same private school he attended, but she never feels like she can live up to his legacy. He was one of those kids who seems to have it all–intelligence, personality, charisma, generosity, you name it. One of the mean rich girls taunts Amari one too many times and Amari decides she isn’t going to take it anymore. She loses her scholarship on the last day of the school year. Her mom is so disappointed because she knows this school is Amari’s ticket out of “The Wood,” the residents’ nickname for the housing project where she lives.
But then Amari gets an invitation to a special, highly selective, super-secretive summer camp that Quintin attended when he was her age. The camp trains kids to eventually work in the hidden supernatural world in various capacities: agents in law enforcement, concocting cover stories to explain supernatural events that average humans witness, creating technology to make supernatural lives easier, etc. Amari isn’t sure what she’s getting herself into but she agrees to attend the camp because it might help her locate Quintin. Every camp attendee has an innate talent magically enhanced to practically become a superpower. When Amari’s talent is revealed, she rocks the supernatural world to its core. Can she overcome prejudices on multiple levels to find her brother?
Oh my goodness. This was so much fun! But it also had a lot of depth. And just look at that gorgeous cover!
I loved Amari. She’s a fighter. Life is hard and unfair for her, largely because of things completely outside her control, but she keeps hanging in there. Cruel adults or mean girls, she meets each challenge the best she can.
She must pass several tests to be accepted as a junior agent at the end of the summer and she starts off at a huge disadvantage. Most of the kids at the camp have grown up in the supernatural world. Generations of their families have served in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. But Amari never even dreamed that Atlantis or yetis are real. She buckles down to make up for lost time out of love for her brother. She finally starts to make friends who are outsiders in their own ways. But the discrimination she faces, because of her skin color in our world and because of her talent in the supernatural world, is really starting to wear on her. How can anyone fight against so many widespread, unfounded assumptions? All she wants is a fair chance but almost no one is willing to give her one.
Amari’s mama is a bit of a minor character but as a 40-something reader, even one who doesn’t have kids, I found her so relatable. She’s trying so hard to give her children a way out of The Wood. She works long, hard hours but worries about leaving her kids alone to negative influences in the neighborhood. She’s barely scraping by but she’s holding her head high and teaching her kids to do the same. My heart broke for her a little when she took out one of those predatory payday loans to get Amari the supplies she needs for summer camp. She’s hoping for the best news about Quintin, even while the cops are suggesting that this genuinely good kid must have been messing around with some criminal activity. How hard must it be to keep going when everyone around you is beating you and your family down?
This world is so much fun though! The author seems to be open to any and every creature, legend, myth, super power, fantasy, or insane technology. It could easily come across as too much but it’s all handled skillfully and creates a world that any fantasy reader would be eager to visit. There are obviously numerous literary and pop culture influences but it still feels like a fresh new fantasy.
I suspected part of the ending really early on so I’m knocking off half a star. Younger readers may be surprised though.
The narration by Imani Parks was a delight. I seriously thought she was about Amari’s age but I just saw that she was born in 1985!
I highly recommend this for readers who want to explore a new fantasy world with a strong young protagonist. Be sure to get the audiobook if you’re a fan of those! I’ll be eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.
i love this book so much
Every once in a while a debut novel comes along that so completely knocks my socks off that I have a hard time comprehending how this is the author’s first book. This was delightfully perfect in so many ways. I was rooting for the main character from the first page, and the cast of supporting characters brought the richly imagined world to life. The twisty turning plot kept me riveted from start to finish, a journey that ended all too quickly. I can’t wait for more from this world, and I will be snatching up the sequel the minute it is released. I have a good feeling this series is going to join the ranks of Percy Jackson and Nevermoor as one of my faves!
Amari is a main character you want to follow from her very first page to the last. She’s honest, brave, loyal, and curious, and rises up each time from the prejudice and bias she has to deal with, first as a Black scholarship kid in a predominantly white academy and then as a magician once she arrives at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. (Magicians are feared and misunderstood in the supernatural world.) I love her friendship with Elsie and Elsie’s character arc as a weredragon. The ending had me reeling (in a good way!) All the plot threads were resolved so the ending doesn’t leave you hanging uncomfortably, but they’re resolved in ways that you can’t wait to read more.
When Amari gets kicked out of school for fighting with a kid who teased her about her missing brother, her mom has no idea what she will do for Amari’s education. While Quinton’s disappearance is mysterious, most people think he got involved in something illegal and is probably long dead. Amari knows her brother was too smart to do anything like that but no one believes her. Until a magical briefcase shows up and has a message for Amari, from her brother.
