Wild Beauty

In Wild Beauty, acclaimed YA author Anna-Marie McLemore introduces a spellbinding setting and two characters who are drawn together by fate—and pulled apart by reality.

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

Anna-Marie McLemore’s debut novel The Weight of Feathers garnered fabulous reviews and was a finalist for the prestigious YALSA Morris Award, and her second novel, When the Moon was Ours, was longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

Praise for Wild Beauty:

“A story filled with vibrant characters that resonate, and plots that will pull you in with equal parts magic and mystery. . . . It’s a refreshing combination of coming-of-age romance and with family legacy and feminine strength, by a writer who has made a commitment to bringing authentically complex Latinx and queer voices into the mainstream.” —Bustle

“A grab-you-by-the-throat tale of love and family. McLemore’s storytelling is nothing short of riveting.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times–bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

“No one does magical realism quite likeMcLemore, and this third novel, laced with slow-burning suspense, folklore, romance, and spun together with exquisite, luxuriant prose, proves it. . . . Sheer magic: fierce, bright, and blazing with possibility.” —Booklist, starred review

＂A solid, must-have addition to McLemore’s growing body of work, this fantastical tale will delight her fans and entice a new audience.＂ —School Library Journal, starred review

＂Part mystery, part love story, this evocative, lush novel is a delight for sophisticated readers.＂ —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

＂McLemore’s mythology is rich, and the heart-rending conclusion thrills and gratifies.＂ —Publishers Weekly