Books published by publisher Flux

"The wood monster is dead. I know this is true because I killed it. And yet my dreams are still full of fear and pain . . ." To keep her best friend, Navin, from being killed at the hands of vicious wood elves, Donna Underwood stole the elixir of life. Now she’s facing an alchemist tribunal while her mother lies dying, succumbing to the elven curse that shattered her mind. In desperation, Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the fierce and manipulative Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her strange and burgeoning powers to help the wood elves, Aliette will free her mother from the curse. Along with Navin and Xan, the half-fey guy she’s falling for, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother’s life. But some secrets are better left untold. Book 2 in the explosive Iron Witch series

Jeff Lyons can’t stand Ellen de Luca, the fat girl in his ceramics class. She’s huge, clumsy, can’t throw a pot to save her life, and stares at Jeff all the time. But he’s a "nice guy" and feels terrible when Ellen overhears his hurtful remarks about her. The "crumbs of kindness" he tosses her way soon turn into advice on weight loss, college, clothes, hair . . . and, to everyone’s surprise, good-looking Jeff actually dumps his pretty girlfriend to be with the fat girl! Re-creating Ellen is a labor of love, Jeff thinks. But as her pounds melt away, Jeff resents the happy, independent young woman he has unleashed. Where is the gratitude for all he’s done for her? With this darkly ironic take on the classic Pygmalion tale, Marilyn Sachs offers young readers a candid portrayal of what happens when the intoxicating thrill of control is confused with love.

Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when the fashionistas find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes-with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades, Lord of the Underworld himself. To make them atone for what they've done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld an individual whose unholy contract is up. Finding that delicate balance between their fashion addiction and their new part-time job in the eternal hellfire biz turns out to be harder than Meg and Shar expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there's the matter of the fine print in their own contracts...

When their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and Luke’s brother, Mike, seek help in the nearby town of Purity Springs. But as they walk the vacant streets, the teens make some disturbing discoveries. The seemingly deserted homes each contain a sinister book with violent instructions on disciplining children. The graveyard is full of unmarked crosses. Worst of all, there’s no way to contact the outside world. When Purity Springs’ inhabitants suddenly appear, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of Elijah Hawkins, the town’s charismatic leader who has his own plans for the three of them. Their only hope for survival is Elijah’s enigmatic son, Joseph. And his game may be just as deadly as his father’s . . . "A straight-ahead, cover-your-ears tale of terror that grows more nihilistic and grueling by the page."—BOOKLIST "A suspenseful and sporadically gory thriller."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "A dark, distrubing story...[Creed] pulls no punches. A fine choice for a teens who crave horror."—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Do you feel lost? Confused? Alone? (Circle one): Yes or No. The Church of Blue can help. We are not a cult. $5 for a holy quest is a good deal. Since sixth grade, Debbie Woodlawn has nursed a secret, heart-searing crush on her best friend, Lisa. But all those years of pretending to enjoy Full House reruns and abstinence rallies with Lisa go down the drain when her friend hooks up with Norman, the most boring guy at school. This earth-shattering event makes Debbie decide to do the unthinkable: confess her love to Lisa. And she has to do it tonight—before Lisa and Norman go past “the point of no return.” So Debbie embarks on a quest to find Lisa. Guiding the quest are fellow students/detention hall crashers Emma and Tim, the founding (and only) members of the wacky Church of Blue. Three chases, three declarations of love, two heartbreaks, a break-in, and five dollars worth of gas later, Debbie has been fully initiated into Bluedaism—but is there time left to stop Lisa and Norman from going too far? Click here to view the book trailer for Sparks.

Zach lives with his grandparents on a remote island in Puget Sound in Washington State. With only his little brother, Gilbert, to keep him company, Zach feels cut off from the world. But when Gilbert is kidnapped, Zach tries the only thing he can think of to find him: astral projection. Soon, his spirit is soaring through the strange and boundless astral realm—a shadow place. While searching for his brother, Zach meets a boy named Emory, another astral traveler who's intriguing (and cute). As Zach and Emory track the kidnappers from the astral realm, their bond grows—but each moment could be Gilbert's last. Even worse, there's a menacing, centuries-old creature in their midst that devours souls and possesses physical bodies. And it's hungry for Zach. From Brent Hartinger, the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of Geography Club.