The cryptic message leads her to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, a secret organization that trained Quinton and hired him to investigate supernatural happenings including chasing down evil magicians. Amari is eager to join the Bureau with the sole purpose of using her time to investigate her brother’s disappearance and find him. But when her initial evaluation yields an unexpected result, she is thrust into another situation that makes her painfully aware of how hard it is to be different, and from a background that isn’t appreciated. Amari struggles to prove herself, so she can continue to look for clues to save Quinton while navigating an unknown environment with an evil magician bent on punishing the supernatural world. But if she can’t solve the mystery of Quinton’s disappearance before her training runs out, she’ll be back home with her memory erased and no closer to rescuing her brother.
Amari and the Night Brothers contains a magical and imaginative world with a wonderfully diverse cast that you want to dive right into and never stop turning pages. Amari is a strong main character who has been brought up in a world where the system is stacked against her. She is painfully aware of the hurdles in front of her because she is poor and black. Despite the constant roadblocks, Amari rises to the occasion and even when she wants to quit she reminds herself what her brother would do in that situation. She continues to push ahead even when tempted by a seemingly easy road that would sacrifice her internal moral compass and lead to terrible path. Ultimately nothing stops her from standing up for what she believes in. And it’s wrapped up in a story filled with surprises and intrigue at every step along the journey. The themes are so beautifully woven into the adventure and mystery and the story demonstrates the importance of having role models and allies along the way.
This is the first book I’ve read in a while that was hard to put down. I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about the story other than it ended far too soon. Amari and the Night Brothers is the next big thing. It will be a HUGE series for young and not-so-young readers alike. Make sure you get your hands on it ASAP, because everyone will be talking about this book. I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for the next installment because I’m ready to dive into this world all over again.
Life for 12 year old Amari Peters is difficult to say the least. She’s a Black girl being raised in low income housing by a single mom that works 60+ hours per week. She attends an elite school on scholarship, but that may all be down the toilet thanks to the bullies who have made her life a living hell following the mysterious disappearance of her older brother Quinton.
Quinton was the school’s golden boy, but no one cares that he’s missing. The police have given up and everyone assumes that he must have taken up illegal activity. Everything changes when Amari discovers a magical world that may finally have the answers surrounding Quinton’s disappearance.
This is the story that I wish I grew up with. I loved the secret world of magic and the unique way that students are tapped in order to join the order. The world building is incredible. There’s different levels of magic and magical abilities as well as career paths based off of the type of magic a student harvests.
Since Amari was completely ignorant to this world, you get to experience the magic and wonder alongside her which makes for a truly immersive experience. There is so much action and adventure along the way, which makes for one heck of a roller coaster ride.
I loved loved Amari’s character. She’s independent, fierce, and unwilling to be swayed by those who would detract her from finding out the truth behind her brother’s disappearance. In addition to Amari, I loved her roommate Elsie, who is a weredragon. Elsie is the perfect complement to Amari’s personality; especially since Elsie is an outsider even in the magical world since not everyone is keen on potentially being eaten or burnt to a crisp.
Overall, if you are looking for a magical and adventurous coming of age story that features some serious Black girl magic then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you to HarperCollins for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
4.5
Book source ~ Tour
13-year-old Amari Peters has an older genius brother, Quinton, who goes missing. Police aren’t trying too hard to find him, and six months later Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in his closet. When Amari opens it, everything she thought about the world changes and now she has a chance to find her brother her own damn self. Go bring him home, Amari!
I’m not usually a fan of saying, “If you like X book then you will like this one.” But I’m going to say it now. If you like Harry Potter then you will like Amari and the Night Brothers. They are very similar and yet very different, but they both involve magic and a whole other world than the mundane. There’s also a scary villain and his followers (not quite as scary, but definitely thorns in the sides of the good guys), but I’ll let you read about him and them.
I love Amari. She’s smart, independent, and plucky as hell. She’s been living in her brother’s shadow, but really it’s all in her head because she’s pretty clever on her own right. However, when you have talented older siblings it’s hard to see your own strengths. And she has plenty of those. She’s also in for a surprise when she joins the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Ok, she’s in for MANY surprises when she goes there, but one in particular is an albatross around her neck. She needs to study hard and pass the three tryouts because she will never have a better opportunity to find her brother. Making friends and enemies, Amari navigates the treacherous waters of the BSA with will, skill, and sometimes just by the seat of her pants. But will any of this help her find her beloved brother? You’ll have to read to find out and I highly recommend that you do! Amari and the Night Brothers will sweep you into a magical world that’s not always as fun or cool as you might think. Fast-moving with characters you’ll love or love to hate this is one Middle-Grade Fantasy intertwined with a Mystery you won’t want to miss!