The Book of Wands by Lauren Louise Hazel

A contemporary fantasy about family, legacy, and the secret power of the past, The Book of Wands by Lauren Louise Hazel is a dramatic and deftly penned piece of YA fiction. Still mourning the death of her beloved grandmother, Olivia Pembroke is anxiously hurtling towards her Final Evaluation at the prestigious Chester College, determined to claim the Golden Quill and restore her family’s honor. To do so, she’ll need to defeat her classroom nemesis, avoid the pitfalls of grief, outsmart the enigmatic Host of the Evaluation, and unravel the fortune-telling mystery left behind in her grandmother’s tarot deck. Thoughtful and unpredictable, this coming-of-age novel boasts an engaging mixture of relatable realism and supernatural drama, which manages to stand apart in an exceptionally crowded genre for its attention to character, setting, and suspense, resulting in an enchanting foundation for a new YA fantasy series.