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Cynthia Hand

    January 1, 1978

    Cynthia Hand crafts compelling narratives that delve into the complexities of human connection and the inner lives of young characters. Her writing style is marked by a profound understanding of adolescence, a touch of gentle humor, and an ability to create memorable protagonists. Through her work, she offers readers not only engaging plots but also thoughtful explorations of love, loss, and the search for identity. Her prose is both accessible and enriching, leaving a lasting impression on those who read it.

    Cynthia Hand
    The Last Time We Say Goodbye
    My Lady Jane: The Not Entirely True Story
    Hallowed. An Unearthly Novel
    The How & the Why
    Hallowed
    Boundless
    • 2024

      Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.Don't call this mermaid "little"—call her "captain," unless you want to walk the plank.Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

      My Salty Mary
    • 2023

      This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart--perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It's Not Like it's a Secret. This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime--and long-distance--crush. Ada's fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie's childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left. Like she never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie's dozens of emails and letters. Then Ada mentions her grandmother's own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie's Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she's lost... With a beautifully earnest voice and a dash of fandom, this wistful and delightful novel is a love letter to queer coming-of-age, finding community, and finding yourself.

      If You Still Recognize Me
    • 2022

      It's aliiiiiiiive! New York Times bestselling authors of My Lady Jane are back with the electric, poetic, and (almost) historical tale of the one and only Mary Shelley. Mary may have inherited the brilliant mind of her late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, but she lives a drab life above her father's bookstore, waiting for an extraordinary idea that'll inspire a work worthy of her parentage--and impress her rakishly handsome (and super-secret) beau, Percy Shelley. Ada Lovelace knows a thing or two about superstar parents, what with her dad being Lord Byron, the most famous poet on Earth. But her passions lie far beyond the arts--in mechanical engineering, to be exact. Alas, no matter how precise Ada's calculations, there's always a man willing to claim her ingenious ideas as his own. Pan, a.k.a. Practical Automaton Number One, is Ada's greatest idea yet: a machine that will change the world, if only she can figure out how to make him truly autonomous . . . or how to make him work at all. When fate connects our two masterminds, Mary and Ada learn that they are fae--magical people with the ability to make whatever they imagine become real. But when their dream team results in a living, breathing, thinking PAN, Mary and Ada find themselves hunted by a mad scientist who won't stop until he finds out how they made a real boy out of spare parts. With comic genius and a truly electrifying sense of adventure, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn the classics on their head in this YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of Frankenstein and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.

      My Imaginary Mary
    • 2021

      With You All the Way

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading
      3.3(949)Add rating

      Bestselling author Cynthia Hand delivers a funny, awkward, and altogether honest coming-of-age story about one girl's attempt to make the most of a summer in paradise-perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. Ada's life is a mess.

      With You All the Way
    • 2021

      My Contrary Mary

      • 512 pages
      • 18 hours of reading
      4.0(525)Add rating

      Long live the queen: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane kick off an all-new historical trilogy with the classy, courtly tale of Mary, Queen of Scots. Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens? Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head--or a tail. Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn after the king meets a suspicious end. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis face a viper's nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary's secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll. With a royally clever sense of humor, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn history on its head in this YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.

      My Contrary Mary
    • 2020

      My Calamity Jane

      • 544 pages
      • 20 hours of reading
      3.6(6364)Add rating

      Welcome ​to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.JANE (a genuine hero-eene)Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.FRANK (*wolf whistle*)Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler is the Wild West’s #1 bachelor. He’s also the best sharpshooter on both sides of the Mississippi, but he’s about to meet his match. . . .ANNIE (get your gun!)Annie Oakley (yep, that Annie) is lookin’ for a job, not a romance, but she can’t deny there’s something about Frank she likes. Really likes. Still, she’s pretty sure that anything he can do, she can do better.A HAIRY SITUATIONAfter a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s been talk of a garou cure. But things ain’t always what they seem—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

      My Calamity Jane
    • 2019

      A poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand. Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for; they've given Cass a life she wouldn't trade for the world. She has everything she needs--but she has questions, too. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can't answer, no matter how much they love her. But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for. Alternating between Cass's search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who placed her for adoption, this emotionally resonant narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.

      The How & the Why
    • 2018

      My Plain Jane

      • 464 pages
      • 17 hours of reading
      3.9(642)Add rating

      Move over, Charlotte Brontë. The authors of the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane are back with an irreverent spin on Jane Eyre—a tale of mischief, romance, and supernatural mayhem perfect for fans of The Princess Bride or A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. You may think you know the story. Penniless orphan Jane Eyre begins a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester—and, Reader, she marries him. Or does she? Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions in this stand-alone follow-up to My Lady Jane, which was called “an utter delight” (ALA Booklist, starred review), and “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

      My Plain Jane
    • 2017

      The Afterlife of Holly Chase

      • 400 pages
      • 14 hours of reading
      4.0(18723)Add rating

      Before I Fall meets “bah, humbug” in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand. On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t. And then she died. Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as their latest Ghost of Christmas Past. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable. But this year’s Scrooge is different. This year’s Scrooge might change everything… The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a witty, poignant, and insightful novel about life, love, and seizing second (or third) chances, perfect for readers who loved Before I Fall or Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares.

      The Afterlife of Holly Chase
    • 2016

      My Lady Jane: The Not Entirely True Story

      • 416 pages
      • 15 hours of reading
      4.1(4260)Add rating

      A clever, hilarious and engaging retelling of the rise to power of Lady Jane Grey; now adapted into an Amazon Prime TV series airing June 2024!A comical, fantastical and witty re-imagining of the Tudor world, perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger - and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems. She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

      My Lady Jane: The Not Entirely True Story