THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF TATTERLY

A Black boy with magical abilities must save his family and his ancestral home in Charleston from dark forces that seek to ruin them.

When he’s not spending time with his magical family of aunts (both alive and ghostly) and his cousins Issa and Femi, 12-year-old Theo Tatterly is a loner. As the Tatterlys’ only working medium, he can see a constant stream of ghosts—and despite his family’s protests, Theo often exorcises ghosts by himself. But something goes wrong during a seemingly routine exorcism. Then, a ghostly hag ambushes Theo and Issa while they’re at the aquarium. On top of that, his aunts are concerned about increasing efforts by someone unknown to disprove their legal ownership of the home that Tatterlys have occupied for generations; further back, the family lived on this land when they were enslaved. Theo’s convinced that all the pieces are connected, but he’s unsure how. It’ll take relying on friends and family to help piece together the history and folklore behind the Tatterly name and save everything Theo cares about. Through limited omniscient narration, the author builds a steady tension as Theo pieces together information about their enemy, leading readers toward a momentous climax. Clear, reverent descriptions of Charleston’s rich culture make the city just as much of a character as the members of Theo’s diverse community, each of whom has a well-developed personality.

A richly detailed story that amplifies the importance of connections and community.