Tempest

A magically powerful teen struggles to hide her abilities from a villainous organization in this high-concept New Orleans–set YA debut from Ibura (When the World Turned Upside Down). Sixteen-year-old Veronique has lived in the Louisiana countryside with her grandmother, Mawmaw, ever since her parents drowned during Hurricane Katrina. Mawmaw does her best to help V hide her ability to control the wind, but when Mawmaw falls ill, V is sent to live with her aunt in New Orleans. Though V tries to hide her powers, she finds herself in situations with her cousin, Zambia, that force V to use her abilities to circumvent danger. Then family friend Kez clues into V’s gift and reveals that his missing brother, Mal, can control fire. Together, Kez and V work to uncover the mystery behind Mal’s disappearance, and their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole of secrets surrounding a shadowy organization, a series of fires in the area, and a coded message from V’s mother. V’s conflicting romantic feelings for two local boys and keenly felt anxiety about others’ perception of her—conveyed via the protagonist’s personable POV—ground the high-concept premise in relatable coming-of-age drama. Most characters are Black. Ages 13–up. Agent: Lilly Ghahremani, Full Circle Literary. (June)