“A touching novel that is Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper mixed with Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story or Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.”—School Library Journal
The Kaleidoscope Sisters is a debut novel hinging on the indomitable spirit of young women. It centers on fifteen-year-old Quinn and her younger sister, Riley, who is dying from a degenerative heart defect. As the novel opens, Riley is weeks away from her seventh birthday, and her decline is obvious. Years in and out of hospitals have left the family with no support system, but Quinn is determined to save her younger sister. In her quest, Quinn discovers a portal to another realm peppered with characters based in history, all of whom disappeared mysteriously. Aiding Quinn throughout her journey in the Other Realm is Meelie. Quinn learns that a new heart for Riley can be harvested in the Other Realm, but not without sacrifice. While Meelie helps Quinn come to terms with an impossible decision, Quinn uncovers the truth about Meelie’s disappearance and why she never returned home. The book chronicles Quinn’s journey, focusing on the inevitability of loss and the realization that no matter what Quinn decides, her mother must lose one of her daughters.
“[An] affecting first novel about family, love, and sacrifice . . . Stephens’ poetic writing is beautiful . . . and deftly blends realism and fantasy.”—Booklist
“Adorned with an array of unforgettable characters in a realm touched by magic and wonder.”―Morowa Yejidé, author of Time of the Locust
“Simultaneously odd and intriguing.”—Kirkus Reviews