Something Kindred

(Paperback)

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Description

Jericka Walker had planned to spend the summer before senior year soaking up the sun with her best friend on the Jersey Shore. Instead she finds herself in Coldwater, Maryland, a small town where her estranged and dying grandmother lives-a grandmother she knows only two things about: her name and the fact that she left Jericka's mother and uncle when they were children. Soon Jericka meets "ghost girl" Kat, who is eager to leave Coldwater and more intriguing than a person has any right to be. But Coldwater has a few secrets of its own. The more you try to leave, the stronger the town's hold. As Jericka feels the chilling pull of her family's past, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her mother, her childhood, and the lines between the living and the dead.

Reviews

"A double exposure of heartbreaking beauty and electric prose, Something Kindred tenderly beckons you to a town haunted by memories and asks you to stay awhile." --Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments

"In an emotionally charged debut that's both bracing and sentimental, Burch composes an intimate generational portrait of a family of Black women who are tethered by their roots and grappling with the painful and permanent consequences of their efforts to break free from their histories." --Publishers Weekly

"Burch lovingly explores forgiveness and memory in this novel centering Black characters that has something--from paranormal discovery to queer romance in a small town--for everyone. A moving story about home with a supernatural twist, exploring what happens to those who leave and the ones left behind." --Kirkus Reviews

"Black, bisexual Jericka is an appealing and empathetic character, and her flirtatious romance with Kat builds naturally. In an otherwise realistic tale, Burch insightfully uses the echoes to highlight how trauma must be seen and acknowledged to begin healing." --Booklist

"Burch's gothic coming-of-age YA debut will appeal to teens with an appetite for the paranormal. This would be a welcome addition to high school libraries." --School Library Journal

Author Bio

Ciera Burch is a lifelong writer and ice cream aficionado. She has a B.A from American University and an MFA from Emerson College. Her fiction has appeared in American Literary Magazine, Underground, the art and literary journal of Georgia State University, Stork, and Blackbird. While she is originally from New Jersey, she currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her stuffed animals and far too many books. www.cieraburch.com