"The best thing to do for someone who thinks he’s lost his whole life is to make him feel like it’s been given back to him. That’s why I can do this. Fire can fix it." William Tucker always does the right thing. He excels at high school, works at the grocery store, passes out bulletins at his father’s church, and still finds time to fight fires as the newest volunteer firefighter in Coosa Creek, Alabama. But no matter how many good deeds William does, it never seems like enough. So when his father’s expectations and the community’s hypocrisy become too much to bear, William’s obsession with doing good transforms into something far more dangerous. "Gibson pens authentic Southern, small-town teenspeak and settings that add fuel to the fires (so to speak) of William's life. Compelling."—KIRKUS REVIEWS

A hoverboard appeared in her rearview mirror. “This is the Los Angeles Air Patrol,” a voice boomed. “I command you to land your vehicle in the name of the law.” Noli Braddock and her best friend V’s incident with a flying auto have landed them in a heap of trouble. And when Noli is sent to a spirit-squelching reform school in San Francisco, she’s sure that her rebellious adventures are over. Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver has been ordered by the Faerie Queen to bring a mortal girl back to the Otherworld. The magic requires a blood sacrifice every seven years, and only a mortal girl who shines with the Spark—a girl like Noli—will keep the Otherworld from complete destruction. When an ill-timed wish sends Noli tumbling into the Otherworld, she’s more homesick than ever . . . until V arrives to save her from an untimely demise. But who exactly is V? And if he helps Noli escape, who will save the realm of Faerie from utter annihilation?

When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane. But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect. "This story has it all for fans of (sub)urban: vicious adversaries, devoted friendship and first romance."—KIRKUS REVIEWS “Dark and beautiful, sensual and dangerous, utterly enthralling. . . You’ll fall under this book’s spell.”—Richelle Mead, New York Times bestselling author “Mahoney’s debut sizzles with romance and alchemical swashbuckling. . . A captivating read.”—Tiffany Trent, author of In the Serpent’s Coils "Teen girls will love the descriptions of Donna's feelings about her new love interest, and the details about clothing, friendship, and her attempts to fit in. Fantasy lovers will enjoy reading about a different world trying to hide in ours. This book should prove to be the beginning of a popular series."—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "Dark around the edges, but shiny at heart, this is a worthy addition to the YA paranormal shelf."—MICHAEL M. JONES

For Grace Parker, surfing is all about the ride and the moment. When she drops into a perfect wave, Grace can forget that her best friend, Ford Watson, has a crush on her that she can’t reciprocate, no matter how tempting. She can forget the trouble she faces at home, where her parents pressure her to be impossibly perfect. She can forget how badly she wants a surf scholarship to UC San Diego. Signing up for her first surf competition, Grace has just one summer to train and impress the university scouts who will be judging the comp. But summer is about more than just big waves. As romances ignite and her feelings for Ford threaten to reach the point of no return, Grace must face the biggest challenges of her life. This summer, everything changes. “A compelling and atmospheric story of love and friendship—two young people try to catch the perfect wave? and figure out where they belong.”—Cynthia Leitich Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Eternal "This debut about a surfer girl delves into hidden child abuse and scores with strong characterizations."—KIRKUS REVIEWS "Scheibe's story is rich with details, real-life problems, and characters you want to hang out with. You will feel its pull."—Jennifer Ziegler, author of How Not to be Popular

Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that "creative" equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked―and together may offer an escape from her fears. Praise: "Breathtakingly, gut-wrenchingly authentic...A haunting, realistic view of the melding of art, creativity, and mental illness and their collective impact on a young person’s life."―BOOKLIST, starred review "Any story about mental illness will not be an easy read, but a very good one will reward those who stick with it. A Blue So Dark definitely falls in that category, so powerful is the empathy the author has built for her main character."―SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "An excellent first novel―a definite must-read. Schindler's debut novel is a lyrical tapestry...a work of poetry."―VOYA "This story provides a realistic viewpoint of a teen living with a schizophrenic parent. Schindler shows how one teen copes with her ill mother, while trying to juggle the demands of school."―ALAN ONLINE "A Blue So Dark is one of those rare books: It never shies away from the darkness yet still manages to find the light. A truly real, emotional, and honest read."―Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay it Forward and Love in the Present Tense “Schindler’s lyrical debut explores the nightmare of mental illness in a voice that is sharp and funny and all her own. This is as real as teen fiction gets. A must-read."―Crissa-Jean Chappell, author of Total Constant Order "A Blue So Dark is a raw, compelling and eloquent portrayal of art and madness, and the freeing, healing gift of creativity. Schindler's voice is brilliant and true."―Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Need and Captivate GOLD MEDAL WINNER: IPPY Awards 2010 (Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction) SILVER MEDAL WINNER: ForeWord Book of the Year Awards 2010 (Young Adult Fiction)