{"product_id":"streetlight-people-isbn-9780593618882","title":"Streetlight People","description":"\u003cb\u003eA twisty, thrilling novel of growing up in—and out of—a small town with a huge secret.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor most, Streetlight is a dot on the map you pass on your way to somewhere else. But if you live there, you’re either a Have-Not, like Kady, or a Have-Lot like her boyfriend, Nik, who also happens to be a member of the exclusive social club, The IV Boys.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKnown for their powerful families and the coveted ball they host for a selective guest list, The IV Boys have always refused to accept Kady regardless of how much Nik loves her. All the Boys except for Aaron, who didn’t grow up in Streetlight and is one of the few who knows that life—\u003ci\u003ereal \u003c\/i\u003elife—exists outside of it. But his stepmom has the kind of wealth and power even IV Boys can’t resist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith Nik at college, Aaron stands by Kady’s side. But all Kady really wants is Nik, and when a chance encounter on Halloween hands her the power to twist and hold time, she doesn’t hesitate. Now she can keep Nik close for as long as she wants. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Kady tries to relive her best moments with Nik, the IV Boys have her in their sights. A rumor’s spreading that Kady and Aaron are much more than friends—and not even twisting time is enough to defend against the power that the Boys were born with.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe more Kady changes the clock, the more dizzying reality becomes, until she stumbles upon a truth darker than anything she could have imagined. Streetlight is filled with monsters—and maybe she’s always been one, too.★ \"Ray Bradbury-esque.... An intersectionally diverse cast of authentically flawed characters complement Thomas's fiendishly clever premise and swiftly paced, slyly crafted plot.\"—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly,\u003c\/i\u003e starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[O]nce the twists start, they don’t stop.... A reflective, time-bending look at power and young love.\"\u003ci\u003e—Kirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Thomas grounds her tricky, time manipulation story about fate and choice with realistically flawed, relatable, intersectionally diverse characters and a nostalgic small-town setting both charming and ominous.\"\u003ci\u003e—Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An emotional genre bender with a startlingly eerie setting, sparkling prose, and a wholly original concept. Charlene Thomas is an author to watch.\" —Jessica Goodman, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Legacies \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Counselors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Gorgeously written, atmospheric, and deeply intelligent, \u003ci\u003eStreetlight People\u003c\/i\u003e is part mystery, part sci-fi, and wholly original. Thomas tackles heavy topics like fate, identity, and class with grace. Her characters will stay with you long after their final page. You do not want to miss this book.\"—Liz Lawson, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Agathas\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Night in Question\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Disorienting and delightful in equal measure, \u003ci\u003eStreetlight People\u003c\/i\u003e is a gorgeously told Lynchian tale of a claustrophobic small town full of insidious secrets. A gripping story about the measure of power and who gets to use it.”—Joelle Wellington, author of \u003ci\u003eTheir Vicious Games\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, Charlene Thomas throws a curve ball into the space-time continuum in this gorgeously evocative book that will keep you guessing until the very end about the Have-Lots and the Have-Nots who inhabit the magical city of Streetlight.\"—Susan Azim Boyer, author of \u003ci\u003eJasmine Zumideh Needs a Win and The Search For Us\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"A dreamy story of class division and belonging, so sensory you can almost taste it. Charlene Thomas steers us through the dizzying lattice of the butterfly effect with a deft and attentive hand.\"—Isa Arsén, author o\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003ef Shoot the Moon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Streetlight People \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis a layered, slow-developing photograph of a novel, with the subtle tension of a shadow moving closer in the corner of your eye. With atmospheric prose and a setting so vivid I felt like I could find it on a map, Thomas expertly pulls you through \u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eStreetlight People, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003etoward a satisfying twist that made me want to start over from page one. An entrancing read. —Jill Tew, author of \u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dividing Sky\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“An utterly unique and twisty spin on time travel that will have you wanting to take one of Kady’s candies so you can go back and do it all over again. The last fifty pages will have your jaw on the floor.”—Stacy Stokes, author of \u003ci\u003eRemember Me Gone\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Darkness Rises\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Thomas’s fiery entrance into the speculative genre will have readers clawing to uncover countless truths. A story worth reading time and time again, \u003ci\u003eStreetlight People\u003c\/i\u003e challenges every facet of reality, questions who you can trust, and focuses on the morality of what’s done behind the doors that are meant to keep you out.”  —Brianna Peppins, author of the Briarcliff Prep series\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There are secrets abound, and more than meets the eye, in Charlene Thomas's \u003ci\u003eStreetlight People,\u003c\/i\u003e an alluring story of intrigue set in a small town of the Have-Nots and Have-Lots, a generations-old not so secret society, powerful families, and an ending that will leave you breathless. I absolutely love Kady's bravery and tenacity and her determination to uncover the truth no matter what the cost, even if the truth ends up revealing something ugly about herself, and I love Charlene's way of storytelling even more.”—Yasmin Angoe, Anthony-nominated author of \u003ci\u003eHer Name Is Knight\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Heartsick and beautifully twisted, \u003ci\u003eStreetlight People\u003c\/i\u003e is an expertly crafted story of memory and longing—both the romantic and power-hungry kinds. Charlene Thomas will have you under her spell!”