Stars and Smoke

February 15, 2023
Grades 9-12 To the world, Winter Young has everything. A Chinese American international pop superstar with the voice--and face--of an angel, Winter summons legions of fans wherever he goes. But Winter's mother has grown distant since Winter's elder brother died, and a string of romantic encounters with different men and women never fills the void. Enter the Panacea Group, a freelance intelligence agency. They're hunting Eli Morrison, a criminal mastermind and drug lord, and his 19-year-old daughter, Penelope, is a major Winter Young fan. Panacea recruits Winter to help them get close by performing a private concert for Penelope's birthday, but he won't be alone. White teen Sydney Cossette was essentially raised by Panacea, and she's up for a coveted promotion. But this mission means posing as Winter's bodyguard, and Sydney's dismissed him as just a pretty face. But Winter and Sydney both have secrets, and the closer they become, the more they grudgingly respect each other. Winter and Sydney's individual narratives are overall more compelling than their slow-burn romance, but the propulsive, high-stakes plot will hook any spy-novel fan. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Just like her boy, Lu's a superstar: the author of the Legend series is a reliable #1 NYT best-seller, and this glitzy, high-concept thriller seems poised to join her other titles.

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February 27, 2023
In this well-paced series opener by Lu (the Skyhunter duology), a secret agent teams up with a pop star to bring down a powerful crime syndicate. Chinese American 19-year-old Winter Young, “the most famous superstar in the world,” never imagined he’d be involved in a covert spy operation, until he’s recruited by espionage organization the Panacea Group—the institution his late older brother belonged to before his death. Winter is soon partnered with 19-year-old operative Sydney Cossette, a white polyglot hiding a fatal lung condition. Their mission: take down crime boss Eli Morrison, who’s suspected of transporting something called “chemical warfare’s answer to the atomic bomb.” Under the guise of attending and performing at Eli’s daughter’s multiday 19th birthday celebration, Winter—with Sydney disguised as his bodyguard—must infiltrate Eli’s inner circle and gather as much information as possible without getting caught. As the mission unfolds, Winter and Sydney contend with their growing romantic feelings toward each other while diving deeper into Eli’s nefarious deeds. Via Winter and Sydney’s deftly cultivated budding romance, brimming with barbed banter and moments of earnest, emotional resonance, Lu crafts a lively action adventure full of espionage, mystery, and starry-eyed glamour. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary.

April 1, 2023
Two 19-year-olds endeavor to bring down an evil villain--and resist their draw to one another--in this romantic thriller. International superstar Winter Young is bewildered when Panacea, a secret organization with ties to the CIA, briefly abducts him following one of his concerts and suggests that he should work for them as they attempt to infiltrate the shadowy empire of an ultrawealthy tycoon who is poised to unleash a deadly new chemical agent on the world. The shipping magnate's daughter is a huge fan of Winter's, and a private concert for her birthday gives him the perfect cover. Winter is further taken aback when he's introduced to Sydney Cossette, the young Panacea agent who will pose as his bodyguard during the operation, finding her abrasive and surly. Lu vividly sketches a high-stakes world in which the glitz of money and power forms a nicely juxtaposed background for curmudgeonly Sydney, whose traumatic background provides ample character motivation, and likable Winter, whose kind decency is of as much import as the sometimes-gushing descriptions of his beauty and grace. Tech gadgetry and well-paced action sequences will keep readers engaged, and while it's never really in doubt that the pair are attracted to each other, their volley of insults and awkwardness is clever and fun. Winter is Chinese American and has previously had a relationship with another guy; Sydney is cued White, and diversity is woven into the large supporting cast. An engrossing thriller that centers the characters at its heart. (Thriller. 14-18)

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