Books with author Jr. Stahler

Young Jacob Manford grew up in Harmony, a blind boy raised in a colony of citizens dedicated to blindness as a way of life. Stricken with sight at thirteen, he escapes to the futuristic city of Melville, only to discover he has traded one hostile community for another. Jacob's sight introduces him to a thrilling new world—vast landscapes, glittering skyscrapers, and flying machines—but he is unsure if he has finally found a place to belong. Will Jacob ever find what he is looking for?

Between the worlds of life and death...Sixteen-year-old Aidan's grandmother has a secret recipe. She feeds ghosts. Her nightly ritual keeps the local lost souls lingering, caught between life and death. When Aidan stumbles upon this knowledge in the wake of his own father's death, the revelation shakes him to the core. Grief-stricken, he is dangerously drawn into the strange and wondrous world of the dead—and away from the living people who love him.Set in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, this beautifully crafted tale of love and loss is told in shades of otherworldly mystery. David Stahler Jr. spins a chilling story that delves into the depths of grief and emerges as a shimmering celebration of life.Critical Praise for A Gathering of Shades:“Stahler fashions the intricate plot very carefully. . . . The fully realized characters—both teens and adults alike—raise this above the formulaic and closer to magical realism.”—Kirkus“The sinister atmosphere of the story is finely constructed, from the opening scenes to the final pages. . . . The audience for supernatural suspense fiction will drink this new novel right up.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“Stahler’s eloquence on grief and yearning, combined with a vision of ghosts refreshingly distinct . . . , will exert a powerful hold on many teens’ imaginations.”—Booklist“Aidan is almost lost in the world of the dead, but Stahler is able to deftly help his character take his tentative first steps toward living in the present again. . . . Suggest this one to readers of Naylor’s Jade Green.”—VOYA“Stahler delivers a stirring story of pain, love and loss between three generations of a family living in rural Vermont. . . . A painful, yet ultimately uplifting and rewarding portrait of loved ones holding together through the most difficult of times.”—Publishers Weekly

Sixteen-year-old Aidan's grandmother has a secret recipe. She feeds ghosts. Her nightly ritual keeps the local lost souls lingering, caught between life and death. When Aidan stumbles upon this knowledge in the wake of his own father's death, the revelation shakes him to the core. Grief-stricken, he is dangerously drawn into the strange and wondrous world of the dead -- and away from the living people who love him. This beautifully crafted tale of love and loss is told in shades of otherworldly mystery. David Stahler Jr. spins a chilling story that delves into the depths of grief and emerges as a shimmering celebration of life.

Everyone in Jacob's colony is born blind. It has always been this way. They embrace the philosophy of Truesight: Blindness brings unity, purity, and freedom. It is an exceptional community. Everyone is happy. As Jacob nears his thirteenth birthday, he anxiously anticipates his new role as an adult and all the changes that will bring. But as the day approaches, a far greater change threatens Jacob's future. It all starts with a searing pain in his eyes ... This is the first book of David Stahler Jr.'s gripping Truesight trilogy. Ages 12+

Jacob can see—and his vision brings him great power. But he still hasn't found what he's been looking for. . . .Danger is closing in. The stars are calling. And young Jacob Manford is restless. He's tried settling into life as a Seer, but he hasn't forgotten the ghostly boy who told him about a new colony—a colony for those who were once blind but can now see. A place for people like Jacob.Soon Jacob buys passage on a cargo ship hurtling toward distant planets. But strange events along the way worry him. Is he moving toward a new life and a new sense of peace, or is he simply bringing trouble with him?

Raised in a cabin in the middle of nowhere by a mother who despises him, the doppelganger has left home at last. He is making his way toward human society. He's coming to do what every member of his monster race must: find an unsuspecting human and make his first kill. He will then take that shape and identity for himself. Doppelgangers are not supposed to have doubts. But this one does. His mother was right. He's weak. Too human, maybe. But even that can't stop him from killing. He has to do it. It's who he is. It is only after stepping into the life of a small-town teenager that the doppelganger learns that his may not be the only cruel existence. In fact, maybe monsters aren't always who we think they are.

Young Jacob Manford grew up in Harmony, a blind boy raised in a colony of citizens dedicated to blindness as a way of life. Stricken with sight at thirteen, he escapes to the futuristic city of Melville, only to discover he has traded one hostile community for another. Jacob's sight introduces him to a thrilling new world—vast landscapes, glittering skyscrapers, and flying machines—but he is unsure if he has finally found a place to belong. Will Jacob ever find what he is looking for?

On a frontier world is a colony called Harmony. Like everyone who lives there, Jacob is blind. In his debut novel, David Stahler Jr. vividly imagines a future where genetic engineering has taken a startling turn. On a distant planet, in a utopian community of the blind, one remarkable young man will discover just how much there is to see -- if only he is willing to look.

Raised in a cabin in the middle of nowhere by a mother who despises him, the doppelganger has left home at last. He is making his way toward human society. He's coming to do what every member of his monster race must: find an unsuspecting human and make his first kill. He will then take that shape and identity for himself. Doppelgangers are not supposed to have doubts. But this one does. His mother was right. He's weak. Too human, maybe. But even that can't stop him from killing. He has to do it. It's who he is. It is only after stepping into the life of a small-town teenager that the doppelganger learns that his may not be the only cruel existence. In fact, maybe monsters aren't always who we think they are.

Doppelgangers are monsters, hardwired for murder. They are not supposed to have doubts, but this one does. He wishes he could be different. More human, maybe. But even that can't stop him from killing people so he can take their places and live their lives. He has to do it; it's who he is. But when the doppelganger murders a small-town teenager, assumes his shape, and takes over his life, he's shocked by the world he steps into. Engulfed in a whirlwind of peer pressure, messy family dynamics, and a provocative relationship with a beautiful girl, he quickly learns that there's more than one way to be human, and many ways to be a monster. Told in the tortured voice of a most extraordinary teen, this contemporary gothic romance brews a captivating combination of violence, desire, and atonement. Here is the story of a monster yearning for a human life.