—Adam Sass, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eSurrender Your Sons \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e \u003ci\u003eYour Lonely Nights Are Over\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eWhen she isn't writing, Charlene Thomas works as a marketer. She is also the author of \u003ci\u003eSeton Girls\u003c\/i\u003e.When I walk onto Iverson’s campus, the Boys are too far away to see but still close enough to hear. Their big laughs ricochet off all the brick and money like a pinball. It’s tunnel-­y here, especially at night, every path unnecessarily skinny because it’s lined with trees and low stone walls. It makes it so sounds bounce, all the time. Birds singing. Rain falling. Even when you whisper, it feels like everyone is listening.\u003cbr\u003e God, I used to spend so much time here with Nik before he graduated. Hanging out with him after IV meetings. Watching his home soccer games against Billingsley, Anderson Prep, and Seton. Hiding under the stone bridge when we were supposed to be in class, but he’d text, begging for a kiss, and that was all the convincing I needed to ditch. That’s where the ball always is—­on the same side of campus as the stone bridge. It’s this event hall they have, a stand-­alone building with pillars and a peaked roof. It’s not gaudy or anything, just brick with an impressive number of steps out front. But I want to know more than anything what it’s like on the inside. What it looks like. What it smells like.\u003cbr\u003e Aaron is waiting where he said he’d be, on the bench next to the campus’s main entrance. He smiles, that smirk that always gets me to smirk back. He seems normal, at least. A relief, since that text didn’t.“Yo, KD,” he says, standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. It’s the very specific way that \u003ci\u003ehe\u003c\/i\u003e says it: KD. My initials—­Kady Dixon—­which also happen to be \u003ci\u003emy name\u003c\/i\u003e. Aaron’s brain blew up the first time he realized. “Still stalking the grounds, I see.”\u003cbr\u003e I walk his way, down the path that’s flanked with two giant stone lions. Iverson’s mascot, with eyes that seem to follow you as you pass. “Shut up. You literally begged me to come here.”\u003cbr\u003e “I mean, \u003ci\u003ebegged\u003c\/i\u003e is a little strong . . .”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e “Pleaded . . .”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e “Asked?” He twists his mouth, gray eyes twinkling. “Pretty sure I just . . . asked. But I know how much you love to listen to those voices in your head.” He squeezes me around my shoulders and lets me go.\u003cbr\u003e “How was battle today?” I ask, hugging myself against a breeze that sends leaves scattering across our feet. I’ve called a school day at Iverson a “battle” for years. It’s the intense uniforms: perfectly ironed khakis, polished dark brown shoes, a white button-­down, and a blue-­and-­gray argyle sweater vest. Even when it’s a hundred degrees outside. And if you’re IV, on top of all that, there’s the navy blazer with a patch on the chest—­this family-­crest-­looking thing, like it came straight out of medieval England.\u003cbr\u003e They remind me of soldiers, not because you’d fight a war looking like that, but because it’s intimidating as hell.\u003cbr\u003e I only say “battle” to Aaron, though. The other Boys won’t think it’s funny.\u003cbr\u003eAaron yawns as he sets down his backpack and shrugs off his blazer. He hands it to me instinctively, now that I’ve shivered. “Battle was long today,” he tells me. “I need a fresh canteen. New socks.”\u003cbr\u003e I accept the blazer because I know he won’t let me fight it. “Is that why you openly wept until I agreed to come see you?”\u003cbr\u003e He laughs, swings his backpack back over his shoulder. “Yep. Exactly.”\u003cbr\u003e I slip my arms into the sleeves. “So, what happened?”\u003cbr\u003e Aaron’s smile fades as he slides his hands into his pockets. He glances around his campus, at everything and nothing at the same time. The full moon tints his skin—­a little bluer now than brown. Mine, too.\u003cbr\u003e He keeps a clean fade on the sides and around back, with a mini Afro on top. His ears are pierced, but he can’t wear his studs while he’s at school—­dress code. So he stands here now, like himself but a different version. With no studs and no smile and skin that looks just a little bit bruised.“There’s a rumor going around here,” he says, nodding at the Iverson buildings. “About us. That we kissed.”\u003cbr\u003e “I’m sorry, \u003ci\u003ewhat\u003c\/i\u003e?” My laugh bounces across campus. “That’s ridiculous.”\u003cbr\u003e “Yeah.” Aaron nods. But he doesn’t say he’s kidding. He only says, “I know.”\u003cbr\u003e His gaze holds mine, this thing he does sometimes. Not just with me, with everyone. Where he looks so closely that you wonder what he sees.I squint. “Well, who’s saying it?”\u003cbr\u003e “Everyone.” He takes a tired breath. “All the guys. Look, I told them it’s bullshit. Hopefully it’s squashed . . . I just wanted you to know. You know? Hear it from me, since stuff travels so fast around here.”\u003cbr\u003e “But they should know it’s not true. They know I’d never do that to Nik—­they know \u003ci\u003ewe’d\u003c\/i\u003e never do that to Nik.”\u003cbr\u003e I want him to agree, to assure me that most of the Boys reacted like I just did. That they know me by now. Trust me. Are happy about me dating Nik. I want him to clarify that he’s only telling me this because it was annoying, not because it’s some kind of \u003ci\u003eproblem\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e But he just slides his tongue across his front teeth and answers, “Yep.”\u003cbr\u003e I wrap myself tighter in his blazer. “And even though they know that, they’re saying it anyway?”\u003cbr\u003e He nods again. “Yep.”\u003cbr\u003e I roll my eyes. My braids are buried inside the back of his jacket. I reach my hand behind me and scoop them out. “You did have a long battle today.”\u003cbr\u003e Finally, he smiles again and slowly starts to walk. “I’ll be alright. Come on, let’s get out of here.”\u003cbr\u003e I fall into step next to him, down the path back to the road that will take us home. Leaving behind the main buildings that look like castles. Leaving behind the lawn that’s so perfect, it could be Astroturf. Leaving behind the fountain with the naked stone boy peeing.And the lions’ eyes . . . I can feel them, watching us as we go.","brand":"Dutton Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233587998949,"sku":"NP9780593618882","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593618882.jpg?v=1767737429","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/streetlight-people-isbn-9780593618882","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}